HOOPS & SOULS: OKWU players fill mission trip to Bahamas

No plan is perfect — but Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s men’s basketball team traveled with perfect intent during a mission trip to the Bahamas.

They made the 1,360-mile journey in order to spread hope and the gospel spirit, while using basketball as the common medium of connection.

The OKWU contingent included Eagle head men’s basketball coach Donnie Bostwick, 16 players and a hip-hop artist named Adrian Butler to add visibility to the endeavor.

OKWU players got plenty of floor time against some of the best teams the Bahamas had to offer, which brought entertainment and normalcy to the city of Abaco, which was devastated two years ago by Hurricane Dorian, Bostwick said.

“It was pretty awesome,” Bostwick said about the experience. “I’ve been on a few mission trips and every one of them has their own special chemistry, how that God kind of put you on His adventure from the very start.”

When Bostwick initially settled on the trip to the Bahamas, “we started dreaming big,” he said. “Our first dream was to go to Nassau, which has the biggest population.”

But, due to some recent political changes, that idea became inadvisable.

A friend of Bostwick’s — Dan Cook, the president of the NCCAA — suggested OKWU spend its mission trip to Freeport on the Grand Bahamas.

That led to another contact at Freeport with a man whose son Bostwick had helped find an American school to play at.

The father encouraged the OKWU group to take the ferry to Abaco, located on one of the top four islands in the Bahamas, to work with the people there.

Abaco had been destroyed a few years ago by Hurricane Dorian and the people are still trying to recover.

“When you go on a mission trip, God kinds of calls you to go to the people who need you the hardest,” Bostwick said. “We were able to go straight to Abaco and spend three-and-a-half days there.”

Only one main structure had a roof on it, and that was a gym.

Bostwick’s groups set up bleachers, which had been sent as part of our trip, in the facility.

“We did basketball camps,” Bostwick said. “At our first basketball camp over 100 kids showed up. … They were just hungry for the opportunity to come and play basketball and see our basketball kids.”

As part of that experience, Bostwick met Pastor Mills, who had one of the churches in Marsh Harbor.

He also happened to own the national news station and conducted a news interview with Bostwick and Butler, giving the OKWU team and mission trip national exposure.

The Eagles also played at Abaco and Freeport.

In Freeport, they played four of the island’s better teams for post-graduate players up to 30 years old.

“We played really well,” said Bostwick. “they were impressed I think with our style and brand of basketball. They could hang wit us for a while but there were not used to playing a team-oriented basketball attack like ours.”

The Eagles played in a similar tournament in Abaco. One of the players they went up against was Chauncey Cooper, who has made the ESPN SportsCenter No. 1 highlights.

In addition to setting up bleachers, holding camps spending time with the youngsters, signing autographs, and so on, the Eagles also enjoyed some snorkeling and “got a little bit of baptism working in,” Bostwick said.

While playing in Freeport, the local high school players stayed and watched OKWU play and mingled afterward with the players.

“We played some really good teams and I’m very proud of our guys on how they served and represented Oklahoma Wesleyan University,” Bostwick said.

He also express appreciation for Butler’s contributions and radio interview.

“Every step we took, the number of people we touched was really awesome,” Bostwick said.

He express profound appreciation for those who helped support the trip financially.

“There were so many people in the area,” he said. “I know they’re going to be blessed in heaven. … God was great.”

Bostwick is on the verge of his 10th year as OKWU head coach, spread between two stints (2007-2011, 2017-present).

OKWU has qualified during each of his campaigns for NAIA national tournament play.

Last year’s Eagles squad advanced to the national tournament Elite 8, and came up just four points shy of moving into the Final Four.

Bostwick is just three wins shy of 260 at OKWU.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Oklahoma Wesleyan University men's basketball completes mission