When Merab first began serving in the community through Campos Sports, she quickly saw that the need was much deeper than baseball. The kids loved to play, but many of them were struggling in school, in confidence, and in their sense of belonging. Some lacked basic encouragement. Others just needed someone to believe in them. As she got to know their families, she met moms doing the best they could, some hadn’t finished school themselves, some were stretched thin, trying to hold things together, some were simply not present.

As Merab spent more time at practices, talking to families on Sundays at the field, and just being part of the everyday rhythms of the community, she started feeling a pull to do more. Around that time, she connected with her friend Amanda, another missionary on the island. The more they talked and shared what they were seeing, the more they realized they had the same burden, there was a real need for a space where kids could learn in a safe, faith-filled environment and experience the steady support they were missing.

Although Merab didn’t feel entirely equipped to take on something so big, she recognized how God had been preparing her all along. With an Associate of Arts degree and a background in recreational therapy and program direction, plus homeschooling her son, teaching Sunday school, and working as a teacher’s assistant, she carried a unique mix of experience and heart.

Even though the task felt bigger than her, she said yes because deep down, she knew God was inviting her to be part of something meaningful.