Volunteer Spotlight | Kiel’s story

From Thailand to Burnaby

Finding a home away from home

Saturday mornings at 10 am are a special time in the community of Edmonds, Burnaby, BC. Every week, kids leave their broken homes, come to a gravel field, play soccer and hang out with young adult coaches. Many things make this time important, not only for the kids, but also for our TeamUp volunteers. Kiel Mayich has been a faithful volunteer coach at Edmonds for two years now. His own reason as to why he chooses to wake up early every Saturday to be a part of these lives is inspiring.

Growing up in Thailand as a missionary kid, Kiel is no stranger to poverty, brokenness, and seeing hardship in young children. After receiving a message late one Friday night asking for more personnel to go coach some young kids, Kiel said yes not fully knowing what he was getting himself into. When he arrived at the underwhelming location and began interacting with the kids, despite being 11,375 kilometres outside his comfort zone, Kiel recalls, “he felt at home”.

Kiel has always felt a strong calling to be a servant and enrich the lives of others. Being able to do this through the power of sport has been a life giving opportunity for Kiel. He reflects that the small moments have been the most impactful for himself. When a kid bursts out with celebration after scoring a goal, Kiel is sure to join in. Frustration often gets the best of kids and he is constantly able to hear and encourage them to keep trying. Kiel feels as though his role is much less about trying to change the kids than it is about letting them have fun and extending unconditional love.

When asked the reasoning behind his dedication to being a core TeamUp Edmonds volunteer, Kiel responds, “Few things in life are as fulfilling as making an impact in a kid's life”.

Written By:

Aliya Coy, February 9, 2022

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