Matt Barkley's Christmas Break

By Jordan Moore on January 13, 2011 11:59 PM | 19 Comments

With the college football post-season door closed, USC QB Matt Barkley used his holiday break to take advantage of a different kind of opportunity.

For 11 days, he hung up his cleats, rolled up his sleeves and ventured to Nigeria with his family (parents Les and Bev, brother Sam and sister Lainy) and some friends (girlfriend Brittany Langdon, Lainy's friend Taylor Bonds and Trojan punter Kyle Negrete) to visit orphans, widows, villagers and prisoners in the central Nigerian city of Jos.

While there, they did construction work and shared daily fellowship. They brought with them 1,200 pounds of much-needed supplies, hygiene kits, sports equipment, toys and Christmas gifts, all donated by numerous friends of the group.

The trip was coordinated through Go Nigeria, an organization that provides assistance to Nigerians living in extreme poverty.

Barkley and his group documented this incredible trip in photos and video.

If you scroll down, you can view a slide show, as well as a video that Barkley himself produced, which expresses his devout faith and feeling for all that he experienced on this journey.

Below that, you can read a Q&A to learn more about his trip.

Highlights from Nigeria Trip 2010 from Matt Barkley on Vimeo.

Q.) What was the genesis of this trip?

Matt Barkley...

Two years ago after graduating high school early, I did a similar trip when I went to South Africa over Christmas break, so I had some experience doing this. This past summer, when USC got sanctioned by the NCAA, we thought a great way to go do something as a family over the holidays was another such trip.

My mom had reconnected with a high school friend, Peter Fretheim, who is a missionary in Nigeria, and so my parents put together this trip through an organization called Go Nigeria, the non-profit which Peter and his wife, Miriam, founded. Go Nigeria helps hundreds of street children, orphans, widows, victims of leprosy and the poor by providing clothing, medical care, jobs and more than 500,000 meals annually. It provides hope for the forgotten people in that society.

Q.) What did you do when you got to Jos?

Barkley...

It took us 31 hours to get there. We went from Los Angeles to Houston to Frankfurt to Abuja, Nigeria's capital, and then had a 4-hour drive to Jos.

Once we got there, they put us right to work. The first day, we went to Transition House, where 40 teenaged orphan boys live. While there, we met Abraham, a 14-year-old boy whose parents had died and whose uncle has tried to burn him alive. Due to the scaring from his burns, Abraham could barely talk and he was unable to close his mouth. It was encouraging to me, though, how he and all of the boys were so joyful and strong-minded despite what they had gone through.

We went to different locations. The orphanage at Transition House, a Widow's House where the women are taught a tailor's trade, a home for handicapped men who spend their time making wheelchairs for the poor, a men's prison, a boarding school for children of Nigerian missionaries.

At each place, we hosted a Christmas party, feeding them a bowl of flavored rice, some goat meat and a soda. We passed out gifts and supplies and gave words of encouragement. We also brought along costumes and performed a Christmas story at each place and had them act it out with us.

The four of us guys would spend every day from 9 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon working. We built a water tower, dug trenches for the water pipes, put in some soccer goals and tether ball poles and we even held some sports camps. The girls each had a classroom where they taught Bible stories, sang songs and did crafts. ?

Q.) You went to an area that has had some tension among its people.

Barkley...

Going in, we were aware of the violence that was prevalent in the area. Jos is in the center of Nigeria, sort of the dividing line between the Muslims in the north and the Christians in the south. So tensions exist, but we knew that. Because we were told it was unsafe, we didn't venture out beyond where we stayed or where we were serving. We had a driver who took us everywhere. The places we stayed were walled and gated. I never felt scared or threatened.

One day we visted the village of Dagon Na Hauwa, where 400 men, women and children were massacred last March by Muslim extremists. We walked with more than 100 children who survived the massacre to visit the mass grave and it was humbling to realize how these children went through such a traumatic event and are still able to laugh and be joyful. It made you thankful for the freedom and safety we have in America.

Another day, I asked some kids my age what was the hardest thing about being a Christian in Nigeria. They said that once they decided to become Christian, they became labeled and thus were a target. They live under constant threat and never knew when they might die. It was encouraging to me to see people stand up for their beliefs, whatever they might be, in spite of those threats. ?

Q.) What did you learn about the Nigerian people you met?

Barkley...

It was eye-opening to see how intent the Nigerians were about everyday interactions. I saw their faith and joy and gratitude in the littlest things. We'd be with them in a hut with dirt on the floor, no beds, and skinny goats in the back and barely any wheat growing in the fields, and yet they were so thankful to be alive.

It helped me realize I need to do a better job of seeing value in everything that comes in my path and be thankful for the littlest things. It's hard to keep that attitude when you come back to a society like ours that is more privileged and entitled.

Life is so simple for the Nigerian people we met. God is their source of strength and power to accomplish things. They don't have technology. They rely on God.

For instance, us bringing them a meal was viewed as a gift from God. It's also a reality that their life can be taken from them just like that, snap, so it's a joy for them being alive every day. It showed me that we should take time to enjoy life and soak in every interaction with people and be thankful. ?

Q.) Did you get in some football while you were there?

Barkley...

We played soccer with the boys from Transition House and we taught them and the village orphans American football. We brought some USC football videos of this year's Cal game and our 2010 highlights.

They were shocked by how many people come watch our games. They loved American football and were always wanting to play with us. They only knew soccer, so American football was totally foreign to them. But they embraced it, especially after seeing the videos of our games. And we got the kids in the orphanage to do the Fight On sign.

Q.) On a trip like this, there had to be many memorable moments. What sticks out?

Barkley...

On our last day there, the girls in our group taught the Bible story about Jesus being the ultimate servant. Then they gathered all the kids and washed their feet.

To these children who hadn't been loved, it showed that someone loved them, that even though we were there just for that day we were representatives of God's love.

It was a pretty emotional moment. The children all got quiet and had tears in their eyes. It was incredibly touching to leave Nigeria on that note. ?

Q.) Are you glad you went?

Barkley...

It was really amazing how this opportunity opened up because of the bowl ban. I hope I get this opportunity again someday, although obviously not under the same circumstances of NCAA sanctions.

It was a hard transition coming back to the States afterward. For almost two weeks, we were away from technology, we were where people didn't know me as a football player. For me, it was a blessing to get away from all that and be able to focus on serving and on the children.

Matt Barkley's Christmas Break

Matt Barkley's Christmas Break

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University Southern California Trojans

Matt Barkley's Christmas Break

Matt Barkley's Christmas Break

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