Cypress Champions!

I have come to know mayor Jon Peat personally since last year, when the Mayor's Prayer Gathering was being held remotely at Neighborhood Church. To our pleasant surprise, when pastor Daniel Baik was being officially installed as the new senior pastor of MiracleLand Baptist Church just last month, he agreed to come to the service and pray for the occasion.  

What sparked my interest about Jon is that he has been a member of Seacoast Grace Church since 1988.  That is 33 years of faithful belonging and serving at one church.  Today he is one of the elders in their elder’s board.  And for the past 21 years he has been in the leadership of Cypress Champions, a community baseball league for people of all ages, with special needs.  

His story begins with his son, aged twenty nine this year (2021), having been born premature with lots of serious complications including cerebral palsy, with a present cognitive level of about an eight year old.  He briefly shared his story of how he used to have long, frightening seizures and how several times the ambulance had to be called for emergency services.  We had briefly spoken about this league when he came to our church and I remembered that he mentioned that the season ends on Saturday, 22nd.  Today is the second to last day for the 21st season.  After prayer service at dawn at our church Jeannie and I went to Oak Knoll Park, right behind the Cypress Community Center.

Once we got there he greeted us, “There you guys are!”  He jogged around the dugout and greeted us warmly.  He began talking about the Cypress Champions program, not exclusive to just Cypress residents.  People from anywhere within a six mile radius of Cypress, including many folks from Anaheim, Los Alamitos to the Seal Beach area with children with developmental handicaps or special needs who have an interest in a weekly fun activity out in the park.  As he was sharing these things I kept watching the players and just behind my masked face was a big old smile as that gal right there by the home base swings the ball and hits a first base.  

“That’s Becky” She makes it to the first base. Jon knows each players by name.  

“That guy pitching with the green hat, that’s Sherman.” 

“That gal over there is Dakota, number 21”  

The conditions required for the kind of warmth, joy and enthusiasm among the eighty some players, spectators, volunteers, is commitment and servanthood.  These two mitt & glove catch the love that is showered by God himself on a fine day like today- just perfectly overcast without rain, unlike how I remember hearing it on the radio station just the day before.  “We have a strong Christian presence here.”  Remarked Jon.  I could feel it for sure.

“So if I wanted to avail a volunteer opportunity for our youth group, would they be able to get credit for community service credit hours through this?”  I asked. 

Jon replies “Yes, absolutely.”

Under the no-nonsense crew-cut with sharp eyes behind his glasses is a person governed by our reigning King Jesus, and compelled by His love.  It turns out that some days, the entire Los Alamitos baseball team comes out and buddy up next to these players, making their game day extra special.  My wife and I were there for about an hour, and the whole time we felt God’s blessings effervescent in that place.  We also met Paul, a parent of Dakota and Sergio playing on the field in their blue jerseys.  What a wonderful way to start the morning.  Thank you mayor Jon for your leadership in the community and your faithfulness to our LORD!  We hope our churches will be able to collaborate here for a multiplication of His blessings!