Ray and Lisa C. have been on staff with Athletes in Action since 1990 and currently work with Pro Ministry (soccer) in Los Angeles, California. The couple, who originally met at the Campus Crusade for Christ Agape International Training in L.A. and served in Eastern Europe, has three children: McKenzie (13), Nicholas (12), and Cameron (8).

Describe your last 20 years of ministry. Was it what you anticipated?

We could never have anticipated the last 20 years of ministry. Only the Lord knew that we would both have a heart to serve overseas, only to find ourselves reaching internationals right here in Los Angeles. We had planned to go back to Europe after going through the adjustments of marriage here in our own culture, but we were drawn to the incredible needs in this diverse city. For example, I now serve on the board of an inner city soccer club, Compton United, which targets underprivileged Latino children who don't have the same opportunities as their suburban counterparts. We plan to have the L.A. Galaxy and Chivas USA (Major League Soccer teams) players mentor and train them through soccer. 

When out-of-state friends visit you, where is the first place you take them?

To the beach, of course, mainly because I have taken up surfing and they can't believe that an Ohio boy could love the waves so much. Plus, they all want to try it as well. 

Describe a typical Caldwell "family day".

A typical day involves getting the kids to school on time, and then Lisa and I will often try to workout at the gym. After breakfast, we both send e-mails, set up doctor appointments for the kids (Lisa), plan Bible studies and the weekend's chapel for the soccer players (Ray), and talk through the driving schedule to get the kids to their sport practices (Nick and Cameron) or ballet class (McKenzie). Our individual offices allow for open dialogue through our kitchen.

I usually leave by 11 a.m. for an appointment or to meet the players after their morning practice for Bible study while Lisa drives back to the kids' school to pick them up around 3:00. Right now, I help coach Nick's youth football team, and we have practice three days a week in the evening. After dinner, I am usually on the phone setting up support appointments or calling athletes to see how their relationship with Jesus is going.

Compare and contrast the student-athlete today with the student-athlete from your first year of ministry. 

The student-athlete today is much more media savvy and internet capable. Often when I meet with one of the men's soccer players from UCLA, he has researched the topic we are discussing and already familiar with the missions opportunities available. Athletes have always had limited time and energy because of their demanding schedule, but today, with the extra time they spend on social networking sites (i.e., Facebook and MySpace), the only time they are available is after 9 p.m. In fact, the soccer players convinced me to get my own Facebook page last year so that I could easily communicate with them.

Describe what biblical character your spouse most resembles. 

This one is easy. My wife resembles the Proverbs 31 "excellent wife". She always gets up before dawn to make breakfast and ready the kids' lunches before school. Her heart always plans ahead for their recreational and physical health, plus she has become a pharmaceutical genius getting all our allergy medicine ordered on time. I often find her researching high schools online, preparing us for the application process and she capitalizes on bargains while shopping. She is amazing and I trust her with my whole heart.

How have you seen God working? 

Recently, God has been working in the hearts of the married men that I am counseling.  I have had the opportunity to do some marriage counseling which is a first, and this has me really seeking God's heart. Athletes and coaches who are married are under a lot of pressure because of the amount of time they spend away from home traveling and competing. Plus, there are the temptations of being a professional athlete that present themselves all the time. God is calling them to holiness, and it is not easy.

Full names of Athletes in Action staff members have been withheld to protect those serving in religious-sensitive countries.

Photos courtesy of Ray C.

Top: Caldwell Family

Middle: Ray traveled to Egypt this summer to help run the Egyptian Sports Camp. The boys pictured played each other in a baseball game one afternoon in Cairo.

Bottom: Ray discipled (mentored) Pat Ianni in his faith while Pat was a student at UCLA. Now a Major League Soccer player with the Houston Dynamo, Pat meets with Ray and other Christians on the team for a pre-game chapel whenever they play the L.A. Galaxy.