broken road, The

Book Description

When eleven Auburn University football players embarked on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, they expected to serve others. What they discovered instead was how profoundly they would be transformed by those they came to help.

Team chaplain Chette Williams guides readers through an extraordinary journey that began in the impoverished streets outside Puerta Plata, where children survive by scavenging for food at garbage dumps. These young athletes, accustomed to the privileges of college football, found themselves face-to-face with a reality that challenged everything they thought they knew about hardship and joy.

In those few transformative days, something remarkable happened. The homeless children they encountered didn't just receive help—they became the teachers. Through their resilience, smiles, and unshakeable spirit despite overwhelming circumstances, these children touched the hearts of the football players in ways that would ripple far beyond that single trip.

Williams chronicles how this profound encounter became the catalyst for change throughout the entire Auburn football program, ultimately connecting their spiritual awakening to their journey toward the 2011 BCS National Football Championship. This is more than a sports story—it's a testament to how genuine service opens our hearts to unexpected lessons about faith, purpose, and what truly matters.

The Broken Road reveals how sometimes the path to our greatest victories begins in the most unlikely places, among the most unexpected teachers.