The University of Mississippi Athletics
Boxx Delivers More Than Tennis
8/24/2012 | Women's Tennis, Blog
Former Rebel and two-time All-American, Kristi Boxx, isblessed with a great family, friends and the talent that led her to become oneof the top players in the history of Ole Miss women's tennis. The Grenada, Miss., native recently wrappedup an outstanding career, becoming just the second player in the history of theprogram to achieve 200 wins combined in both singles and doubles.Â
ForBoxx, life is about more than tennis. It's important to her to give back what she's been given, and for herthat means helping others less fortunate. This summer Boxx spent time in Corumba, a very small town on the borderof Bolivia and Brazil.
"It'sconsidered a small city, but it's still over a million in population," saidBoxx, who traveled there for the third time in as many years.  "It's very bare there. Some just have what they need, and a lotdon't have any running water."
Boxxtraveled to the small town via an organization called Grace InternationalMiracle (GIM) Ministries. She gotinvolved through a family in Oxford, and it just so happens her two roommatesare from Brazil.
"They'vebeen going to the same area for 20-plus years, and they have built at leastfive churches in this area," Boxx said. Â "Everytime we go back we work with a different church. I've been to different places eachtime I've gone and met different people."
Amongthe things they did this time, Boxx said they set up medical care in an oldbuilding and offered the message of God while people waited to see a doctor.
"Therewere four rooms in this building. In the front room they created a triage wherethe patients waited, and before seeing the doctor, they would go throughevangelism," she said. "Everyone thatcame got a Bible, and they would hear the gospel. We had eyeglasses too,because a lot of them can't afford glasses. To sit there and watch them open the glasses and look at the Bible andbe able to read it, it was so cool."
Whilethe women taught Bible study, Boxx said some of the guys worked on building amissionary farm. The plan is to have dorms on the land where they can takepeople off the streets and teach them a skill so they can eventually leave thefarm and go make a living.
Boxxhas also done mission work in West Africa before and on the Navajo IndianReservation in Arizona, which she described as like a third-world country.
"Alot of them didn't speak English, and they didn't have paved roads, and thehouses were very small. It was very eye-opening," Boxx said. Â Â
"Ifeel like everyone needs to go on some kind of international mission trip justto get a different perspective, because here we see the same thing all thetime, and it's what's normal, but not everyone lives like us. Compared to therest of the world we live like kings and queens, and so I'm very thankful thatI've gotten to go. Now I appreciatethings more."
It'sbeen a whirlwind summer for Boxx, who recently got engaged. She is spending time in Oxford this semesterworking out with the team and training for the pro circuit. Later this fall, Boxx plans to compete insome tournaments in doubles with another native Mississippian, Keri Wong, whoearned All-America honors at Clemson.
Boxxsays she plans to try and continue her mission work whenever possible.
"Lifein and of itself should be a mission trip. It shouldn't be, you go on a missiontrip and then you come back and go about your normal life," she said.  "My life in general is like tennis, I'mplaying for the Lord and not for myself. Whenever I have the opportunity to go and serve, if I can make ithappen, then I'm going to do it."       Â
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