The early morning sun warms a deer seen today along Pierceton Road near Packerton Road south of Warsaw.

In football, when a running back sees an opening, he makes a dash for it.

Two former area football players with an interest in missionary work have a long run ahead.

The handoff is a football and a Bible. Paydirt is the Czech Republic.

Jeremiah Deaton, 21, and Pete Demorest, 23, are hoping their love for football and God can be a winning combination when they leave for the European nation Jan. 11.

Deaton and Demorest have agreed to help coach a semi-pro football team as part of a missionary effort through World Wesleyan Mission's GoNet Volunteer program.

First, though, they're working on their financial conditioning program to pay their expenses during the trip, which could continue for up to a year if funding allows.

Both need to raise several thousand dollars before they leave. Deaton will leave behind his job as a pressman for the Times-Union.

Demorest is leaving behind a sales job and taking his wife, Beth, who will work with the cheerleaders.

The three will host an open house Jan. 3 at Westminster Hotel to raise more money. Donations and questions can be directed to Warsaw Wesleyan at 267-7983.

The Demorests were married Aug. 1 and they think a joint missionary trip is a good way to start their marriage.

Together, they have a huge debt load from student loans, which complicated their decision, but Pete Demorest said they think it is the right thing to do.

"It's a big interruption, but I think it will be very beneficial," Pete Demorest said.

"We wanted to put God first," in establishing their marriage, he said.

Communicating could be one of the biggest hurdles. The language used by Czechs is considered one of the most difficult in the world to master.

But smiles and friendship could transcend the language barrier, they hope.

"The thing I think that will work out for us is that we're both friendly," Pete Demorest said.

Much of their work on and off the field will involve leading by example.

"What we're going to be doing is throwing on the pads and actually showing them, hoping they will learn a lot more by seeing it," Deaton said.

Deaton learned about the opportunity during a missions conference at Warsaw Wesleyan Church during the same time, he said, he had been praying for God to open a door in some way to serve. Soon after he saw a video involving a football team organized by John Croft, the Czech Wesleyan mission director.

For Deaton, the missionary work will be his first, but he looks at it as an extension of how he interacts with friends locally.

"I want them to at least know what it's about and what would happen if they aren't Christians," Deaton said. "But I don't want to push it on anybody."

"I know I'm not always going to have an answer for them. I'm just going to have to remember their question, go home and pray about it and read my Bible," Deaton said.

He will also be able to depend on other Christians.

Normally, missionary workers prefer married men, but they made an exception for Deaton.

Working in the Czech culture can become a bit too tempting for single men.

"The women over there are very aggressive," Deaton said.

But the bigger cultural challenge might be the nation's male outlook on religion. Many of the men there view a dependence on God as a sign of weakness, Deaton said.

Beth Demorest's father is a pastor and she has been on about eight different missionary trips. She will work with cheerleaders as part of her efforts.

Pete's missionary background includes a one-month effort in Australia that included work at a homeless shelter.

But the upcoming trip will be different. A perfect mix for Pete, his wife said.

"Football is Pete's passion," she said. [[In-content Ad]]