Ibrahim* has been participating on a Sports Friends team in West Africa for over two years. After every practice, his coach shares a story that teaches about godly character. Sometimes these are stories directly from the Bible, which are new to him because he grew up...
We can find people of all ages, all around the world, who love sports. Yet, we know the most widely enthusiastic fans and participants are young people. Young nations are particularly receptive to being loved through sports-based relationships. Senegal is one...
Written by Mercy Obwolo, our Sports Friends Kenya Office Coordinator "July 27th and 28th 2020 were marked out clearly in my calendar. I arrived at KAG Church Kariobangi around 9.00 am. Sanchez, Judy, and a few coaches had arrived and they were...
Senegal is a coastal nation in West Africa that is home to over 16 million men, women, and children who bear the image of God. The tragedy is that fewer than 1% of them recognize Him. Notably, Senegal was also a key location in the TransAtlantic slave trade where for...
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Sara was knit together by God, and delivered to the world in the city of Jimma, Ethiopia. Her mother, captive to an unhealthy lifestyle when Sara was born, knew she could not raise a baby. As is a...
“I could tell you 1,000 stories of kids whose lives have been changed by camp,” says Coach Mamo from Ethiopia. Coach Mamo has helped to run Sports Friends summer camps for years, and has a tradition of letting his team stay overnight at his family’s home the eve...
“Parents trust me because they know me,” Coach Job says with joy. Job is well-known in the town of Assela, central Ethiopia, where he lives and coaches. He also helps with citywide school-based soccer tournaments and is involved in Bible teaching through...
In a dark home nestled among the dangerous streets of Kariobangi, Kenya, “Mama” sits at home with her mentally handicapped adult son. Her husband and daughter have gone away to work in the early morning hours, and her 6-year-old grandson is off to school. Mama’s...
The moment a child takes its first step or utters its first real word is unforgettable to a parent. A father or mother waits and anticipates with joy when their precious little one will courageously try something new (and a bit risky), then break into a whole new way...
Viktor plays on a Sports Friends soccer team in Kenya. He is 8 years old but doesn’t look much older than his six-year-old teammate Julius. Although we’re uncertain of all the details about Viktor’s life, his small stature suggests chronic neglect even before his...
“It is one of the best practice sessions I have ever attended on this ground,” young Ben glowed during water break. That day, soccer practice had revolutionized his heart. It began a typical Saturday afternoon when the boys streamed onto the church compound. This was...
Last summer, Hope Church in Richmond, Virginia embarked on their eighth trip to Ethiopia to share God’s love at a Sports Friends camp. They served at a discipleship camp with youth who have heard of Christ before but desire to pursue Him more. We interviewed...
Last summer, Hope Church in Richmond, Virginia embarked on their eighth trip to Ethiopia to share God’s love at a Sports Friends camp. They served at a discipleship camp with youth who have heard of Christ before but desire to pursue Him more.We interviewed team...
Last summer, Hope Church in Richmond, Virginia embarked on their eighth trip to Ethiopia to share God’s love at a Sports Friends camp. They served at a discipleship camp with youth who have heard of Christ before but desire to pursue Him more. We interviewed team...
Coach John is from Malawi’s eastern region of Mangochi. This area is densely populated with followers of powerful religious cults that stand in opposition to the gospel of Christ. Sports Friends first visited this region in 2014 to cast vision for reaching out to...
Half of Malawi’s population is younger than 15 years old. Fifty percent of girls are married by age 18; nine percent are younger than 15 when they are wed. The young men are prone to leaving (even their wives and children) to find better work opportunities in South...
In January 2019, it started to rain. One tropical cyclone after another pounded southeast Africa, the most notable being Cyclone Idai, which made landfall in early March. Rivers rose quickly, and entire villages were simply erased from the landscape. Family members...
“Malawi is a land of extremes: extreme poverty, and extreme joy.” -Fostance, Country Leader, Sports Friends Malawi Sports Friends has been present in Malawi for seven years, and the ministry continues to grow. In 2018, Sports Friends Malawi saw more than 700 young...
Sports Friends coordinator Enock's* courage after a violent machete attack proved to be a powerful witness to the gospel in Malawi. He was due to lead a Sports Friends camp on the eastern side of the country when a hostile group of men brutally beat him. They left him...
In Nigeria, young people face incredible barriers. The economic, political, religious, and tribal divisions within the nation threaten their identity as young men and women made in the image of God, who are born to bring refreshment and renewal to their land....
Claire and Emily recently served with Sports Friends on a missions trip to Kenya for Messiah College AROMA student athletes. Interested in a short-term trip with Sports Friends? Find out more at: www.sports-friends.org/go Meet Claire: A sheet of paper and a pen...
Micah, Nate, and Trevor recently served with Sports Friends on a missions trip to Kenya for Messiah College AROMA student athletes. Interested in a short-term trip with Sports Friends? Find out more at: www.sports-friends.org/go Meet: Micah We all have expectations....
Emily and Nate recently served with Sports Friends on a missions trip to Kenya for Messiah College AROMA student athletes. Interested in a short-term trip with Sports Friends? Find out more at: www.sports-friends.org/go Meet: Emily Emily wanted to be bold in her...
Megan and Kevin recently served with Sports Friends on a missions trip to Kenya for Messiah College AROMA student athletes. Interested in a short-term trip with Sports Friends? Find out more at: www.sports-friends.org/go Meet: Megan It’s chai time! Every day in Kenya,...