The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that “love always protects” (1 Corinthians 13:7). The Sports Friends model thrives because more than 12,000 volunteer coaches embody this feature of God’s kind of love to the young people they work with. The teams are not like...
Forty teenaged boys arrived with their coaches at Lake Langano in summer of 2006. This week was the pilot summer sports camp for Sports Friends, the first and only camp like it in all of Ethiopia. The boys came from homes struggling with the poverty common to their...
What is your role with Sports Friends? Sport Friends Ethiopia Director. What is your favorite sport? Football (soccer). What is your favorite Bible verse? Romans 15:7: "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." When...
“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...
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...
I have wanted to travel to Ethiopia for as long as I can remember. Even before I was a Christian I felt drawn there. So, you can imagine my excitement when that opportunity finally came. It was not a difficult decision to say yes to going to Ethiopia – I knew that is...
Jalane Age: 17 Favorite Activity: Swimming What did you learn at camp? “I learned that there’s lots of challenges in life and to overcome challenges we have to be patient.” [When I asked what she learned that from, she said from going over the spider web at...
By Laura Hall, SF Ethiopia What is the impact that one week of camp can have on youth, their families, and their communities? You might remember David - the camper who brought a church to his village. After attending camp six years ago as an 11-year-old, David...
This month we'd like to introduce you to one of our hard-working camp staff members! Wako has been working at Camp Langano in Ethiopia for several years, and his heart to serve all who come to camp is evident! Name: Wako Beriso Role with SF: Camp Langano Staff...
Last week our staff members at Camp Langano interviewed a few of the campers. Read what these young men had to say about camp below! Name: Shumi Age: 14 Favorite Part of Camp: Everything! But mostly the zipline and Goliath! Something I learned at Camp: I learned about...
By Laura Hall, SF Ethiopia “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 If the primary role of a coach is to support and encourage youth, we’ve been blessed at Camp Langano to serve alongside...
By Laura Hall, SF Ethiopia We don't always get to see the full impact camp has on people, but every now and then God gives us a glimpse... Our Camp Langano director, Brian, was surprised when he was recently invited to visit another sports camp. None of our staff had...
The camping season is well underway and many lives are being impacted! Here is just a snapshot of our campers in Ethiopia: Name: Abenet Age: 11 Comes From: Dole, EthiopiaFavorite Part of Camp: "The dramas which I watched every day."Something I Learned About God This...
By Emily Dempsey After each day of activities and challenges our team grows closer and more comfortable with each other. Walking the dusty path through the trees, the boys were all hanging on each other, laughing, and just having a great time. As we came around the...
This month we'd like to introduce you to Zinabu, one of our Camp Langano staff members in Ethiopia! Name: Zinabu Kedir Role with SF: Programs Department Favorite Sport/Team: Soccer/Arsenal Favorite Bible Verse: "You then my son, be strong in the grace that is in...
By Luke Voight, SF Malawi Two weeks ago Luke (SF Malawi Director) and Fostance (SF Malawi Coaches Trainer) traveled together to Camp Langano in Ethiopia to learn more about how to effectively and strategically run residential sports camps in Malawi. At camp they...
By Jenn Brady, SF International As the Sports Friends training director, part of my job is to guide our coaches to recognize and utilize “teachable moments” on the field of play. When applied appropriately, some of the most powerful lessons can be taught using normal,...
Written by Brian Hall, SF Ethiopia (Camp Langano) Fate is 13 years old. She has a bright smile, always a giggle, and a quick, witty response. She is blind. She wasn't born blind. As we understand the story, she got an eye illness as a young child and was taken by her...
By Tripp Johnston, SF International There are currently 5 million people living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. One of the poorest and most depressed parts of Addis is near the main garbage landfill. In this area, people forage for food and shelter in the garbage heaps....
By Brian Hall, SF Ethiopia. Photos by Nicole Adams Hundreds of kids came through camp this past summer, each with a unique story. Some come from Orthodox homes, some from other religious backgrounds, some non-believing, and some from no home at all. It was “family...