Many of our coaches work in difficult places where sharing the gospel message could mean putting their lives, homes and families seriously at risk. This is a story from some of our team members pioneering the Sports Friends ministry in a place where extremist groups have huge and growing influence, and violence has been rapidly increasing in recent years.
“We wanted to highlight one of our coaches specifically and solicit your prayers for him, his family, and the ministry that he is involved in.
This coach lives in a village outside of the city. He is married and has children of his own. He works with young people ages 7-15. His chosen sport is volleyball. He lives 5km (3.2 miles) from a very dangerous area and works with some of the thousands of displaced peoples in our country. These are internally displaced people who have fled their villages because of extremist groups in their regions. The displaced peoples have fled their homes, with what they could carry, and some have lost their families because of the extremist groups but some are also fleeing because of famine problems due to extremist groups rationing water, blocking supplies, and knocking down cell phone towers.
This coach welcomes young people into a nearby schoolyard, gives them an opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends, and share the gospel message with them. He does not know every child that walks through the door. He does not know if he will be putting his life more at risk by helping them or sharing with them. But he feels called to use sports as a tool of evangelization, he feels called to minister to these young people and using sports is a wonderful way to build relationships with them so he can share the gospel.”
Please pray for this coach, and others like him, who are working in dangerous places all over the world. Ask God to intervene in these volatile countries, bringing healing to those who are suffering from trauma, and comforting those who mourn. Pray for strength and courage for coaches who are taking risks and making sacrifices so that the good news of Jesus can be shared with more young people and their families, and the Kingdom of God can continue to grow in the darkest places.