“This is like a dream for us”
We heard this statement from so many of the 20 coach training participants who joined us from Myanmar two weeks ago.
The journey was not easy for any of us, but our God made a way for every one of us to gather for four days of fellowship, good food, worship, strategic training and acquiring a biblical mindset towards coaching football (soccer).
Your prayers for our travel and safety were surely heard. Jim and I had cancelled flights, lost luggage and 12 hours of re-routing delay on top of the original 27-hour journey.
This is minor, compared to the courage it took for these 17 men and 3 women to pass through their country’s border and arrive in Thailand. Several in the group had never been on a plane or seen anything like the city of Bangkok. It was refreshing for them beyond words.
The two leaders from Missionary Athletes International in Charlotte, NC joined us and brought their decades of expertise in sport training, encouragement and Christian mentoring. Our hearts were bursting with joy as we sat back and beheld the wisdom that was being graciously imparted by both Graham and David.
As a bonus, we believe the Lord is forming a friendship between our two ministries, which will hopefully bring forth fruit in the lives of those in Southeast Asia.
Graham from Missionary Athletes International talks about the significance of the training
“Josh, will you go with us to Bangkok?”
Months ago, we had a “nudge” to invite a member of the community group we lead at our church to accompany us in Bangkok. Josh is a former professional football player in Europe and Canada and a coach of women’s football. He is a joyful and encouraging guy who immediately puts everyone at ease. Well, Josh said yes, if somewhat tentatively.
He shared the testimony of his rising career and the injury that forced him to retire from professional football. This sad chapter led to the next steps in his journey toward finding his wife and surrendering his life fully to Jesus Christ. Josh’s story embodied the teaching of the four days, that fame and winning are not a Christian coach’s purpose. Rather, it lies in leveraging every part of life to grow in transformation, both personally and in the lives of those being coached. Once again, our hearts rejoiced to see this precious brother take his first step in allowing God to use his story for impact and influence in the lives of others.
Thank you, thank you for standing with us in support and prayer. Every coach returned home committed to fostering team values and an atmosphere for life transformation, not just winning games. Please pray for fruit that will remain from this amazing time.
-Nancy
more of Jesus’ love to share
Just hours from death by starvation, Pastor David held the tiny infant in his arms with tears in his eyes. The baby’s mother had fled from her village and hid in the jungle. She didn’t eat for 9 days before giving birth and couldn’t properly nourish the baby.
David met the grieving mother in a new group of internally displaced persons (IDP) and heard the story about why the baby girl needed help. When David told us about her plight and the hundreds of others in the new IDP camp, we committed Firefall to care for this needy group in addition to the hundreds of IDPs we already support every month through food, clothing, bedding, and school supplies for the kids.
If the Lord puts it on your heart to help provide IDP support, you are demonstrating the love of Jesus in a way that makes a vital difference. Firefall has committed $2,000 per month in aid for the two groups of IDPs. Thank you for your life-transforming love and financial support.
