Village Visits

 

 

We have had the privilege of getting out to four villages to do sports evangelism.  We have done soccer three times and basketball once. 

                                            







Basketball presents a bit more of a challenge since we need a court before we can do anything.  There are only two villages currently that have basketball courts, and that’s because a partnering church from the United States came out and provided the funds to build one.
 
 

 

 

     Usually when we go out to a village to do sports evangelism, it is an all-day event. We typically go out to the villages sometime mid-morning, meet and greet people in the village, eat lunch (around 3 or 4), and then play a game.  People don’t really like to do sports earlier than about 4 o’clock because it is so hot.

 

     It really is amazing to see when the game starts, people seem to come out of nowhere to watch.  Literally we are in the middle of the bush, you see no buildings except the different small compounds in which the people of the village live. 

 

 



Then a soccer game starts, and people start walking up from what appears to be out of the wood work, from miles away.  The times we have gone out to different villages, there usually ends up being at least 150-200 people that have gathered to watch.  





The Word being shared at halftime.  It's amazing how many people were packed in that little circle!



 

It really is incredible how God has enabled us to use a simple game to be able to bring people together to hear about Jesus.  Using sports is really an international language, and it can be very impactful as long as you are intentional about it.  Even the most simple of things can be turned into a powerful tool for God if you are willing to surrender it to Him.

 

1 Peter 4:10-11

 

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.  If anyone serves, they should do so with strength God provides, so in all things God may be praised through Christ Jesus.  To him be the glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

 

 

 

Here are some extra pictures over the last few weeks.



Bekah with some girls in a village.





Lucas made a friend at a soccer game.

Very popular shoe here in Senegal to play soccer in.

The boys enthralled that a toubab puts his shoes on like everyone else/ hoping that the toubab will give his cleats away.

Notre Dame