We made it back safe and sound! We had the awesome opportunity to take a first-time youth tour to Medellin, Colombia this summer. It was an incredible trip and the Lord was moving throughout our team. We partnered with Missionary Athletes International and Imago Dei Soccer Academy to take two soccer teams to Colombia. Here are some stories of people we encountered on our trip:
Alvaro- One weekend Alvaro gathered a soccer team together to compete in a neighborhood tournament. Prior to the start of his game, a gringo named Mark called the two teams to the center of the field and led them in a short prayer and invited them to attend a Bible study on Thursday nights. After the game, Alvaro stayed to talk to Mark. A friendship developed between them and Alvaro began attending the Bible studies. God began to work in Alvaro's life, and he decided to follow Jesus and began to attend church. A test of his new-found faith, though, came quickly. For Alvaro had been working for a local drug cartel boss, and when he made the decision to follow Christ he also took the step of renouncing his work with the cartel. Alvaro told his "boss" that Jesus was all he needed for his life and he left the drug cartel business. One month later this same cartel boss had all his employees killed, thinking that they had a plot to kidnap his son. Alvaro's faith, seeing how God literally saved his life, was strengthened, and he resolved, with Mark, to help other young men into a life-giving faith in Christ.
Alex- He had loved guns and the gang-life ever since he could remember. His father had been involved in criminal organizations even before he had been born. When his father went away to command a communist guerrilla force, Alex couldn't wait to join him. One day Alex's friend invited him to a soccer practice with a Christian Union soccer team. At first, Alex refused, not wanting to have anything to do with "spiritual" stuff. Eventually he went just to please his friend. In that first practice, the coach (Alvaro) opened his Bible to Jon 3:16, and shared with the team that God loved each one of them For Alex, this was earth-shaking, as no one, ever, not even his parents, had told him that he was loved. Alex ended up giving his life to Christ and giving up his guns. Some years later he went back to his "old neighborhood" as a coach for this soccer organization. One day as he was training his team, some members of the neighborhood gang came up to him and warned him to stop what he was doing or else. Alex chose to pray and shared with these guys how God had changed his life. He decided to keep going with his work in the neighborhood. Some weeks later, late at night, there was a knock at his door. Peeking out the window he saw that it was this same gang. he knew that they had come for him, to kill him, which was "normal" back then. he prayed with his wife, and with some fear and trepidation, stepped out the door. "Alex, we have decided that we like what you are doing, and we want you to train us as a team too!" Several of those young men are now coaches with this soccer organization.
These are just of few stories of the people we encountered in Colombia. Their testimonies are an incredible example of how the Lord works in our lives. May you be as encouraged as we were from hearing these stories
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12: 1-2
Alvaro- One weekend Alvaro gathered a soccer team together to compete in a neighborhood tournament. Prior to the start of his game, a gringo named Mark called the two teams to the center of the field and led them in a short prayer and invited them to attend a Bible study on Thursday nights. After the game, Alvaro stayed to talk to Mark. A friendship developed between them and Alvaro began attending the Bible studies. God began to work in Alvaro's life, and he decided to follow Jesus and began to attend church. A test of his new-found faith, though, came quickly. For Alvaro had been working for a local drug cartel boss, and when he made the decision to follow Christ he also took the step of renouncing his work with the cartel. Alvaro told his "boss" that Jesus was all he needed for his life and he left the drug cartel business. One month later this same cartel boss had all his employees killed, thinking that they had a plot to kidnap his son. Alvaro's faith, seeing how God literally saved his life, was strengthened, and he resolved, with Mark, to help other young men into a life-giving faith in Christ.
Alex- He had loved guns and the gang-life ever since he could remember. His father had been involved in criminal organizations even before he had been born. When his father went away to command a communist guerrilla force, Alex couldn't wait to join him. One day Alex's friend invited him to a soccer practice with a Christian Union soccer team. At first, Alex refused, not wanting to have anything to do with "spiritual" stuff. Eventually he went just to please his friend. In that first practice, the coach (Alvaro) opened his Bible to Jon 3:16, and shared with the team that God loved each one of them For Alex, this was earth-shaking, as no one, ever, not even his parents, had told him that he was loved. Alex ended up giving his life to Christ and giving up his guns. Some years later he went back to his "old neighborhood" as a coach for this soccer organization. One day as he was training his team, some members of the neighborhood gang came up to him and warned him to stop what he was doing or else. Alex chose to pray and shared with these guys how God had changed his life. He decided to keep going with his work in the neighborhood. Some weeks later, late at night, there was a knock at his door. Peeking out the window he saw that it was this same gang. he knew that they had come for him, to kill him, which was "normal" back then. he prayed with his wife, and with some fear and trepidation, stepped out the door. "Alex, we have decided that we like what you are doing, and we want you to train us as a team too!" Several of those young men are now coaches with this soccer organization.
These are just of few stories of the people we encountered in Colombia. Their testimonies are an incredible example of how the Lord works in our lives. May you be as encouraged as we were from hearing these stories
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12: 1-2