June 2020 - Stories of Hope in Times of Trials

Dear friends,

What follows are five compelling short stories illustrating the variety of ways that the Sports Outreach ministries are helping to restore hope and transform lives in difficult situations.

RISING SOCCER COACH

Hassan is from a Muslim family. He began participating in Sports Outreach soccer programs in the Kibuli slum in Kampala, Uganda 19 years ago at the age of six. He thrived in an environment where his coaches, Henry and Sam, invested in and cared for him. As he grew older, they noticed Hassan had leadership potential, especially in coaching. As a young teenager, he began to coach the younger kids, and over the years he attended several coaching courses. Late last year, while coaching some children of expats (foreigners) in Kampala, he was approached by a German gentleman who noticed his gifting. To make a long story short, he is now in Germany on a two-year fully paid scholarship at a top coaching academy! What an example of on-the-field, off-the-field life transformation! Contact us if you would like the full story.

INVESTING IN A LIFE

Mentoring and discipling—investing in lives—is a core part of our ministry at Sports Outreach. We connect with people through sports and invest in their lives off the field in a wide variety of culturally appropriate ways. Through God's grace, our prayer is that their lives are transformed! Jessie, who serves with Sports Outreach in Charlotte, NC shares Naomi’s story. "Naomi is a middle-school girl whom I mentor. Her grades have started going up; a direct correlation between the time that she didn't have anybody pouring into her and now that she does. I let her use a laptop and sit on a chair by my house so that she can have access to Wi-Fi and do her homework. If she ever needs help, she knows she can knock on the door and ask. It's amazing what being available to these families can do."

EMPOWERING TROUBLED WOMEN

The pandemic lockdown in Northern Uganda meant Sports Outreach had to send the girls at Christine’s House back to their village homes.  These abused and troubled girls had just started their 9-month program in late February, but now the Christine’s House staff have had to get creative and be diligent in their desire to serve these girls “from afar.” They have maintained close, regular phone communication with each girl and continue to work with them individually. With the help of Aloysius Kyazze, the staff members have put together an agriculture training program for these girls as well as several other people who were interested. They received two weeks of training, were given seeds, and were encouraged to grow crops, both to help their families in the immediate crisis, and to support themselves long-term.

TRANSFORMATION IN NUEVO CUSCATLÁN

Oscar (age 14) has participated in Sports Outreach Institute (SOI) programs in El Salvador for several years and recently shared the impact of their coaches and leaders in his life: “One of my weaknesses was getting scared easily. I have been attending the SOI Hope Restored program since September 2017 when I was invited by the coach (Andy) to go to train in soccer after school. I am not an athlete but going to train has been very cool because I have learned to work hard to get the things I want. I am now more confident of myself and am always looking to exercise with other children [and] to interact with [them].” Oscar is a gifted student, and through the efforts of SOI Director Humberto Alférez and others, he now has a scholarship which will allow him to complete high school at an excellent public school. “When I become a grown man and have a degree, I want to be like our SOI coaches, supporting and training other children if possible.”

CARING FOR WOMEN WITH HIV

Pastor Francis Juma, Kenya Director for Sports Outreach, has for many years discipled a group of about 20 HIV-positive women in the Mukuru slum of Nairobi. Generally, such women are shunned and left to fend for themselves, so when Sports Outreach leaders indicated the critical need for food in the slums during the lockdown, the first needy group Juma mentioned were the “Tusuriane Women”—his HIV group. In early May, he was able to give each woman enough food for three weeks, a huge blessing to them. Thanks to so many who donated to help provide this emergency food not only for Kenya, but for Uganda and El Salvador as well.

We are so very grateful to our loving Heavenly Father who continues to lead Sports Outreach during these uncertain times. Through your prayers and resources God has supplied “seed to the sower and bread for food” and He “will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Corinthians 9:10) Hope is being restored and lives are being transformed each day, and for that we also give praise. To help us continue this kind of transformational work, please visit www.sportsoutreach.net/invest.

Blessings in Christ,

Ben