Resilience Rules!
Welcome guest writer Dan Ribbens, Westmont College Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach and long-time SOI board member from Santa Barbara, CA.
In 1991 Russ Carr, founder of Sports Outreach Institute (SOI); Carl Gans, late founding board member; and I traveled to Uganda to continue laying groundwork for the ministry of SOI. SOI strives to partner with the local church in the areas where they work, and here, many pastors found it hard to accept the idea that sports could be a viable means to share the Good News of Jesus. However, we were able to convince some local pastors near the city of Jinja to participate in sports training to show them how to put on a soccer clinic and share the Gospel at the same time. One day at a local field, with just three or four balls on hand, over 150 kids suddenly appeared to see what was going on. The pastors backed up and all of the sudden I was doing a soccer clinic for the kids using only a few balls—I was praying for a “feeding of the 5,000” moment with the balls! The kids had a great time, and the pastors caught the vision. At the end we shared the Good News of Jesus with all who had gathered. Many responded with professions of faith and the beauty of it was that the local pastors were there to establish a relationship with them!
Toward the end of our time in Uganda we were able to help put on a big sports festival in Jinja. Sports included net ball for the girls, track and field events, and soccer matches. Hundreds of people received Christ, and many of the pastors that were previously so skeptical, helped share the Gospel as we met in small groups, with more people pressing in to hear the Good News.
One of my most memorable moments from that day was watching the kids from the School for Physically Handicapped play a soccer game on their terms. These were kids whose legs were paralyzed, withered, or missing altogether. They ran on their hands or fists. It was mesmerizing, and the remarkable thing was the hundreds of people surrounding the field to watch and cheer for them. These were kids who no one ever paid attention to, a neglected part of their society. Even now, 30 years later, I am inspired by their resilience and ability to overcome incredible hardship.
It is this same type of resilience the Sports Outreach staff members demonstrate every day, in an environment fraught with challenges. They had a vision to work in the slums of Kampala, Uganda and Nairobi, Kenya, and to start a farm in war-torn Gulu, Uganda. When money ran out, they found a way to keep going. When refugees from Sudan began heading south, their first response was to find a way to help. When Covid hit and trips from the U.S. were put on hold, they still hosted medical clinics. They continue to minister to the HIV community. Recognizing that not all kids cared for ball sports, they started a chess program. The stories are endless. All of this because SOI wants to be the hands of Christ in a broken world and a voice to share the Good News of a Savior who unconditionally loves them and wants to be in relationship with them. The resilience and passion to labor for the cause of Christ permeates the Sports Outreach mission around the world! What a blessing to be a part and share in supporting the work.
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COMING THIS FALL!
For those who haven’t heard, Sports Outreach and Freedom 4/24 are joining forces to open a new thrift store in Lynchburg, Virginia! Mission Thrift promises to be more than just a thrift store—we want to see communities thrive. Profits from Mission Thrift will allow us to grow the resources of Freedom 4/24 and Sports Outreach Institute. We also plan to give back financially to other nonprofits in our Lynchburg community! We are eager to begin this Mission Thrift venture and you can follow us on Facebook @MissionThriftVA and on Instagram at themissionthrift. You can go to their website at www.themissionthrift.org to learn how and what to donate or to sign up to volunteer. Once we open, we’ll be eager to show you around!
The outreach trip team from Rivermont EPC ready to head to El Salvador
TRIP TALK
By the time you receive this newsletter we will have sent two more teams to El Salvador! Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Lynchburg, VA) was in-country from July 25 to Aug 1 and I AM 24/7 (Charlotte, NC organization that empowers youth to give back to their communities) visited the ministry work from Aug 5-12.