Nigeria

What a blessing it was to see a solid foundation being built in Nigeria for the work of Sports Friends. The SFN team is doing an excellent job at reproducing leadership, training, mentoring staff members, meeting with church planters and connecting regularly with key top denominational leaders. The SFN ministry is now partnering with 10 different denominations at various levels around the country...WOW is that exciting! The church planting training program has trained over 400 in two major denominations. The next few years I believe we will hear so many stories of how God has used these men and their families to reach into totally lost villages with the Gospel message using a silly little soccer ball as a tool to build friendships, then relationships. It was so awesome to sit with one CP director and look over the map of the country to strategize with them on the future. I also got to spend time with the President and GS of ECWA (a large denomination in the country tied to SIM since 1893) who we have been working with since 2005. Man oh man is it thrilling to see there backing and support of SFN. Our level 3 conference was a huge success. 88 coaches receiving further training by the staff. It was a blessing to take part in the training, to see our SFN doing such a great job and to hear the questions being asked as well as to be a part of the discussions pertaining to reaching the unreached, empowering more woman in CCSM, working together in certain area's of the country regardless of denominational affiliation, and how to more effectively reach the hearts of the youth. It was a special time in Nigeria. We even had time as a staff to have dinner at the Lemanski's and play some ping pong. Pray for the follow up of these 88 coaches and the hundreds of others who have taken the level 2 champions training. This will be the SFN staff's emphasis for the first half of 2010. Finally, let me say it was a privilege to invest in the lives of Daniel and John who traveled with me to Ghana and Liberia. I loved it!