Eli with Grandpa D

Eli, Johanna and Gammie...

July trip to Africa.....

and we WANT YOU TO JOIN US! This July, Chris, Johanna and I will be spending the month serving the absolutely AMAZING work of God that has taken place in Ethiopia through the church centered sports ministry (CCSM) approach. We invite you to join us! Please!

The main focus of your GREAT ADVENTURE Camp Langano experience will be serving wholeheartedly, alongside our Ethiopian staff, the 100 plus youth (mostly Muslim) and their Christian Coaches, who come from one of our 2300 C.C.S.M's throughout the country. We get the chance to love on a bunch of boys or girls ages 12-16 that have never had a camp experience in their life. We get to play games with them, eat our meals together, sing "meaningful" songs to them, enjoy funny skits together, convey biblical truth through drama's, swim together (if hippo isn't around), and pray for them. Also, we get to encourage the faithful Christians who serve these boys and girls in the name of Jesus Christ, often times, in very trying circumstances! It's quite a privilege to hear these Christian leaders stories and testimonies. You absolutely can't go on this trip and not be challenged in your faith & life in Christ as well as be a HUGE BLESSING to our Ethiopian ministry!

Camp Langano is located in a rural African setting 4 hours from the City of Addis Ababa. It's simply an amazing location next to Lake Langano with monkeys galore and the occasional hippo or two in full view!

Words from Sports Friends leader Tripp Johnston:

To serve at Camp Langano, you don’t need any special skill or experience – just a desire to serve God and love the Ethiopian campers (typically 12-15 years old). We have had all types come and thrive – male and female; old and young; athletic and non-athletic; outgoing and quiet. Help is needed with crafts, games, sports, music, drama, first aid, photography, etc. – or just come, hang out, and love on a group of Ethiopian youth. Come join us and half the time of your life!

Trip Dates: July 14-24, 2011 or July 21-31, 2011. Other trip dates earlier in July and in August may also be available.

Trip Cost: approximately $3,400 plus the costs of required immunizations. All trip costs paid to SIM are tax deductible.

Let me know ASAP (and certainly no later than March 15 - tripp.johnston@sim.org) if you would like to join one of these trips. These ministry trips to Camp Langano are also open for families with teenage or college age children (this is a great way to serve together with your older children). Virtually everyone who has been on a similar trip with Sports Friends in the past has had an awesome, life-impacting experience. Read testimonies from prior trip participants at our website (www.sports-friends.org/trip_testimonies.html).

WHY NOT "GO FOR IT" THIS SUMMER AND JOIN THE DAVIDSON's IN AFRICA THIS JULY?

2010 Sports Friends Year End Report

If your interested in a really informative SF ministry update then check out our Sports Friends Year-End Review (2010) at www.sports-friends.org click on NEWS!

Kristin and Tripp have put together a year end update you won't want to miss!

Pray 4 Daniel.....

This message came to us from our SF Nigeria office this afternoon.

Daniel Izang, our SF Nigeria staff was on his way to the village on a motorcycle. He and a friend of his (a pastor) saw houses burning and then a mob of young men. By the time the reached the mob they realized that these young men were out to harm anyone they came in contact.

As Daniel and the pastor tried to determine what to do they were pulled from the motorcycle and beaten. Daniel was wit with a brick and became separated from his friend. Then Daniel thought his life was over. They poured gasoline over him and attempted to light him.

He still does not know how God spared him and reunited him with his friend and eventually his family but he is praising God for being able to “live to shout His praises”. It is not over for Daniel as he sustained several injuries and is severely traumatized.

Please pray for his recovery (and his friend) along with emphatic prayers for this violence to cease.

Blessings,

Kyle Abts

for the Sports Friends Nigeria team

PS Daniel is a sweet sweet brother in Christ, husband and father of two beautiful children. He and I traveled to Ghana and Liberia together last year where I observed first hand his sincere wholehearted commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and desire for others to know His Savior & experience the same joy He has as a follower of Christ. I believe he and has wife would be the first African SF family to serve cross culturally. PLEASE PLEASE Uphold Him in prayer. I have received word in the last 20minutes that he is in Evangel hospital, which is a SIM hospital, where he is experiencing headaches & is vomiting.

***I spoke with Kyle Abts not long ago and Daniel is resting in a bed at the ABts home. Daniel doesn't appear to have any internal injuries.

Chris "new knee's" update......

Serving Stinks.....

Johanna and I have been emptying throw up bowls and bed pans for the last three days. Surprise, surprise, they stink!

Yet, there is one specific reason why we haven't minded dumping those bowl's and pans, know what it is? That's right, love! Johanna loves her Mom and I love my wife soooooo very much that for both of us to perform these nasty task's is actually a privilege. This mother of four and wife of mine is AWESOME. She has served us endlessly, day in and day out for years and years. She has modeled servanthood to us. We know she loves us so much as well because of how she has humbly, and faithfully served our needs for almost 30 years.

This made me think, which is always dangerous. I may not be the sharpest tool in the toolbox but even I could figure this life lesson out. When you love someone a lot, acts of service will surely follow. And no act of service is too much or too STINKY to perform for the ONE you LOVE!

And so that got me thinking some more...double trouble! Jesus came to serve not to be served. He modeled perfectly what humble service should look like out of his immeasurable love for His Father. If we love Jesus then our life should be all about serving our Heavenly Father's purposes and the needs of others! The more we love Him the more we will SERVE! When we humbly serve, even if what we do stinks -literally-, those acts are actually SWEET aroma unto Jesus and others.

Extra word to the wise, if your full of your self you will not be able to love others fully, or much at all for that matter!

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13

This verse expounded on actually means that we have freedom from the Mosaic laws and OPPORTUniTY FOR THE FLESH with our freedom to follow our natural sinful selfish desires. We are then much advised to resist the temptation to serve our selfish ambitions (let's not be slaves to our fleshly desires and the worlds desires), but to use our freedom to serve others with radical love! Therefore, "love your neighbor as yourself."

brian

ps CHRIS IS GOING HOME THIS AFTERNOON!