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Soccer is the world sport. It's played in virtually every country of the world and its popularity constantly increases. The Brazilian national soccer team has won five World Cups (the most of any country) and has been ranked number one or two in the world for decades. Hundreds of Brazilian soccer players have signed on with teams around the world, primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Japan. Many of them are outspoken, vibrant Christians. In North America, Brazil is known for the beauty of the beaches in Rio and the abundance of wildlife in the Amazon rain forest, but most other countries around the world know Brazil for its excellence in soccer. It's plain to see how Brazilian soccer can be a bridge between the people of the world and the gospel of Jesus.
When our family moved to west-central Brazil in July 2002, we attended the Central Free Methodist Church in downtown Cuiabá. We soon became acquainted with Geraldo, Ita, and their two children, who were members and attended the church. Geraldo grew up in Cuiabá and played on the local professional soccer team. He came to know Jesus and started to play soccer for His glory. His soccer skills shine for Jesus. He learned to play soccer with a greater, eternal purpose. A team from Europe offered Geraldo a contract. He accepted and went to play in Tirana, Albania. There he attended a Christian church started by a Brazilian mission. His status as a soccer player brought many people to Christ and to His church. His vibrant testimony attracted people to the Savior. Now Geraldo is signing a contract with a team in Turkey. May Jesus shine through him there, also. Missions with a GOAL. Soccer goal, that is!
In January 2003, 55 Free Methodists gathered in Cuiabá for an intensive missions training program, called GSI, or Global Studies Intensive (formerly Missions Bootcamp). For 12 days we prayed, worshipped, learned, played soccer (of course!) and encouraged one another in the work of missions. As Brazilian coordinator of GSI, I kept in touch after the event with the 32 Brazilians who attended by e-mailing them a periodic "Bootcamp News." I encouraged each one who had attended to seek the Lord earnestly to discover what He had in mind for each one of them. João Faria was one of those who attended GSI. He e-mailed me in July saying that he was going with a group from his FM church to several African countries in which Christianity is outlawed. His team would spend 25 days on a missions trip called Sahel Project. What was he going to do? Play soccer and teach it to kids. João wrote, "Our objective is to help the missionaries who are there to make meaningful contact with the children and youth." His group understands the high cost of following Jesus in these countries. The group has been praying, raising funds and preparing themselves for the trip. João will be one of the soccer trainers. Recently he explained, "We are training by juggling tennis balls, small rubber balls, and regular soccer balls with our feet, in order to do demonstrations for our African brothers." The Brazilian long-term missionaries in these creative access countries are so concerned that the team be effective that they insisted each team member have 40 intercessors backing them before they were accepted to participate. It's not just about playing soccer, it's about making the soccer skills shine for Jesus and His Eternal Kingdom in all the nations of the world. This is missions with a GOAL. Soccer "missionaries" may not fit into traditional mission categories, but their willingness to think "out of the box" and find creative ways to "go into every nation" will influence many thousands for Jesus Christ. When we are involved in the Lord's work, it always takes us far beyond what we can imagine. |
