Saturday, July 19, 2014

Summer "Half-time" recap in pictures

A little out of order but this will have to do! A little glimpse into summertime in Santiago.
Fun 4 days of ministry with the AIA college baseball group. Spending an awesome morning sharing with our GO academy players 

AIA out in Tamboril

My summer has included LOTS of sharing our vision for the LDC. It never gets old sharing what God is doing and how we believe he is going to reach the next generation through the LDC!

Lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of moving sand!

more sand

Loved having some real special groups down. Jen Ochs from Glen Ellyn Bible Church sharing with some kiddos at our church and nutrition center in Los Perez

GO Basketball league

Ben Wilson from GEBC threw kids around .... all.day.long

GEBC at Los Perez

Spent lots of time at our churches and nutrition centers. It never gets old sharing the stories of our Pastors and local leaders and what God is doing in their communities.

La Mosca

Another GEBC picture (had the good camera all week with them!)

Jose Luis and Alan during our trip to Louisville for the TCBIV Golf Outing. With some of the Hoehner girls

Never a dull moment around these crazy kids

Great event, great day. Fun spending time with these guys and all that worked hard to put this event together.

A few of our players putting in some work for our temporary fields out at the LDC!

Dominican players and American players working together during AIA's trip

Always blessed by spending time with this guy. Love his heart for reaching souls through baseball.

AIA and GO coaches after the game at Estadio Cibao

GEBC working hard at LDC land

Been amazing serving alongside Dariana all summer. We have worked together on a few teams and I've loved seeing her heart for kids really come through. I am getting a little concerned that she may steal/adopt a little haitian boy from one of our churches!

Basketball clinic in Los Salados with St Luke's youth group from Houston 

Sharing with the baseball players in Los Salados. Awesome turnout, many seeds planted and many kids accepting Christ for the first time. Such an encouragement for Pastor Elvis serving in this community.

We have had phenomenal interns ... seriously incredible. Always ready for whatever "intern duties" come their way. Ben Nussbaum taking one for the team during GO basketball week

GO Basketball week ... the crew brought it hard in the morning at the devotionals!

Los Salados

Group from Gridley, IL with a VBS at Medina's church in Cambronal.

This photo is just hilarious. 4th of July, the Metros decided to bring us out for an honorary jump ball in front of probably 8,000 people "to honor our nation's birthday!" Happy Birthday America

Another awesome crew. Wishing I could have spent more time in Hato del Yaque, but it was so great to see the FCC group if just for a short time.

Starting to look more and more like a baseball field!
I think I could hit BP with this view 

Lincoln Christian Church with their "tool of choice" after a tough 3 days putting in perimeter fencing and spreading sand on our temporary fields.

GO Basketball league.

Start em young!

"Passionate, local leaders serving inside their culture"

“Passionate, local leaders serving inside their culture”

We are at a very exciting time in our Sports Ministry with GO Ministries. This summer, we have seen so many different facets of our ministry in action. We have had basketball and baseball clinics for hundreds of different kids in communities that GO churches are ministering and active in. We have had commitment, discipline and integrity poured into our kids daily in our academies. Currently we have over 180 kids in our Baseball academy, and 60 kids in our basketball academy. We have had great commitment from kids who have chosen to take advantage of our optional English classes 3 days a week during the summer. We have had an amazing Thursday night bible study where each coach takes a turn leading the study with what Jesus is to them in their lives. We have had great successes in Santiago city tournaments in both Baseball and Basketball. We have even had some interest from MLB teams and various tryouts in Santiago and trips to the Capital 2 hours away.

Sounds busy huh? Will Partin and I see the potential that sports has to act as a vehicle to bring the gospel to kids from any country/culture through something that they love. We each have experience playing/coaching in College in the US. Together, we have a vision for what GO sports should look like. The most beautiful part about GO Sports is that we have gotten to the point where we watching the fruits of years of training/coaching our GO coaches to do their thing in their areas of expertise! We have 5 full-time baseball coaches and 5 full-time basketball coaches, and all the ministry going on is happening through them! We are not at the field/court daily ... and that's ok. That's not only "ok" that is good and healthy! We can focus our energy and resources on other areas because we know that our coaches are committed to the vision of GO and the expansion of Christ’s kingdom DAILY, through whatever that particular day’s activities may look like. 


We are not perfect. We don’t have it all figured out. BUT, we are so excited to be at a point where we are working out God’s calling to this ministry through our vision statement goals of working through “passionate, local leaders serving inside their culture. Our coaches know what these kids are going through in their home lifes. Our coaches know what kind of pressures they see on/off the court. Our coaches know what it is like to deal with alcoholic, absent or abusive parents and influences. Our hope is that our coaches can rise up and be a primary influence in these kids and help them understand that God has a bigger purpose for them than to be wrapped up in what the “streets” have to offer. God has a plan for them. Period. Our prayer and goal is that our coaches continue to show this to our kids daily and that God continues to reveal himself to our coaches and players every day.  Please take a minute to life our coaches up in prayer as this is no easy task! We are all on one team, and God is expanding his kingdom through our Sports Ministry everyday and I am humbled and blessed to be a part of this global team and partnership.