Athletes in Action News and Commentary

As The Dust Settles

As we left from the concert last Friday at the Soweto Academy in Kibera (Kenya), a couple of thoughts and lasting impressions stuck with us.  We were truly amazed by the talent and giftedness of the students of Soweto Academy. Prior to our team and Rhymz Suhreal putting on a concert, the students put on a talent show which included singing and dancing groups, a fashion show and even a jump rope skipping team.  Wow, what an act to follow!  And to think, these same students are well aware of what the rest of Kenya thinks of them- they are considered the bottom of the barrel in their society.  On numerous occasions these students told us that other Kenyans say "nothing good comes from Kibera," . . .  but nothing could be farther from the truth.  We found some of the most intelligent, hard-working, passionate students, teachers, & staff we have ever encountered- ANYWHERE.  They may live in some of the worst conditions, wear tattered clothes, and have dirt on their faces, but they are beautiful.  Their eyes shine with hope and their hearts burst forth in praise to Jesus- who many have put their faith in.  At the concert, we sang a song the students co-wrote with Zak & Becky Alwin.  It was about God's goodness.  Could these children really know and experience God's goodness when they have so little?- the answer is a resounding YES.  They knew of God's love for them, provision, healing, power, forgiveness, peace, and so on and so on.  We learned so much from them and were reminded that life doesn't come from the "stuff" we acquire or the "good works" we do- it comes from Jesus and these kids could testify to it.  During the concert we sang, danced, jumped, hugged, smiled and laughed with the children in the middle of the mini-dust storm we kicked up during our celebration.  It was hard to say good-bye, but they will not be forgotten.  They will remain in our prayers and our hearts.  We came to serve them and share Christ's love with them- which we did, but we left with so much more then what we came with.  If anyone tells them again- "nothing good comes from Kibera"- we will be sure to remind them, that's what people said about Nazareth.  

Finishing Well

Tonight marks our last evening in Nairobi before heading out for our team's de-briefing time. The last two days have been full of goodbyes and finishing things up with the various projects with which we've been involved since arriving. 

On Friday morning we had a great time of prayer and fellowship with the AIA staff and volunteers in Kenya! One of our major goals in coming to Kenya was to help resource and encourage the Kenyans involved with Athletes in Action, which has resulted in many new-found friends and what we hope is the beginning of a great partnership between the U.S., Canada, and Kenya. Our prayer is that the AIA ministry in Nairobi would continue to grow and flourish and that God would move in an unprecedented way in the hearts of Kenyan athletes! 

On Friday afternoon our group headed to Kibera and Soweto Academy one last time to hold a concert and closing ceremony of our time at the school. It truly was a precious time spent with singing, dancing, and we even a performance from a local jump rope team! We also got to spend some last few moments with Jeffrey and Johnstone, the principles of Soweto and two men truly annointed by God. We're excited about what the future holds for Soweto Academy and how we can continue to partner with them in meaningful ways!

Finally, this afternoon we dedicated the basketball court at NPC-Karen. It was amazing to see how God orchestrated the construction of the court. There were many times during the week when it seemed as if it would not get completed on time, but as of this afternoon only a few finishing touches need to be added! We spent time this afternoon dedicating the court to the work of the Lord, praying that those who use it will be forever changed by the good news of the Gospel!  

Please be in prayer for our team as we attempt to process everything that has happened during our time in Kenya. Our hope is that as we return to our homes and "normal lives" that we would be able to take what we've seen, heard, and learned and apply it in our natural environments--that we would be forever changed from this experience. 

Kenya Coaches Clinic Wrap Up.

A great day of fellowship, food and basketball highlighted the conclusion of the AIA Basketball Coaches Clinic here in Nairobi. Eric Nelson conducted a lunchtime meeting for the coaches stressing the need of a "coaching self" mindset with God's help and the accountability of a trusted friend. A very helpful discussion stirred several ideas partnering the local AIA ministry with the coaches of basketball in the weeks, months, and years to come. The coaches expressed their thanks to AIA for players' camps and the coaches' clinics the past five years and reported more cooperation among the basketball coaches in their country since AIA events have been staged here. 

Joe B. Stewart finalized the coaches clinic presenting two sessions of offensive team play concepts utilizing local athletes as demonstrators. The clinic concluded with Coach Stewart's testimony and the Gospel message. One young man accepted Christ and over twenty expressed an encouragement of their faith in Christ. 

STUFF we did today. :)

Today was an exhausting, yet awesome day!   We started our day with team time where Misty and Matt shared a devotional about solitude.  At the end, they challenged us to go sit by ourselves for about 20 minutes and just sit in silence; listen for God's voice.  At first it was a difficult task, with external thoughts just flooding in.  But after awhile, God's voice came through loud and clear.  How often in our cluttered, fast-paced world do we put God on the backburners. There can be so much peace and wisdom found when we're just still before God.

After preparing our hearts and minds for the day, a group of us set off for another day at the courts. We got a bit of a late start and more kids showed up, so our stations were a bit shorter.  Although the ages ranged from 10-25, and skill levels also ranged, the enthusiasm and willingness to learn was the same throughout! Everyday here, I'm newly amazed and humbled by the character of the Kenyan people; kids and adults alike.  Everyone I've met or conversed with is so genuine, respectful, kind and joyful! The love of God in their lives is so apparent, and I can only hope and pray that I can exemplify those same things.

After finishing up camp, Brit, Ruth, Joe and I joined two of our Kenyan coaches for lunch.  They were so open and willing to share about their culture.  We learned that there are 42 tribes here, many of which originated in Sudan.  And also, to bring one of them with us to the market because they are a "negotiating" culture, and we'll end up paying 5x the real price if we dont know what we're doing lol!

After a good lunch and eating 8 "chipotees" each (which are a traditional, yummy, doughy, tortilla-like food), we proceeded back to the court for the coaches clinic.  We gave a few lessons and demonstrations about strength training and ballhandling, and then Coach Joe did a great clinic on defense.  He put us and a few of the Kenyan players to work doing demonstrations: got to love defense!!

We then met up with group that worked at the Soweto Academy and finished our night with a nice dinner and learned a little more from 3 people who shared some personal stories with the group.

Definitely saw and experienced God today in many forms! He sometimes has a funny way of showing us His lessons, but it's all in His timing. Looking forward to tomorrow and finishing up the great week of camp!

 

Meg

AIA Kenya's Future Basketball Stars