Within the ministry of CrossTraining – whether in our chaplaincy to the teams or in places like the Timothy Project – there are moments when we wonder if anything that we say or do has an impact on what God is doing in and through the hearts of people. We can feel that even our mere presence is a waste of time, or that the thing that we invest in is of little use. The following is a the first part in a two part-story on how the summer soccer camp through Christian Life Assembly in Calgary, Canada had an eternal impact on a family distant and disconnected from God. Consider the impact that you can have by financially supporting CrossTraining and the Timothy Project: Calgary.
“The Lord has truly blessed our family in wondrous ways. Coincidence does not explain why certain events have taken place – it is truly God’s intervention.” – Donna Farney
As Don Farney was nearing his life’s journey, both he and his wife (Donna) knew he was not ready to go. Donna had sensed that Don had not truly accepted Christ as his personal Savior and as he lay in the intensive care unit of the hospital, with no cure or miracle in sight, Don was nervous and agitated. It was on one of those dark days in ICU, that Donna was handed a small booklet given to her grandson, Jack. He had sent it to the hospital for me to read to Don. In that booklet was scripture, – John 3:16 – along with many other words of comfort and encouragement.
As Donna read it to her husband, who could no longer speak, she read it over and over again. And when she had read it through several times, Don would still motion for her to read it again. After reading it several times, Donna and her husband Don, prayed and asked God to accept Don as His child. Don was able to spend his last few days at peace with the Lord. Some 44 grueling days Don passed away very peacefully, and Donna assured that Don was in the presence of Jesus, safe in heaven.
As Donna held that tiny brochure in my clutches – treasuring it greatly, as she had done for several days, she left Don’s side to make some telephone calls. Then a very strange thing happened – somewhere between the ICU room and the visitors lounge area, the little brochure disappeared. She searched everywhere; she employed the nurses to help her and they, too, searched everywhere, even the cleaning staff had not seen it. It was just gone. But that little blue book touched a life – a life for eternity. And all through a young man and his father who attended a soccer camp and became part of a community of faith with others at Christian Life Assembly Church in Calgary.
Thankful for the church’s impact on her son and grandson, Donna’s prayer today is that the little blue brochure has been found by another lost soul and will guide many others to accepting and receiving God’s eternal love.
The countdown is underway and the team is nearly set to go. The July 10 departure date will see a team of high school students and adults from Cherry Hills Community Church in Colorado fly to Pisek and host a 
One of the team leaders, David Guetig, recently e-mailed CrossTraining to confirm the delivery of several soccer balls acquired through the Timothy Project. “I did receive seven size 5 Nike indoor soccer balls … yesterday. They are in beautiful shape and will definitely help the team out with respect to our mission trip!”
The Czech Republic is the most atheistic country in Europe with more people claiming to be atheists than members of any organized religion. Years of communist oppression have left the Czech people struggling with the idea of a personal God who cares deeply about them. In the Czech Republic, only one person in three hundred claims to be a Christian. However since the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of the 20th century, a new hope has slowly risen in the Czech Republic, especially among the nation’s youth. Young people throughout Eastern Europe live in a changing world their parents never knew – a place once dominated by government sanctioned atheism, is now filled with opportunity and freedom. The nation’s youth are awakening to a hunger for “something more” that freedom, entertainment and technology cannot fill – a hunger for spiritual fulfillment found only in a personal relationship with a loving God.
