Earlier this year, Rev. Mike Anderson took some Colorado Rapids gear down to Bethel Orphanage in Juarez, Mexico. The orphanage houses over 100 children who have either been abandoned or were taken from their families because of abuse or other things happening in the home. Many of the children have little hope - but Bethel is trying to change that for each one that walks through the doors. Food, schooling, a safe place to live and grow - these are just a part of what Bethel Orphanage is offering to those under its care. The orphanage received a number of shorts, jerseys, and other soccer equipment. Below are a couple of pictures from the orphanage. Please pray for each special

The red line - it is every coach's nemesis in Major League Soccer. It's simple: teams above the red line when the season ends gain entry into the playoffs for the MLS Cup. Teams below the red line go home early. Every coach handles the red line differently - some watch it closely from the beginning of the year to the end. Others pay it no attention (or, so they say) choosing rather to take it "one game at a time." Some coaches play through a thousand scenarios and calculate how many points are needed to be above the red line when the season ends. But amidst formulaic calculations and all manner of worry and concern, the red line represents

For Bryan Smith, Haiti has become a bit of home away from home. Smith first traveled to Haiti in 2004. For the last four years, he has been bringing soccer with him. It is the world's game, after all. Last year, the Colorado Rapids donated a couple of boxes of equipment with many personal donations by Haitian Goalkeeper Steward Ceus (Rapids, 2009-2013). This year, the Rapids donated enough gear to outfit a complete team with shorts, shirts, and compression shorts along with some miscellaneous gear. Smith, using some of his other connections, was able to secure additional equipment like shoes and balls for the young men of the village of Fedja, in the Mirebalais region of Haiti, northeast of Port-au-Prince.

Distant Bri Bri Native Indian Village Along Panama Border Receives Gear           In the distant native indigenous Bri Bri Indian village of Yorkin, nestled and shrouded by the green canopies of primary jungle forest along the Northeast border with Panama, is a group of young boys and men who are passionate about soccer. Chaplain Hugo Venegas has worked on short term mission projects with this community for over seven years and have helped build with volunteers from Colorado and other areas in the US and Canada, the village's water system, a health clinic, classrooms for their jungle high school, and the infra structure for their rural ecotourism project. When Chaplain Venegas arrived at the village after

The other day at the stadium, one of the Colorado Rapids staff members said, "Thanks for the luck!" The team had just scored a couple of goals against an important rival and looked to win it's first game of the season. The comment reminded me of the superstition that surrounds much of professional sport - from the player wearing the same socks game after game or makes the sign of the cross before entering the field of play to the coach or executive that hires certain staff or makes certain business decisions in order to keep "luck" on their side. A few years ago, after the Colorado Rapids had won the Major League Soccer Cup (2010) a member of the