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Soccer Gear Heading to Africa

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This past week, there has been movement with two different projects and soccer gear fulfillments from our Community Project Program. Read below to learn about each project and the gear we were able to supply.

Liberia — Pappie Jones and Soccer Ambassadors

First, Pappie Jones and Soccer Ambassadors, have patiently been waiting since their request last year (May 2023) as we work to get items shipped to Liberia. With no specific church or mission teams headed to the small, West Africa nation and with a few of our ideas falling through. We finally reached out to Liberian friend, Thomas Fahn, who recommended a shipper in the United States that sends a monthly container. Getting the bags to the shipper is the first step — and Board Chair Cliff Burton had a friend carry two bags filled with gear back to North Carolina. The bags should begin their transatlantic journey in early September. Be sure to check back for an update to this story!

Final fulfillment (100 pounds of gear):

  • Jerseys – 48
  • Shorts – 48
  • Socks – 72
  • GK sets (shirt, socks, shorts) – 4
  • Compression shorts – 31
  • Compression pants – 32
  • Compression tops – 16
  • Various shirts/jackets/tops – 62
Field jerseys and goalkeeper gear headed to Liberia

Ghana — Cherry Creek Pres and Jewels of God Church

Last month, partner church Cherry Creek Presbyterian requested gear to accompany a team that heads out to Ghana in just a few days. With an additional two bags, this team will also take about 100 pounds of gear, albeit it more quickly. With a fresh influx of gear coming from the Colorado Rapids just at the start of the academy season, the Ghana team will have plenty of shorts and uniforms to provide enough to outfit three teams for the children connected to the Jewels of God Church in Accra.

Finally fulfillment includes:

  • Jerseys – 32
  • Shorts – 32
  • Socks – 82
  • GK sets (shirt, socks, shorts) – 7
  • Other tops – 33
  • Warm up tops – 26
  • Women’s jerseys – 23
  • Various jersey and short sets – 5

We look forward to hearing updates and reports back on the gear and soccer equipment delivered for the children in these countries.

When you financially support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community Project from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals projects and organizations, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Partner Church Creek Seeks Gear For Ghana

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One of Soccer Chaplains United’s partner churches, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC), will send a short-term mission team to Ghana, next month. The team will be in country for two weeks and work primarily to support several women at a vocational school working to empower women and support their children. The vocational school is part of the vision and work of Pastor Victor Adjei, a former student of Denver Seminary.

The relationship between CCPC and Jewels of God Church in Ghana spans some 18, dynamic years. Founded by Pastor Victor Adjei, the church reflects his passion for bringing the Good News to the people in his native country. He has started 42 different churches in Ghana. What began as a home fellowship Bible study as grown since 1982 and the name reflects the promise of Malachi 3:16-18, where God declares that He is making a people His jewels.

We rely fully on God’s power to accomplish His will for this mission. Our focus is to build relationships with the community and teach about the power of the Holy Spirit in everyday life.

Pastor Adjei, on JOGC’s mission and work in Ghana

CCPC and the team’s work and financial gifts help the church to distribute to Ghanians, many for the first time, their very own Bible. JOGC also provides medical supplies and services to many in need. In addition, a vocational school helps to elevate many young women and single mothers by giving them tools to help do work. The church also seeks to provide shelter and safety for young, vulnerable village girls and to help provide meaningful children’s activities and play.

The team is requesting to take soccer cones, pinnies, nets, balls, and youth-sized jerseys and shorts with them on their upcoming trip.

When you financially support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community Project from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals projects and organizations, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

2024 Iglesia Cristiana Bethel Community Project Fulfillment

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blue white and red flag

A few weeks ago, Soccer Chaplains United received a request from a small church in El Paso, Texas. Iglesia Cristiana Bethel. The church, a sister church to Iglesia Maranatha in Juárez, MX is led by Pablo Mata, brother to Jorge Mata. The church has a vision to build a community soccer team which will include young and older adults both the church and people in the community of El Paso.

A Spanish speaking church located on the east side of El Paso, Iglesia Cristiana Bethel’s young adults have wanted to create a soccer team and also open it to others who are not believers. The church sees this is as an opportunity to expose non believers to the Gospel of Jesus as they practice and play the games.

With several young adults, ranging in age from 13 to 25 years old combined with some older adults — the church is seeing a difference in the way church members react in the games. There is an attraction whereby others are wanting to join the team that seems friendlier and contains a safe space for them and their children.

The team currently is co-ed. They have 5 women and 10 men in the team and they hope to continue to grow.

We hope to expose the love of God to those joining our church team. We currently don’t have a team uniform, we all only wear black, and we don’t even have gloves for our goalie. We are just starting, but we would really appreciate and be very grateful for any help you can give us in our project.

Natalie Mata, member of Iglesia Cristiana Bethel

Below is a list of items that were sent to the team:

  • 18 jerseys
  • 15 shorts
  • 1 GK set
  • 6 compression shorts
Image of the jersey and shorts delivered to Iglesia Cristiana Bethel
Rapids jerseys and shorts hopefully help the team find a sense of identity and unity

The total weight came to around 25 pounds of gear that was sent to El Paso.

When you financially support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community Project from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals projects and organizations, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

2024 Uganda Community Project Fulfillment

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Last week, members of the Cherry Creek 2024 Uganda short-term mission trip came over to my house to help with sorting and bagging gear to take with them to Uganda. The team, leaving on July 3, will spend time in the capital city of Kampala and work with long-time partner, Mirembe House. The team will host some Vacation Bible School as well as play soccer and host a sports camp. To track the team, click this link.

CCPC Uganda 2024 Team Members hold a sampling of items bagged and packed for their upcoming trip.

Below is a list of items that the team will take with them to give to the children that they work with and spend time with:

  • 2 pairs of soccer cleats
  • 5 ball pumps
  • 2 balls (size 4)
  • 28 jackets
  • 2 GK sets (jersey, shorts, socks)
  • 2 soccer nets
  • 38 training and compression pants
  • 112 compression shorts
  • 27 soccer shorts
  • 81 t-shirts
  • 20 scarves

The total weight came out to around 125 pounds of gear that the team will take with them to Uganda!

When you financially support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community Project from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals projects and organizations, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Creek Heads Back To Uganda

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Every other year, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church sends a team of high school juniors and seniors and adult leaders to Uganda to participate in Youth for Christ’s ministry in Kampala. The church has been working with Youth for Christ Uganda since 2007 with the hope and belief that the trips are making huge changes in the lives of the student team and in the communities they are serving. The 2024 trip will be the 5th trip that Soccer Chaplains United partners to send soccer gear and equipment with this local church partner. You can see summaries from 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 by clicking on the appropriate link.

Despite some of the negatives that can accompany short term missions, Cherry Creek and its team members are working to overcome those. Primarily, by continuing to serve and foster long-term relationships. As well as making sure group members are there for the right reasons — it’s not some exotic vacation and the primary focus is not to share wealth, but is to take part in the amazing things God is already doing in country with the ministry.

The 2015 trip with CCPC, saw the team hand out uniforms from the Colorado Rapids

Student trip participant, Alex Cevaal shared,

I personally will love to go on this trip because Jesus calls us to love one another just as he loves us, and that is exactly what I want to do. I want to serve people who might seem different than me, but are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m hoping that on this trip God is able to open my eyes to his beauty, because sometimes it’s hard for me to see it in my busy life. We know that the best thing you can do for anyone is just to love them, and our goal on this trip is to show God’s love to as many different people as we can. Whether that’s playing soccer with some school kids or having a hard conversation with a pregnant teen who’s been kicked out of her home, loving others is what Jesus wants us to do and that is what we want to do in Uganda.

Alex, on his reasons for going on the trip this year

When you financially support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community Project from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals projects and organizations, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Community Project Bag Lands in Benin (An Update)

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In our first Community Project request for 2024, the football gear has landed! Or, at least part of it in Benin and is now in the hands of local leader Dorothé and the children that he is teaching soccer to and also sharing about the love of Jesus.

Last month, Lucia Eberle, made a request for soccer gear through her EPC church in Texas. It was a quick turnaround because there was an opportunity to meet her church pastor in Phoenix and get the gear back to Texas with no shipping charges (🙌Southwest – two bags fly free). What was really exciting for me as I “pulled” the project, was the way that some of the quantities and sizes seemed to “just happen.” Of course, I have been doing this long enough to know that it’s part of how God works.

One neat part to the project, Lucia made a glancing reference that Dorothé was hopeful to start a women’s team — I just had enough to outfit a team.

The original request:

  • approx. 35-50 sets of soccer shirts and shorts
  • 2 sets of goalkeeper gear

What we were able to provide:

31Gold Men’s Jerseys (2-m, 1-l, 23-resized, 5-xl)
13Gold Women’s Jerseys (modesty fabric sewn and deeper V-neck style)
42Shorts {red at bottom} (1-s, 17-m, 19-l, 4-xl, 1-xxl)
14Shorts [other] (1-s, 6-m, 5-l, 2-xl)
36Soccer socks
Bag 1 @ 50 lbs.
40compression shorts (12-s, 8-m, 20-l)
54compression shirts  (16-m, 26-l, 12-xl)
9Short sleeve staff shirts (5-m, 4-l)
38gray training tops (23-m, 8-l, 7-xl)
1GK glove [new]
2GK shirt/short/sock sets (large – 1 shirt, 2 shorts; medium – 1 shirt, 2 shorts)
Bag 2 @ 50 lbs.

Lucia was blown away by the amount of gear and for her most recent trip (see pictures below) she was only able to take one bag to begin and so mixed some of the items from bag one and two in Texas to take with her.

I didn’t realize how much there would be and that I would be able to get it so soon!

Lucia, when she received the gear

Lucia wrote me recently and sent the pictures (above) from her first trip and delivery. Here is from her email below:

Good afternoon just came back to see the soccer teams from Dorothé 

He started 30 years ago and it’s all free 

Now he has also added teen girls and little ones

What a true joy to see how God is using his love for soccer and young people to bring so much hope to the youth of Benin 

Thank you for the hope and the way to encourage these young people 

He accepts all youth, Muslim or Christian, and shares the gospel 

The kids and Dorothé were so encouraged 

Thank you 

Dorothé wanted to wait to open the bag with the kids so I brought it this afternoon and he saw inside what there was.

The boys of Benin express their love for Coach Dorothé who has done so much in giving away his life and energy into making soccer accessible and fun for them; Dorothé treats them as his own children.

Friends, we know how meaningful these things are for Dorothé and the children that he is reaching out to with love and care. Thank you for your continued support to provide gear and finances for our projects to keep going out around the world!

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United, a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals or organizations, and cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Longtime Niger Missionaries in Longview Request Gear for Benin

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Lucia Eberle is half French and half Greek. She met her husband in Niger, West Africa where they served with SIM for over 25 years. Lucia and her husband (Scott) now reside in Longview, Texas and are part of Longview EPC church. Scott Eberle teaches mathematics at LeTourneau University and Lucia has been traveling back to West Africa as she continues to minister with the Dorcas Widows project in Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso.

Last year, in February, Lucia visited Parakou, Benin and met a béninois, Dorothé, working in the treasury at SIM. Dorothé (pictured below) coaches’ teams of soccer with the aim to share the gospel amongst the young men that are passionate about the sport. He shared with Lucia this ministry and how he wants to develop it more when he retires and the needs associated for his team.

Lucia recently asked Rev Jason Hubbard if he knew of any soccer ministries where they could get gear to take back to Benin and help with this soccer outreach. Immediately, Jason thought of me (Brad Kenney) and Soccer Chaplains United. While the connection and communication has flown fast and furious the last few days, there is an amazing, God-sized window open to help get soccer gear to Beninois coach as Lucia and her mother are traveling back to Benin in a couple of weeks.

As Lucia goes back to minister to widows, she is excited to be able to bring gear to this Beninois coach with a great passion to serve Christ through soccer. He recently started a soccer team with younger boys and his dream is also to start a women’s team. His hope is to minister to the needs of the youth in Parakou through sports and the Gospel.

My upcoming trip to Presbytery of the West meetings in Phoenix will see us able to hand off the gear to Rev Doug Ashley to take back with him to Longview. Lucia has, specifically, requested the following:

  • approx. 35-50 sets of soccer shirts and shorts
  • 2 sets of goalkeeper gear

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United, a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals or organizations, and cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Walnut Middle School Fútbol Fulfillment

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While it doesn’t happen all of the time, I often find a lot of joy in “pulling” soccer gear for a Community Project request. Sometimes, as I am counting out jerseys or soccer balls it amazes me how close the number often come to the original request and the latest from Walnut Middle School was no exception.

The request which came in last month asked for 50 soccer balls, 50 soccer jerseys, and a number of goalkeeper sets (shirts and shorts). It was tense as I counted out recent shirt sizes specific to the program — not every number matched but it was amazing at how close we got to fulfilling even the specific sizes that Coach Duran and I discussed. For me, there’s always a bit of prayer that goes into it — I just imagine that God is going to use the gift of these jerseys to bless someone in need and to make His name known.

Colorado Rapids Academy Jerseys are headed to Grand Isle, Nebraska and Walnut Middle School

But even after receiving the Community Project request, a question remained: how to get the gear to Nebraska? Well, I reached out to friends and supporters of the ministry who live in Wray, Colorado. Wray is “out of the way” up in the Northeast corner of Colorado. Lo and behold, they were heading to Kearney, NE only 40 miles away from Grand Isle for Thanksgiving! They offered to take the gear — for me it took a day to drive out and back, but well worth it to spend time with some college friends and wonderful supporters of me and the ministry.

The final fulfillment looks like the following:

  • 125 soccer balls (sizes 3, 4, and 5)
  • 51 jerseys of various adult and youth sizes
  • 50 long sleeve shirts various adult and youth sizes
  • 5 Goalkeeper sets

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United, a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals or organizations, and cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Hope For The Fatherless 2023 Request Team Gear

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Note: This request originally came in June of 2023 and was fulfilled in July 2023; however, a story was not published at the time. This story is a “catch-up” and photos and a final update will follow shortly.

Hope For the Fatherless (HFTF) is on a mission in Ethiopia. Believing that children belong in families, not institutions, Hope for the Fatherless rescues orphaned and vulnerable children and places them into loving homes through reunification, kinship placement, domestic adoption, and small group homes.

Currently HFTF has 30 children in its small group homes, 18 children in the sponsorship program (receiving educational, medical, and other support with their single moms so they do not become orphans), and dozens of children in the adoption program who are in the process of being placed with their forever families.

The Dragovich family (Darren, former Soccer Chaplains United Board Member) has been heavily invested into Hope For the Fatherless. Two of the Dragovich daughters, Reese and Sydney, both served as interns for the ministry in the US during high school and have traveled to Ethiopia multiple times. With a long relationship with HFTF kids and staff when the opportunity arose to spend five weeks there this past summer, both girls jumped at the chance.

Reese has been helping HFTF to develop a social media plan and gather film and photo material to use in the ministry, while Sydney (who will be studying Social Work in college) has worked with HFTF social workers in the adoption program.

Last year (2022), during Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church’s trip to Ethiopia, Soccer Chaplains United gifted HFTF with an assortment of soccer jerseys. The kids were so excited to put them on—even the little 5 year old whose shirt came down to his ankles! The kids felt special, blessed, and loved. This year, when Reese and Sydney arrived for their internships, the teenage boys at Faith House were excited to share that they have officially formed a HFTF soccer team that competes in games around the city!

There are ten teenage boys on the team (who all live at Faith House) and three younger boys (from Hope House) who help out.

Specifically, HFTF has requested the following:

  • 13 uniform sets

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United, a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals or organizations, and cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Walnut Middle School Fútbol Finding Ways

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Rev Cesar Duran has served with Soccer Chaplains United for some eight years and now lives in Nebraska, close to his son, César. His son is soon to begin his seventh year as a coach at Walnut Middle School in Grand Isle, Nebraska. The school is school is a Title I school — meaning that the majority of students are on a free or reduced lunch background.

Coach César serves a team of 100+ players along with 3 assistant coaches and two volunteers. When he took over in 2019, the team saw about 60 players come try out. Each year that number has grown. As a school team, for many of the students, this will be the last time they will ever play for an actual team.

As a Title I school, the sports programs require doing fundraisers for equipment or finding unique ways of getting more gear with limited funding and resources.

Our team has had the same practice balls for 6 years. The school is doing its best to purchase new soccer balls and last year we received 10 new ones, but it is a challenge with such a large number of players.

Coach César, on the limited resources for Walnut Fútbol

For Coach César, it’s more than just about fútbol (soccer). He shares about how he is trying to use the game to help these young men.

We share the love to the players by having lessons and conversations on the stereotypes of being a young man. Our students and athletes have challenges with gangs, drugs and the pressure of the young boys having to show off to “survive”… We also work with them on conversations about careers and preparing as they start their high school days…We only get two years to be with them but our connections have stayed with them and many of them come back for games and practices.

Coach César, on the importance of making an impact on the young boys’ lives

Specifically, Coach César has requested the following:

  • 50 soccer balls
  • 50 jerseys
  • Goalkeeper sets

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United, a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals or organizations, and cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

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