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Update from Wilderness Church: Mexico

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In January, fourteen members from Wilderness Church flew down to Primo Tapia, Mexico to serve at the La Hermosa Orphanage. The church team requested soccer gear from Soccer Chaplains United’s Community Project request program. Below is a brief update from Pastor Jake Chambers on the trip and what the team was able to accomplish as well as plans to head back in May.

The trip was so great. We had such a fun time at the ranch and we were able to do some training for the kids and some for the house moms, too, which was so fun. The kids loved the jerseys as well, so thanks so much for getting those.

A lot of love in that home and so was fun to just share in all the love that the Lord is spreading there!

We were also able to build them a chicken coop and secure the fencing around their soccer field which was great. We are going to try and go back there again in May.

Jake Chambers on the trip to La Hermosa Orphanage

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!

Team CCPC Takes on Team Iglesia Maranatha; Both Win

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Last October, partner church Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC) made their way to Juárez, Mexico for the 28th time in a nearly 34-year history. Every year, CCPC goes down seeking to make an impact in a neighborhood just a stone’s throw away from the boarder, with the University of Texas – El Paso’s college buildings in plain sight.

La Iglesia Maranatha and Pastor Jorge Mata has been serving in the Felipe Ángeles neighborhood for those many, many years. One of the annual traditions for the family mission trip of CCPC is to play a “friendly” soccer (fútbol) match prior to the week’s worth of work on a Sunday in a local park. This trip was no different as team members, Jared and Mea Kelso, write about their experience:

Lots of kids are kicking around soccer balls in Juarez, Mexico, thanks to the generosity of Soccer Chaplains United! This fall, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC) returned to Juarez, Mexico to visit Iglesia Maranatha. CCPC has a 20+ year relationship with Iglesia Maranatha. Iglesia Maranath serves the inner-city community of Juarez, and it has been faithfully led by Pastor Jorge for 40 years. The mission trip included leading a VBS program during the afternoon for local school children and repainting the church during the mornings, as well as encouraging and catching up with old friends.

On our first Sunday, we attended Church and held a picnic at one of the local parks. All of the Church members were there, and almost everyone played in a pick-up soccer game! Soccer Chaplains United’s donation of gear allowed us to hand out new jerseys to the church members that were put to good use in a vigorous match in the park. It was so much fun to watch our groups begin to bond as they played for over an hour!

While we didn’t have a chance to hand out jerseys to the kids, we were able to donate the jerseys to Iglesia Maranatha. Part of their outreach to the city includes a thrift shop that Ms. Marta, Pastor Jorge’s wife, runs alongside her dental clinic. Donating these jerseys gives the Church an opportunity to sell high-quality clothes and put more money towards their facility fees and encourage Pastor Jorge and his family. The jerseys also allow the customer a chance to own something that’s uniquely theirs!

Thank you Soccer Chaplains United for your continued support of Cherry Creek Pres’ ministry, and the chance to donate this gear to Iglesia Maranatha!

Jared and Mea Kelso, team members for Juárez mission trip 2022

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!

Wilderness Church Is Off to Mexico!

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This morning, fourteen members from Wilderness Church flew to Primo Tapia, Mexico to serve at the La Hermosa Orphanage. The church team requested soccer gear from Soccer Chaplains United’s Community Project request program. You can follow the teams progress and blog updates below.

La Hermosa Orphanage

Pastor Jakeb Chambers (pictured below, right) has been partnering with La Hermosa since their inception in 2018. The orphanage was built by a local church, and resides on the property. The pastor of that church was himself an orphan, and was adopted by the pastor that served before him. What a legacy!

The team is traveling to lead a soccer camp and provide some aid, stability during a time of transition. La Hermosa recently took in nine new children and is in the middle of a few staff transitions. Jakeb shared that these kids are coming from a place where they have been “cast out” and told that they “don’t belong”. But they love soccer! For him, it is much more than just a soccer jersey. A jersey represents a team – a place of belonging; a family. This gear will be the perfect way to welcome the new children to the home and to bring them all together as a team – the La Hermosa familia!

Project Fulfillment:

  • 2 Ball Pumps
  • 21 T-Shirts
  • 21 Youth Soccer Kits (jerseys and shorts)

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!

Cherry Creek Jaunts to Juárez, Mexico for 28th Time

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In just a few days a small team from Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC) will look to make their way to Juárez, Mexico for what the 28th time in a nearly 34-year history. Save for a period of a few years when the church deemed it unsafe to travel to Juárez with the drug cartel violence and in 2020 with the boarder closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the church has sought to go down each year and make an impact in the neighborhood just a stone’s throw from the boarder fence.

La Iglesia Maranatha and Pastor Jorge Mata have been firmly planted in the Felipe Ángeles neighborhood and community for those many, many years and it’s through this relationship that the Gospel is shared and people are encouraged in their faith. The mission trip sees several church families combine to lead VBS (vacation bible school) for the children in the neighborhood and to work on several construction projects on the church grounds and in the surrounding neighborhood. The church, within sight of the UTEP (University of Texas – El Paso) campus across the boarder, lives in a shadow of poverty, but the neighborhood is slowly being transformed with jobs and homes being built and people being elevated socially and spiritually by the work of Pastor Jorge and the church.

A team member wrote to request the gear for this year’s trip:

Dear Rev. Kenney, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church has been blessed with the opportunity to send another mission team to Juarez, Mexico this year to support La Iglesia Maranatha and Pastor Jorge.  Our team of eighteen students and adults is looking for donations of any surplus soccer gear to benefit the local kids.  As in the past, we will be serving around 80 children through our Vacation Bible School program, in addition to working on several projects in the community.  Soccer Chaplains United’s generous donations in the past have made a positive impact and assisted teams to better show generosity and the love of Christ to these kids. We are so grateful for your continued partnership with our church. Thank you.

2022 Juarez Mission Team
The Cherry Creek Prebyterian Church Team of 2021 pauses from playing soccer in the park to take a photo.

In addition to the local work that La Iglesia Maranatha does, Pastor Jorge and the church members have also undertaken several trips into the poorer, and more rural parts of Mexico. Taking donations and other items, the church has traveled long distances to share the Gospel and encouragement with the poorest of the poor in some of the small villages deep within Mexico.

Assembly line for packing donations

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!

Juggling Juárez — Cherry Creek Presbyterian Returns from Week-long Mission

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“It’s a good tired” I shared with a friend who asked about the recent family mission trip to Juárez, Mexico. Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, one of the sponsoring churches of Soccer Chaplains United, and the church where my family and I worship and are members, completed what is thought to be the 30th year of ministry and mission with Pastor Jorge Mata and his church, Iglesia Maranatha Presbiteriana. The church, just a stone’s throw across the US border, has endured many struggles during the COVID pandemic — spiritually, emotionally, economically, and more.

The family mission trip involves a week-long stay on the church grounds and various work projects and Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs for the neighborhood children, some of whom are extremely poor. This year’s team of 18 adults and youth, spent time working, serving, and worshipping with the church — something which was not able to happen in 2020 due to the state of the global pandemic and the closing of the US/Mexico border.

On Sunday, church members play fútbol with team members at a local park.

The border still remains closed today for “non-essential” travel. This has greatly impacted many of the church members and the neighborhood, as many of the women worked in El Paso cleaning homes and doing other work on a daily and semi-regular way. The economic impact has been severely felt amongst many of the families living in the neighborhood area of the church — and so, the visit of Cherry Creek after last year’s absence, has brought much encouragement to the church members and to Pastor Jorge. He shared the day after our departure:

Hoping that your return trip has been good and that you are all already resting. Yesterday and today we were working a little, trying to finish the projects. The Church is very lively, you coming did us a lot of good. Our Lord bless you, and again thank you very much!!

Pastor Jorge Mata

In addition to sharing some of the soccer gear through Soccer Chaplains United, the team also took the VBS program and soccer gear to an orphanage in Juárez where several Mexican and immigrant children were living. In spite of a short time, the children at the orphanage quickly warmed to the team and appreciated the special day with the visit which included songs and skits in Spanish and later, the orphanage directors handing out the special jerseys to the children.

Handing out soccer jerseys to the children of Juárez.
Boys play soccer on the concrete courtyard between the church and community building sporting brand new Colorado Rapids jerseys.

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!

Just Juárez, Mexico

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With the global pandemic shutting off much of the world from itself, this year’s singular Community Project fulfillment looks south of the U.S. boarder to Juárez, Mexico and the small team from Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC) that looks to make their way in just a couple weeks time.

Led by Parker Dragovich and Pastor Chris Piehl, this year’s trip is thought to be the 27th trip in a nearly 33-year history. For a period of 5 years (2009-2013) the church deemed it unsafe to travel to Juárez with the drug cartel violence in its heyday. And, of course, 2020 saw closed borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the 30+ year history, CCPC has maintained a specific relationship with La Iglesia Maranatha and Pastor Jorge Mata. Pastor Jorge has served the church and the Felipe Ángeles neighborhood and community for those many, many years.

The mission trip sees several church families combine to lead VBS (vacation bible school) for the children in the neighborhood and to work on several construction projects on the church grounds and in the surrounding neighborhood. The church, within sight of the UTEP (University of Texas – El Paso) campus across the boarder, lives in a shadow of poverty, but the neighborhood is slowly being transformed with jobs and homes being built and people being elevated socially and spiritually by the work of Pastor Jorge and the church.

The Cherry Creek Prebyterian Church Team in 2017 poses with Pastor Jorge Mata (right, purple shirt).

In addition to the local work that La Iglesia Maranatha does, Pastor Jorge and the church members have also undertaken several trips into the poorer, and more rural parts of Mexico. Taking donations and other items, the church has traveled long distances to share the Gospel and encouragement with the poorest of the poor in some of the small villages deep within Mexico.

Assembly line for packing donations
Juárez 2021 Packed! 8 boxes – 350 lbs of soccer donations
I show Pastor Jorge (2017) donated gear that the church can give out to the community.

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!

Jerseys in Juarez

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Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church’s 2019 mission trip to Juarez was a strengthening, encouraging and fun-filled time of ministry. Jacob Smith, a team member reports back on the trip:

The first full day we were there, we went to the park where we spent the afternoon playing a fantastic soccer game with the local people. During the game, we passed out the jerseys and some soccer balls that were generously donated to us through Soccer Chaplains United’s Community Project program.

It wasn’t just the kids that rushed forward to have a jersey, but the men and women were thrilled to have one too.

Jacob Smith, Mission Team Member to Juarez

The jerseys and gear helped us bond with the local people and church over the common sport of soccer. It was a wonderful beginning to our week of ministry together. Thank you!!

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 to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

CCPC to Visit Friends at Iglesia Maranatha

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Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, one of the partner churches for Soccer Chaplains United, is headed out to Juarez, Mexico. The church has been serving and working together with Iglesia Maranatha for many years and this annual trip has become a traditional outreach for families to go and serve others. Cherry Creek’s request will be the 9th community project of 2019 that is sponsored by Soccer Chaplains United.

One of this year’s team members, Jacob Smith, shares what the experience is like and what he and other members of the team are looking forward to:

The team of Juarez 2019 consists of more than twenty-five people, some of which are included in families, others that are traveling to Juarez without their related family but are still traveling with their church family. The leader of the team (Parker Dragovich) has been going to this small church, in Juarez for more than twenty-five years, she has a strong relationship with many people there, and because of this, our giant church in Cherry Creek, USA has a great relationship with the small local church in Juarez, Mexico.

The mission starts about month before we actually leave for the trip, with a full team meeting in witch we discuss a typical day during the trip, jobs, packing list, and what goals we hope to accomplish while there.

This year, the CCPC Juarez team has requested 5 soccer balls and 40-50 t-shirts or jerseys and soccer ball pumps. Below is a picture of what Soccer Chaplains United is able to provide.

Soccer Chaplains United is able to provide nearly 300 soccer t-shirts and 7 new soccer balls

We leave for the trip on Saturday morning at 4:00 am, we drive for about 10-12 hours until we reach El Paso, Texas and have dinner. We then drive for about half an hour, across the border to Iglesia Maranatha the local church and compound we will be staying in for the week. Upon reaching the church, our team unloads the baggage and finds the rooms we will be staying in, and by rooms I mean a concrete roof , floor, and walls, with no doors. There are no furnishings beside ply wood bunks that threaten to collapse when you put any weight on them. After we find our rooms, we have a meeting with the pastor and his family, and then go to bed.

Pictures from 2017 — CCPC shares jerseys down in Juarez before a local game of soccer

The next day, our team, and many of the people in the congregation, carpool to go to the nearby park where we have an competitive soccer game with the local people and enjoy a delicious lunch. This is the time when everybody grows in community with one another and launches a great start to a great week.

Please pray for Jacob Smith and the rest of the 2019 Juarez Mission Team from Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church while they work and serve with the church at Iglesia Maranatha.

Community Request from Y Quien Habla Por Mí

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Soccer Chaplains United’s first community project request fulfillment of 2019 came last week as one of the directors of Y Quien Habla Por Mí was in Colorado visiting me and my family. Nasser Moreno and I became friends a few years ago when my family was in Juarez, Mexico on a family mission service project. Nasser, a former football (soccer) player, happened to be visiting his family in Juarez at the time and we hit it off.

Nasser and I met in October 2017 in Juarez, MX

Last year, Nasser and his uncle and aunt came to the U.S. for a visit. We ended up hosting him for a number of days. Between my broken Spanish and his broken English we have managed to form a friendship that is perhaps the unlikeliest, or in the least not one that I would have expected. And not only has Nasser become my friend, but one dearly loved by my family. As we caught up via text message around Christmas, we had the idea of having Nasser come out to Colorado again and spend time with our family.

Nasser and I pose outside the front gate of Garden of the Gods in CO, 2019

It was on this latest trip, that Nasser began to share more of his work with Y Quien Habla Por Mí. This foundation is quite rare in Mexico. According to the website, it is one of the first of its kind to be dedicated to be dedicated to eradicating various violations against children. Whether it is crimes such as human trafficking, kidnapping, disappearances, child pornography, or other means of exploitation. The foundation has several programs and is involved in an amber alerting system similar to here in the U.S.

The children of Y Quien Habla Por Mí are involved in many programs aimed at bringing comfort and healing after they have been hurt and wounded.

One of the programs includes using soccer (fútbol). Nasser helps to direct the soccer programs and for the associated orphanage in the Iztapalapa neighborhood in Mexico City. There are approximately 70+ children that are in the orphanage in a given time and usually hundreds others that are participating in the sports programs.

At one point during Nasser’s visit, he turned to me, “you can help the childrens, if you want?” I could see in his eyes that he was hopeful for these children that have no hope. He explained that there is little support in Mexico for these kinds of things — many children endure abuse and other exploitations and are left abandoned and alone, especially in Mexico City.

You can help the childrens, if you want?

– Nasser Moreno, March 2019

We spent a couple hours going through bins in the garage — pulling out uniforms and soccer gear donated by the Rapids and other soccer organizations. We loaded up two bags full of soccer gear. With various jerseys and shorts we sent Nasser back with about 100 lbs. of gear to give back to the children and those working with Y Quien Habla Por Mí.

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help projects and requests like this one for Y Quien Habla Por Mí. 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 to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Thirty Year Relationship Still Going Strong

Ministry partner, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC), partnered with La Iglesia Maranatha in Juarez, Mexico thirty years ago.

Katherine Plank, Cherry Creek Pres. team member, shares with Soccer Chaplains United what a typical mission trip to Juarez is like.  We will drive from the Denver-Metro area and spend six days living at the church compound. Although this is a short-term mission trip, we always accomplish as much as we possibly can!

In the past years I have attended, our main focus was to host a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the community. At VBS, we play games, sing songs, dance, read bible stories and craft. We also offer crafts to engage the parents who stay with their children during VBS!

Another objective of our time at La Iglesia Maranatha is to build homes for church or community members.  We repair houses and buildings on the church’s compound and we have helped repaint many buildings around the property. Any small fixes with maintenance such as damaged pipes or drywall is attended to our by team as well. Most years when we go there, we even build fun things for the kids! In the past, we have assembled a basketball hoop and trampoline and re-built their playground and soccer goals.

When we go to Juarez, my favorite day is always Sunday! We like to get involved with the church services that take place during our stay. Sometimes we sing a song, pray, or share a sermon with the congregation. After church, the congregation goes to a nearby park and we enjoy a delicious picnic. Following the picnic, nearly everyone plays a huge soccer game together. Before the game begins though, we pull out the jerseys we brought for our Juarez friends. Everyone gets so excited and immediately puts them on! We play until we are all exhausted and our jerseys are soaked with sweat. The kids continue to wear their new jerseys for the rest of the week, every day at Vacation Bible School!

Although our week spent in Juarez is jam-packed, we still find time to play soccer. Soccer removes all language barriers and provides a way for us to come together through a common love, and A LOT of laughing.

Remember, when you support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help projects and requests like this one for Juarez. 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 an individual or organization in an outreach effort, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

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