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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!

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!

Pappie Jones and Soccer Ambassadors Ask For Liberia

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It has been over 15 years since Pappie Jones started something — Soccer Ambassadors for Christ in Monrovia, Liberia. Soccer Ambassadors for Christ looks to bring hope through the sport of soccer to young people, especially those who are part of one of the most difficult slum areas in the capital city of Monrovia: Slipway.

We are working with boys and girls from the slum community in Slipway community in central Monrovia. Slipway community is third leggiest slum community…with lot of girls and boys involved into drugs, prostitution, and criminal activities.

Pappie Jones, on the challenges facing the youth of Slipway

Slipway, so named for its history in the slipway that was built for barges and boats to be taken into and out of the water to be used in the construction of the Waterside Bridge which crosses Mesurado River and is near the Du River in Central Monrovia. According to census information (c. 2014) there were over 5,000 people living in the Slipway district (however several report that there are as many as 15,000). The area is a severe slum area of the city overrun by seasonal flooding and often lacking basic water and sanitation.

A “goal post” toilet on the banks of the Du River (photo 2014)

Pappie Jones and Ambassadors have been working to try to make change amongst the community. In addition to founding and leading this organization, Pappie has also sought to serve as a coach. He teach and coaches in soccer and in other, key areas of life for these young people.

Soccer Ambassador Boys Huddle for Prayer

We are using soccer to bring hope to hundred of girls and boys in slipway community. Our aim and object is develop whole person through soccer, faith and education.

Pappie, on the holistic aim of Soccer Ambassadors for Christ

Pappie runs the youth soccer program for boys and girls between the ages of 11 – 17 years and also studies the Bible with them every Saturday and holiday in the Slipway community. Their request is for soccer gear to help their soccer programs reach more youth. Specifically, they have requested the following:

  • 50 sets of soccer shirts and shorts
  • 50 pairs of cleats
  • 4 sets of goalkeeper gloves

Of course, the main issue will be shipping items to Liberia. Soccer Chaplains United will be looking for a patron to help support this project, another organization that his shipping items, or for a team or group traveling to Monrovia, Liberia who can escort the soccer gear and make a hand off to Pappie and Soccer Ambassadors for Christ. If you would like to be involved please send an email to us at info@soccerchaplainsunited.org memo: Liberia.

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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