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CrossTraining’s Timothy Project: Swaziland 2017 is building bridges near and far.  Launching out of Mountain Springs Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado Cory Jones and his team will travel to Swaziland with Beyond Survival and partner in Africa with Xolani Moyo and the sports ministry Adventures in Missions.

Swaziland is a small, predominantly rural, landlocked country bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, about the size of New Jersey. Unemployment sits at 40 percent, about 69 percent of the population live below poverty level, and it has the world’s highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. More than 28 percent of adults have the disease, and countless numbers of children live with the disease every day.

Mountain Springs Church and Beyond Survival are both local Colorado Springs organizations. Beyond Survival has a mission to bring people of Swaziland to a place where they are living “beyond survival.”  While on the ground in Africa, Jones and his team will partner with many local missions, including Adventures In Missions.  A few years ago a Swazi by the name of Xolani Moyo launched a sports ministry to reach local youth.  His passion is to bring children together through the avenue of sport (mainly soccer) and provide them with an outlet, a purpose, and the message of faith in Jesus, ultimately promoting the hope of a better future for themselves, their family, and their country. The basic model is: sport – faith – future.

                                                                   

Over the past two years, we have played with countless orphans and vulnerable children at children’s homes. We’ve led one-day Vacation Bible Schools around the country (complete with story, acting, songs, games, and crafts), and performed leadership training at leadership academies training Swazi young adults. Teaching them to thrive and be examples in their communities. Jones shares,

One of the things I enjoy about this mission trip is that we are there to invest in the lives of the Swazi people, not to provide handouts. I believe sport is one of the universal languages. I speak about three words of the local language, SiSwati, but I can pick up a soccer ball and play with children and we instantly have a connection, despite the language barrier. But imagine this… if I hand a Swazi kid a new soccer ball and even stick around to play for an hour or so, I may have earned his trust and respect.  But then I leave, with no guarantee we’ll see each other again – ever. On the other hand, if Xolani hands a Swazi kid a new soccer ball, stays and plays, then returns the next day or next week to do the same, then again the following week, a relationship is formed. This relationship, combined with the opportunity to share the Gospel, can change the course of lives. This method provides far greater impact than I ever could!

This Timothy Project donation will support ongoing community efforts all over Swaziland where Moyo is spending time with kids; doing what they love already; being a role model; and teaching teamwork, fairness, and other life lessons. Ultimately, this is an investment in the spreading of the Gospel through sport, contributing to the future of Swaziland.

To support future Timothy Project ventures, such as Timothy Project: Swaziland 2017, please use the Donate Now link to make a secure PayPal donation. Your financial gift helps to secure additional equipment, sponsor a missionary 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!

#TPT