The team composed of villagers attending a GFA-supported Bible college.
A Bible college student shows off championship trophy. |
The Gospel for Asia-supported Bible college students stood on the soccer field. They looked at their opponents and mentally measured their stature against their own. A subtle hint of nervousness settled within the students—every opposing team they faced appeared stronger and taller.
The GFA team is comprised of men who grew up in remote villages. They weren’t used to playing soccer on a field. They were better suited for games on village roads or dirt patches.
But it was a competition—a series of matches to see who would be the champions of the Inter Bible College Football Tournament. And the students were determined to play their best.
Hundreds of spectators looked on as the goals piled up in the GFA team’s favor. Their skill in dexterity and ball handling proved no match for the opposing team.
“The opposition team did not come up against our brothers and made only a couple of attacks,” reports a GFA-supported field correspondent. “Our brothers played so well that their height and size could not stop our brothers from scoring two goals.”
In the end, the team of village boys won the championship, adding another trophy to the showcase.
“It was really a great time to see the joy of victory on our brothers’ faces,” the correspondent said. “[GFA] is blessed with mission fields’ blessings and also awards from the sports field!”
Very often, the Lord opens doors for outreach in unconventional ways. Sports is one of them. Through competitions like these, GFA-supported missionaries gain respect and admiration from the communities in which they serve, allowing them to further spread the love of Christ into areas where they may not have been able to before.