Before coming, I was told volleyball was popular here, but I don’t think I could have ever imagined to the extent that it truly is common here. So far every park I have been to has at least one court (most are concrete), and they are almost always occupied. However, it’s not just kids playing. There are men and women of all ages playing, and they play often! There is even a court at our church (church and volleyball...can it get much better?!). This has served as an easy way for me to begin forming relationships not only with members at the church, but also with those in the community. I usually play two to three times per week at the park, and often with various groups of people. With the kids and youth at church, I often pass a ball around with a couple of them before and after church services. We also play official games with the youth before or after their bible studies and youth group time.
Within a few weeks, I even began getting requests for skills lessons. So early on, I could tell God was calling me to use this passion of mine as a ministry opportunity here. I began praying for God to give me vision for how to structure this ministry. At this point, I have felt that God is telling me to start small with it and then go from there. Therefore, in a couple weeks, we will begin opening the church volleyball court one afternoon a week for me to lead an hour of volleyball skills sessions and then an hour of competition. I am also planning to include a devotional within the session.
Prayers: Pray that God continue to develop my vision for this ministry. For now, my plan is to open the sessions to youth and adults, but I do still have a heart for teaching kids as well. Pray that God reveal which age groups to reach, whether it is only one or both. And pray that people experience God's love and salvation through this!
If you know I love volleyball, you probably also know that I love to stay physically active. Well, a fitness gym just opened up this past March in Cajabamba, and you already know: I am there. Not only has this blessed me to have a piece of comfort in my life, but God has also been stirring my heart to use this as a ministry platform. Starting out, the gym trainers specifically have been on my heart to pray for and minister to, so please be praying for God to be working in their hearts and that I can begin building relationships with them.
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