Basketball Ministry in Hong Kong
Logos Hope put together a team of basketball players to challenge a local group of youth in a friendly game of basketball. This would prove to be a great open door for ministry. The teenage boys with their coach, Lim were all fired up to play with the team from Logos Hope.
Lim is an American missionary doing sports ministry in Hong Kong for almost a year now. He recently gathered a number of these boys off the streets and gangs. The boys are coming from a criminal lifestyle where they just know everyone as a villain until they met Lim who has given each of them a strong quality friendship and godly fellowship through the game of basketball plus mentoring them through the hope found in Jesus Christ. It was shocking to hear the news of the boys coming from such a harsh background; they all appeared to be coming from some well to do families. Other than smoking a cigarette you would have never known the boys would have come from such a hostile environment. Lim has been coaching them now for over 6 months and telling them how the team from Logos Hope was coming to play with them. (This really motivated them.)
I thank God for opportunities like this. Our team who had never played together was out matched by the younger more suited ball players. Sad to say but we lost the game but won in other ways off the court.
Before the basketball game the team from Logos Hope broke into small groups with the young boys to share testimonies of how God has been working in our own lives. This scene set the tone for the night; the boys were moved by our words and excited to pray with us. Then, they ran us up and down the court, haha, it was their 3 revolving teams of 5, 15 total, against our 5 non-stop. After the game we had another quite time where we could fellowship together in a time of prayer.
Afterwards Lim took us out with his family for local Chinese food. This was such a treat to try all the different Chinese foods; there were so many unfamiliar smells and tastes. I loved this unique setting of the Chinese restaurant and the very very strange things hanging in the store-front, (many different unmentionable animal parts).
This was only possible through a life glorifying to God. PTL! =)
The next game was a lot different as I was only able to find 1 other from the ship who wanted to play. (Basketball is not very popular outside the US; surprisingly I’ve made a good friend from Thailand who likes UNC Tarheels, too! That is really far-fetched but God has put us together.) We also found a local volunteer and as we were walking out the door we found another local guy too who also wanted to play. The four of us plus Lim played against the young boys. During our second meeting there was a different outcome; we gave them a good beating, pay-back!, ha. Lim had to leave early and we played much longer with the young boys. We missed the good food but had fun teaching the boys many different techniques and ball movements to work together as a team. This was a great time of teaching as well as learning for them and myself on how to teach. I grew up playing all kinds of sports and enjoy teaching and doing it as a ministry.
On another note,
I played in Subic Bay several times with a group of guys we met in the community. Through the game of basketball I was able to get the guy’s blood pumping and feel comfortable enough to open up. During our intermission (between games) of about 20 games, we sat and I shared a little bit about the gospel and I gave my testimony and 2 of the guys came to know the Lord. A-MEN! God has done so many miracles through my ministry onboard Logos Hope and teaching more about faith and how God can use me.
Alright!
We head now towards the next location with "Servant Partners" and more children. There we found an amazing American woman who spoke great Thai. Kerstin had only been there for a total of 6 months but knew the people and the language in a way that was unbelievable. We were originally supposed to go and play soccer with the older kids but we arrived late due to traffic. So, we got to hang out with the youngings which turned out pretty good. We planted a few Sunflowers and Wild-Flowers and sang some good worship songs. The kids and I enjoyed running around in the yard with other as I tossed them around on my shoulders and swing them around in circles. These kids were such a delight as they didn't want to leave us; they walk with us all the way out to the point they could not go any further.
Then more traffic on the way home. Over 3 hours spent in taxis today was surprisingly exciting.
The 3 others and I had a lot of fun getting to know each other and then sharing about each others’ language; language is a great way to connect with another. We had 1 person from every major continent in the car. I’m attempting to learn many different languages to make an attempt to better get to know the peoples of the world. Plus there’s many other cultural things you can use to build a conversation, but language is so easy.
Overall what a great day I couldn't resist sitting down and writing a short story of how God has blessed me in this day.
Prayer to God, "I’m Rejoicing Father in your blessing and how you put these three great guys into my life for a good time of ministry!" =)
Thank you Ju-Hun (S. Korea) for his ability to connect with the kids, Matthew (Ireland) for his uncanny ability to negotiate with the taxi-driver and talk to the people, Patrick (S. Africa) for his brilliant flavor of love and energy he brought, “for the “Angles Anint’ achachttt”” (blessing from angels in Africans).
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