What an amazing 4 weeks has passed. My Final SportQuest Belgium project has finished. It has been one of my best projects I ever been a part off, so it was great to end on a high note here in Belgium. I'm gonna try to just give you a little overview of these past 4 weeks, without taking to long of your time. Cause there are so many stories to share but Ill do my best to be direct with my post.
This year we had a smaller team then Usual since we had only 4 US athletes, but we had 2 Athletes from Ukraine, 2 from Denmark, 1 German and all the rest were Belgiums, to make it a total of 20 athletes.
We started the project with our training camp, where the first 2 days we went to the Ardennen and did teambuilding in the form of hiking while talking to each other and having to complete checkpoints and assignments. The 2nd day we took the Athletes on the river for a kayak day, which was awesome despite the rain at times pouring down. It was a different experience for me, since I was completely involved in the leadership team, but it was a fun experience, and the volunteer team that helped out was truly amazing. Really great to see Kingdom minded people helping us with Adventure but also in Training Camp, just serving us in our mission. If you are one of those persons, then let me take the opportunity again to thank you for all of your work. Training Camp was great to train the different athletes in our culture, in how to use the sport camp to Evangelise, train them in how to do Discovery bible studies and to help them to focus on Christ and His kingdom for these next weeks but also for when they go back home.
I had the blessing to preach in the evening services, which was a personal high moment, since I don't get the opportunity a lot but always enjoy inspiring people with the Word of our God. I thank God for this opportunity, and hope to keep growing in this and for hopefully to do this more in the future.
SportQuest Gent
Every week we send teams to 3 different city's for the 2 weeks after training camp. I was going again to Gent and Herentals. The city's where I have been involved the last years. Gent especially, is really nice to be present since It's also the city where I live. After recharging the battery's a bit in the weekend we started our Camp in the Rozebroeken, we had about 20 kids to start with. And we just had a great time in the camps kids were enjoying themselves and we had some great conversations in the camps. Our break times looked a bit differently then previous years, since now instead of just sharing a testimony of an athlete we shared a parable from the Bible and connected that to a personal story. This way the campers also heard more from the bible, and we could discuss this later. It was interesting to try this since we also have non believers and muslim kids in our camps and in my small group from camp. But I had some truly interesting talks with the campers, and was a great way to share different opinions and share more about Jesus in the group. We had a great week, that also included a game evening in the park, swimming activity at the swimming pool and a great finish at SQ night where we served free Hamburgers. It has been amazing to see kids grow every year and to connect with new young people. 2 of them came every day from Brussels with public transport. They heard about our camp on Monday morning and just decided to come, and loved it so much they came back every day, they even went to the week in Herentals traveling there every day with public transport, the commitment they had was amazing. I had them in my small group in Gent., and I had some really great talks with Ryan and Ouss. After a truly great week, it was hard to say goodbye to everyone, since I probably won't see them again in a long time, but I'm excited to see the seeds grow that were planted.
SportQuest Herentals
2nd week I was going to Herentals, another city we have a long SQ tradition and where I have been multiple times. Herentals is also different for me since I lead the soccer camp there and not basketball. I love soccer, but it's always a bit more challenging to lead soccer then basketball. I was lucky that we had our 2 Ukrainian athletes till monday, and they helped plan the whole week for soccer. It was really a blessing and also just great to see them work in that one day of camp. I learned a lot from them on how to lead soccer camps all that in one day of camp. It was a great camp, where I personally also learned a lot. There are a lot of personal stories to share from talks with kids, but I don't want to single people out, but I can share this that God was really working this week. From planting seeds with new young people, to helping campers with their self image and showing them how they really are in God's eyes. There is one thing I would like to share with you all!
This whole camp was outdoor this year, so Dance, Soccer and basketball all on a community place. The weather forecast for the whole week was rain. And I can say that we didn't had to break once for rain throughout the camp. Not because we just kept playing, but cause God truly blessed us. Everyday we would pray for good weather, we prayed in Jesus name for no rain! And there was no rain, on some days we saw clouds all around us, but above the field only blue sky, sometimes it was raining, but when camp started at 11.30, it stopped raining at 11.31, one of the volunteers at some point was taking pictures at the edge of the soccer field, she felt the rain on her back, but no drops were falling on the field itself. God really carried us throughout the week, and this just made me stronger in my faith then ever before.
SportQuest Brakel
After these 3 weeks, all the athletes went back home, and we got ready for one more week of basketball in Brakel. This is always an extra week, where just staff goes where we are always low on energy but this camp is really amazing, we get help from youth from the local church, this year there were 3 South-Africans to help us also, so all set for a great week. And it was, this camp is just great. The youth comes not for the basketball, but for the atmosphere, so the focus of the camp is less on the drills but more on the talks and atmosphere then any other camp. Last year we had about 30 kids showing up for the camp, this year we had 50 throughout the week. Just an amazing number of participants. I had the younger kids age 10-12 like last year. And i really enjoyed them again, we grew together with every parable that was told, and it was great to see kids take on goals every day to pray, read the bible or help someone. Really inspiring to see kids that young willing to step up and grow to God.
After 4 weeks I am really tired but so satisfied. It was a great last Summer project for myself and I personally think one of the best I ever been a part off. God really carried me the whole time, and I grew in my faith and in leadership. Thank you to all the people involved in our Summer project.
I have so many great stories, if you want to hear some of them please feel free to contact me and hear more from this amazing summer.
One thing i want to share is this revelation i had. Most of you know i love coffee, and during the project I mostly live on coffee to give me energy and get me through these weeks. After Training camp, I decided for the Gent week to do less coffee then I normally do, so that I don't need as much near the end of the project. Wednesday I had to take the train to Brussels to go pick up my visa, and I had my only coffee for that week. Then the following Saturday I had a coffee on the sightseeing day, but on the train ride back during my prayer I had my revelation, I was drinking so much coffee every year to give me energy instead of relying on God to give me energy. So i made a decision, I'm not gonna live on coffee but live on and through Christ. So the next 2 weeks despite getting more tired with every day I stayed away from coffee. And I felt good during every Camp day cause God was giving me the energy I need. I proved myself I don't need coffee even during these exhausting days but I only need God.
I am back home now, and these are my last 3 weeks in Belgium. I am closing off my time here, packing up and slowly starting to say goodbye to friends and family. If you still want to meet up with me before I leave, please contact me and lets find a good date and time. I would love to say goodbye in person to as many persons as possible. I am looking forward to this new chapter of my life I am about to start, and looking forward to the doors God will open in South Africa.
If you are reading this and you have it on your heart to help me or partner with me, then this is possible in different ways.
- You can subscribe if you haven't done this yet, and partner with me in Prayer! Prayer is essential for the ministry to succeed.
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