Transforming lives in Peru

By Lindsay Geverink | Peru in South America

My husband, Paris, and I lead a sports ministry through our church called “Fire Eagles,” and Adam, a tall, thin, extraverted teen, lives in our neighborhood. When some of the boys on the team invited him to come to Fire Eagles games, Adam came. But he didn’t believe in God, and he told us he didn’t want to. Neither did he want to be a part of the Bible teaching at soccer practice.

So we prayed, continued to build into him, and got to know him and his family. Adam is social, a talker, and good at soccer, and we enjoyed being around him, but if we talked about God, he would completely tune out. He didn’t care about God at all, he said, and he didn’t think He existed.

And then all of a sudden one day, Adam was bursting at the seams with questions about God and a desire to know Him. 

Watching God work in Adam’s life after that was incredible! During our recent Sports Friends Soccer Camp, he expressed a desire to be God’s friend. “I haven’t been a good friend to God, and I’ve said a lot of mean things to Him,” he said. “But I want to fix that and be his friend.” Adam confessed his bitterness and doubt, and he prayed with Paris to receive Christ as His Savior. Shortly after, he told us several dreams he had where God told him to be reading the Bible and praying for salvation for his family.

I don’t know why Adam was so resistant initially. He claimed he was an atheist. He never shared why. But Adam continues to share his learning, questions, and struggles with us as he grows in his relationship with God. We have witnessed his life be transformed by God! Please pray for him in his growth and for salvation for his family.

Sports Friends, a ministry of SIM, trains and equips local churches and church leaders to utilize sports as a tool to reach youth and their families, share the gospel, and make disciples for Christ. If you’d like to serve with Sports Friends, either in Peru or around the world, contact us. You can also support Sports Friends through prayer or by giving.