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Camping Ministry Trip Testimonies

"We loved and encouraged the kids. That’s it. Before the trip I kept thinking that sounded kind of weird. But it wasn’t. It was the most natural thing, the most incredible thing. And we had the joy of not just seeing but experiencing the impact our love and encouragement had on the boys."

"God called me on this trip to secure my faith's future. Every day I grew closer and closer to God which ultimately led to me being baptized in the hotel pool.  This was by far the best experience of my life. God gave me a wake-up call and brought me out of my selfishness and back to Him. God showed me that my passions-sports, kids, travel, people-can be brought together for the good of the kingdom."

“Imagine two weeks without email, cell phone, computer, or TV.  There were very few distractions.  Sun up was at 6:30, and sunset was at 7:00.  The generator, and all related electrical equipment, was turned off at 9:00 PM after two hours of running, and it was DARK!  The lack of distractions resulted in a sweet quiet time with the Lord.” 

“Part of our lives are still in Ethiopia.  We met new Ethiopian friends there, and they are incredible Christian men and women.  They are people who worship and pray passionately; people who deeply long for their own families to be reconciled to Christ; people who have been persecuted for the cause of Christ; people who know the richness of relationships and contentment in their lacking; people who I can't wait to see again.”

“When asked, ‘Would I go again?  Fly over 24 hours, take cold showers, eat funky food, have no electricity?’  YES, I would.  It was a place that I hope heaven is like. It was beautiful, the land, the trees, the sunsets, the music, the dancing, the people, the LOVE all made possible by GOD above!”

“I was prepared to eat the food, go without showers, without sleep, without communication (language barrier).  But I was not prepared for God to show me all of the distractions in my own life.  I was humbled by the simplicity of the Ethiopian life.  I was challenged to serve not for myself, but for others. It isn’t about me, but about being completely an empty vessel for him to move thru me.  I am excited about going back again.”

“Participating in the foot washing of the Ethiopian sports ministers was one of the most powerful times of my life spiritually - extremely moving and wonderful to pray for these faithful servants as they were going back to their places of ministry.”

“God certainly used regular folks like us along with soccer balls to advance His kingdom.  I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 1:27 <But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.>  Not knowing very much about soccer was not a problem!  God used us anyway.  Our mission was to be there for the boys.  And, that was a joy! We spent lots of time with our boys. We played, encouraged, did crafts, ate and just hung out with them. Really we just lavished God's love on them.  It was such a blessing! Going to Ethiopia with Sports Friends blessed us more than we could have ever imagined.”

“A vision trip is the chance to get outside of our typical Christian "bubble" … and see God at work across the globe.  You will see and hear stories of God's grace and mercy that aren't just in print, but are being told to you by those who have lived under His hand of provision and protection. A paralyzed woman healed and a village now living for Christ; new Churches where followers gather as in Acts 2 in both joy and care for each other as families now shun them; a young AIDS victim looking forward to death at the orphanage in order to be with his Jesus; the smiles and laughter of so many with so little.  You will see a land and people living as in Gospel times; both in regards to their standard of living but more importantly their love for and reliance on Jesus."

"Such a trip won't come at a convenient time for work or family or needs at home, but it will deepen your faith in our Risen Jesus beyond what I found possible here. Go, see and discover to a new depth of understanding our God who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Go and get messed up!”

“When the opportunity came up to go to Ethiopia on a construction trip, I was as busy at work as I had ever been. A friend who had participated on a prior trip told me that there is never a perfect time to go, but that if I made time I would not regret it. So despite issues at work and family commitments, I made the decision to carve out a week and take the challenge.

I was able to work alongside my fellow travelers from Charlotte as well as a large number of local Ethiopians. Our functional task was to put a new roof on an older assembly building at Camp Langano. We shared many personal stories and ate and prayed together with all of our fellow workers. God truly showed me a different perspective on faith that I had never seen before. The Ethiopians I met were happy and very content with relatively little by American standards. They showed me a level of consistent faithful dependence on God that I had never experienced.”

Coach's 7 Training Trips Testimony

"I really enjoyed the Coach's 7 conference with Sports Friends in Ethiopia.  One of the things that stood out about the young aspiring coaches was that they were all hungry to learn and to grow.  They were like open canvases ready to be painted, teachable and willing to get right into the material.  I realized how hungry people are in countries like this for coaching education.  Having the opportunity to bunk with Ethiopians was awesome, seeing these guys rise early in the morning to pray on their knees and waking up to them praising God in their native tongue was absolutely beautiful."

"The great thing about educating these coaches is that we were able to equip them with something that will last for the rest of their lives.  We were giving them something to impact the lives of countless others throughout their coaching careers.  This is powerful!"

"The Coach's 7 training is a very practical way to incorporate spiritual growth into the sports training environment.  The main themes help coaches to focus on the ultimate goal of spiritual victory in a very practical way.  Brian Davidson has a passion for keeping the focus in sports ministry on the ministry and the Coach's 7 training is a great tool to help coaches keep the focus on the 'new scoreboard'."