Finding Faith Through Football

Dec 18, 2013 | Sports Friends Asia, Sports Friends Thailand/SE Asia

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By Rebecca Oakley, SF Thailand

There is a small town in Saraburi Province that’s name literally means Buddha’s Footprint. It is a place of much significance for Thai Buddhists and is also a dark place full of much spiritual opposition to Christianity. However, Pastor Chareon runs a small church where he has faithfully been serving for many years. One of the key tools he uses to interact with his community is football. He coaches teams of both young men and kids and is actively sharing Christ with them at every opportunity. Pastor Chareon also desires to share a vision for the power of sports ministry with other pastors in central Thailand. We first met him about nine years ago and have served his church with short-term teams several times.

IMG_0922Our most recent opportunity to meet and work with him was particularly exciting. When we looked around the church we saw two teenagers who we recognized as the small boys who had run wildly around the church what seemed like not that long ago. Now they were active in the church – one even plays drums with the worship team – and they play football with the local youth.

We also got to meet a team of young kids from a nearby village. Chareon has been helping local church planters by using a new football team as one of their key strategies for building relationships in that community. We also had the great privilege to pray for one young man who has come to faith through football ministry. Chareon is hopeful that this young man will have the courage to influence and reach out to his friends sharing his new-found hope. The whole visit was a great reminder of the faithfulness of people working in this part of the country and of their patience in the face of hard and sometimes hostile hearts. Please join us in praying for Pastor Chareon and for our other coaches in Thailand.