The theme of our semester here at Michigan is JOY: J-Jesus first, O-others next, Y-yourself third. Joi Smith, a hurdler on the track team, who truly lived out J-O-Y, went home to be with Jesus on November 17th after a 9-month battle with cancer. While this has been extremely tough for her teammates, friends and myself, God used Joi’s life and death to proclaim the gospel. Joi’s parents told the pastor that performed her funeral that they didn’t want Joi to be honored but Jesus.
-Denise H., Campus, University of Michigan
Our trip to Thailand was unbelievable. We were almost embarrassed from the amount of attention and thanks our team (AIA Media) received for helping create these DVD resources (The Prize, Struggle and Triumph, Passion and Power Global Edition) that we often take for granted and sometimes even question their impact. Feedback is a major challenge for our department when it is being used all over the world, especially in closed and sensitive countries. After the screening of Struggle and Triumph, our new Olympic DVD, we were able to here how people had used our previous film The Prize (World Cup Soccer) and we were absolutely blown away by the amount of stories that we had never heard. To hear people from Indonesia, Brunei, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Colombia, Burundi, Tanzania, Nepal, and Vietnam to name a few explain how this film has reached thousands for Christ was unbelievable. One individual actually took the initiative to translate the film on his own as a copy made its way into his hands through the International Sport Coalition, a network of sports ministries worldwide. This trip was so impactful as now everyone of the ISC delegates has all three of our most recent films and we now have contact information to better serve and communicate within this network. This will allow for the sharing of strategies and programs that have been successful, and allow us to give feedback to our financial partners on the impact of these films.
-Shawn K., Media, Whitestown, Indiana
On November 1, I was scheduled to meet with three basketball girls who’d shown interest in learning more about AIA and a relationship with Jesus. Thirty minutes had passed after our scheduled time and still no girls, which left me feeling a bit disappointed. I began to pray that God would work amongst their team even if I never met them, and soon, Brittany—one of the three—arrived to eat in the student center. Earlier in the school year, the AIA info card she filled out indicated that she wanted to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus. I asked if she wanted to know more about what the Bible said about that relationship, we began to talk, and she said she wanted to begin a relationship with God right then and there. Eleven days later, I was meeting with Shantai, a student-leader with our AIA movement, and another basketball player (Katie) kept walking by. I sensed the need to begin a conversation with Katie so Shantai and I walked over to say hi. After we said hello God kept leading us into great conversation about AIA and other stuff. Meanwhile, Brittany was sitting nearby, waiting to meet with me for a discipleship appointment so we talked with her more about AIA and Katie going to AIA with her that night. Soon, the three athletes and I began to talk about AIA and share our spiritual journeys and Brittany told how she came to know Jesus as her Savior just days earlier. Katie showed interest as we went through the Four Spiritual Laws booklet and at the end was excited to make the decision to begin a relationship with God too. It was awesome—a new believer telling her story, a student-leader seeing the gospel touch a person’s life, and a new baby believer! WOW! God's perfect timing. He is moving here at Rutgers and I am so excited to be a part of what He is doing!
-Hannah D., Campus, Rutgers University
For more than 12 years, we’ve been doing an outreach in Buffalo called, “Night Out with the Bills,” a program completely done by players and wives. This year, 15 current Buffalo Bills and 10 wives participated in the event, one they start getting excited about two months in advance. One couple emceed the event and interviewed another couple about marriage, family and keeping Jesus first in their lives through the NFL season. We also had a panel where the 600+ people in attendance could ask questions for players and wives alike: How did you stay out of trouble growing up? How do you celebrate a win or a loss? What do you do while your husband is playing on the field in the NFL? At the conclusion, we had an autograph session at this free event and a full explanation of the gospel, where 125 people indicated via response card that they prayed and received Christ. Each year as players and wives prepare for this event, they get both excited and nervous as they step onto the stage and trust that God will use them for His glory.
-Fred R., Pro, Buffalo, New York
Full names of Athletes in Action staff members have been withheld to protect those serving in religious-sensitive countries. |