Tree leaves begin to change color and kids return to school. It’s October, and summer schedules finally slow down.

For Athletes in Action, the schedule is no different. AIA staff, coaches and college student-athletes have since returned home after spending part of their summer in places around the world.

From Spain to Nigeria, Alaska to New York, Athletes in Action once again covered the globe. In doing so, many lives were impacted with the message of the gospel. Here is a list of some important statistics to highlight in AIA’s quest to build spiritual movements everywhere through the platform of sport:

            Number of Summer Opportunities: 41

            Exposures to the gospel: 21,860,939

            Decisions for Christ: 2,150

            AIA Staff who traveled: 289

            Non-staff (coaches & students) who traveled: 711

What you don’t see in the numbers are the names of Athletes in Action staff kids who traveled with their parents to locations far and abroad on AIA Summer Opportunities. While most kids spend their summer reading good books, playing sports or attending camps, many AIA staff kids travel around the world.

Whether an infant, a high school senior or an age in between, 45 AIA staff kids called another state or country home this summer.

Katie Nelson, 15-year-old daughter of Eric and April Nelson, traveled with her parents on a basketball coaches tour to Kenya. The Nelsons were joined by two coaches and their families, a basketball player and AIA staff member Megan Soderberg.

Part of the tour consisted of an unexpected visit to a school in Kenya’s largest slum area, where homes are made of cardboard, mud, and metal, and streaming sewage between homes. Seventy-five percent of these children are orphans whose parents have been killed by AIDS.

While at the school, Katie introduced the kids to American candies and bubbles. The result was much laughter and many smiles, since she gave them someone in their own generation with whom to interact.

“We gave the kids Smarties and at first they were scared because they thought the candies were medicine tablets,” says Katie.

The extreme poverty surrounding the Kenyan children sticks in Katie’s mind yet today.

“I think God taught me on this tour—more than any other I’ve ever been on—that I need to be thankful for what I have,” says Katie. “God has blessed me in America so I need to be content and really try to use what He has given me to bless other people who aren’t so fortunate.”

The Nelsons both think it beneficial to have Katie and 17-year-old Philip travel with them on AIA tours.

“We came on staff as a family and it is valuable for them in their process of becoming more Kingdom-minded and understanding our decision to come on staff,” says Eric, Director of Basketball.

His wife April likes how her kids’ eyes were opened to the Great Commission in a “new light.”

“They came away with a new appreciation for AIA and a new faith in our Lord,” says April.

Trey and Calyssa Lehman traveled to Brazil with their parents Trent and Cathy on a basketball tour.

The two enjoyed making new friends with the college-aged players who toured with the team.

“Some of the players were really fun. They made us laugh a lot,” says seven-year-old Calyssa.

“We had never been there (Brazil) before, so we had to keep an open mind,” says Trey, 7. “I learned that from the Berenstain Bears.”

Cathy thinks it’s important that the kids see what the family’s role is in ministry with AIA.

“Our family can’t to go on the AIA Basketball Fall Tour so I want them to have an experience to draw from…to know what Daddy is doing and how to better pray for him and his teams,” says Cathy.