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January 8, 2009

Missionaries using soccer to minister in Africa

By JESSE DAVIS

Some people use the written word to try to impact the world around them. Others use television. Bruno DeJesus and Thiago Pinto use a soccer ball.

The two Michiana residents founded Hope SFC (Soccer for Christ) in 2007, using the Brazilian soccer variation called futsal as the basis for community-oriented outreach.

“This year we’re trying to develop a couple of business sponsors to be with us in our goal of improving the community as well as other countries in need,” DeJesus said.

To affect those other countries, however, the group doesn’t just send money. This year they will hold the Niger Hope Tour 2009, their second trip to the country to play soccer with children as well as pray with them and help local missionaries.

“We’re pumped about going back,” DeJesus said. “We have a relationship with the kids. They know who we are.”

Niger is located in Western Africa, sharing its borders with Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Algeria, Libya and Chad. The country has a population of approximately 13.3 million, and is almost entirely covered by the Sahara Desert. The temperature in the area that Hope SFC visits will average 130 degrees during May when they visit.

While there, they work with the missionary group Warriors of God, who provide food and opportunities for bathing to local children as well as houshold skill training to women. The group does incur some negative public opinion due to the religious makeup of the country, which, according to DeJesus, is approximately 95 percent Muslim.

DeJesus said locals call the head of the missionaries the “Alleluia Man,” and many of them tell their children to avoid him.

“A couple of (the children), while we were out, said ‘hey, we told our parents that we were here, and they gave us a spoon of rice and kicked us out,” he said. “We have nowhere to stay. Now you’re telling me about this Jesus guy, now what?’”

In order to house such children, they gathered money to build huts, about $90 each. The huts are made mostly of straw and house three children each.

The missionaries are currently in the process of building a sports center, which will eventually include two multipurpose courts, a soccer field and three buildings. It is their dream, DeJesus said, for the facility to host 13 children for three years.

Along with helping the missionaries, the Hope SFC team will hold soccer clinics throughout the area and participate in a major soccer event.

“We’re putting a soccer team together,” DeJesus said. “It’s all already been confirmed by the Niger government that we’re going to play in their national stadium that seats 50,000 people, so we’re taking a team to play against their under-20 national team.”

The group’s local soccer clinics will begin Friday. They will continue each Friday through Feb. 6.

“The main thing is trying to figure out the best way to present our passion for wanting to do this,” DeJesus said. “We feel that God calls us to use our gifts, that’s what we’re trying to do.”



Local clinics

Hope SFC will host a local soccer clinic each Friday through Feb. 6. at the Trinity United Methodist gym on north Main Street

z Boys and girls ages 8 through 10 from 5 to 6 p.m. with a fee of $85.

z Boys 11 through 13 from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. with a fee of $95.

z Girls 11 through 13 from 7:45 to 9 p.m. with a fee of $95.

z More details are available online at www.hopesfc.org.

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