As soon as the spring sun warms up, it becomes very loud at the soccer field on the property of the Christian Mission Hope to People – this is the beginning of a new soccer season for young players of Christian Soccer Club Nadia which means Hope. This was the case every year, for almost 20 years in a row, before the war…
This year, the season started a little differently. When the Russian horde invaded our land on February 24, terrible shelling and bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages began, and thousands of victims needed rescue and shelter, CSC coaches, Oleksandr Honchar and Tom Merchant, as well as their assistants, young soccer coaches joined evacuation ministry. Exposed to the deadly threat, people were delivered out of the shelling zones, and humanitarian aid was brought to the most affected areas. This ministry continues until today. But what about soccer?
The 2022 soccer season, although with the delay, has begun. Of course, some of the children went abroad with their parents, and some did not come because of the danger of artillery shelling, but still, a lot of boys were looking forward to when (in between coaches’ trips) the practice will take place. And also, it did not take long for the regular classes to resume. Now, as we are having the Bible classes, coaches emphasize the importance of prayer and trust in the Lord in all circumstances of life. And the children’s prayers for our defenders and for the victory over the enemy sound even more sincere and fervently, and biblical themes become especially relevant.
Not only the previous team is gathering, but also new players are coming. Thus, Marchuk Konko, the son of the ex-soccer player of Nadia, became the first representative of the new generation of Nadia players!
In June, the Lord blessed us with the opportunity to hold a sports camp in one of the most picturesque corners of the Rivne region. The theme of the camp was War and Peace. We talked about physical war and spiritual war. We had twenty children and seven adults in the camp. The amazing thing was that this time everyone was from the Nadia club: children, coaches, and mothers who helped in the kitchen, – says Olexander Honchar. – We played the game of the army with them. I never thought that the boys would be so excited to be able to put their clothes on for 45 seconds in the morning after the corporate call to wake up. There was a biblical program: morning worship, sermons, and Bible lessons. Some guys even tried to preach for the first time, and it was really cool! So we drank fresh homemade milk the whole week… ”
We are very grateful to all those who support our mission’s sports ministry. Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support for CSC Nadia!
Nadia Dolya
