At the end of July and beginning of August, a family retreat was organized for the club’s players and their parents on the shores of Zgorany Lake in the Volyn region. It was a great opportunity to spend time together and swim in the lake, and each family took turns cooking food, but the most memorable were the evenings around the campfire. We called them “Encounters with Jesus” because we reflected on biblical stories about how different people met Jesus Christ when He walked the earth and how these encounters changed their lives. These are Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, the leper and the Pharisees, and other biblical characters.
On the team, we had the family of a young pastor from the Rivne Bible Mission Church Community of the Good Shepherd, and everyone (children and adults) noticed their good relationship, wisdom in raising their son, willingness to serve, and skills to play football. During such retreats, the gospel is especially preached in a powerful way, because the Word and the personal example of Christians are combined.
In the second half of August, CFC “Nadia” started a new football season. The six teams resumed regular training, studying the Word, preparing for the competition, that is, they caught up with their usual work rhythm. We thank God for bringing new children on the teams and for the opportunity to invest in their physical development and spiritual training.