Opening Day ignites new Hope!

An article from our December Newsletter.

Admittedly, I (Tonya) was a bit skeptical when the Lord dropped this community organic garden on us. I am a big believer in eating healthy, in community development, and in ministry to the whole person. After all, Jesus fed the thousands and healed the sick -- who would we be to deem such things not important? But there was still that niggling voice in the back of my mind -- would we really be able to see spiritual development happen because of a garden?

Our team leaders had great vision -- of relationships we could build through the garden, of spiritual, life-filled conversations that could happen there. And as God kept providing and moving (sometimes it felt more like shoving!) us forward, it became very clear that this was on HIS agenda. I was excited as I saw the way God was obviously moving, but I still had my doubts...

The day of the garden opening was a beautiful SoCal fall day -- sunny blue skies and mild temperatures. Almost 200 people came out to celebrate with us -- ministry partners, volunteers, students from nearby universities, and most importantly -- people from the neighborhood! We had music and delicious food, face painting and crafts for the kids. We rented garden plots and sold t-shirts with “Compton Organic Community Garden” on them. The garden was spoken over, prayed over, and dedicated by a host of special guests who had invested financially, spiritually, and physically in the process (including our new mayor!).  It was a day full of joy and excitement and triumph.

As we were finishing the last of the cleanup, Betty (name changed) approached me. Betty is a woman who lives next door to the garden. In the city, those who have had life the roughest wear that truth visibly all over themselves. I don’t know many specifics about Betty’s life, but it’s clear she’s one of those folks. In that moment, though, Betty came with a huge grin on her face, tears in her eyes, and a request.

Could she become a volunteer? Could she water the garden boxes of those who couldn’t get there every day? Could she clean up around the garden? Could she keep an eye on the place and chase off any vandals? She was offering to help in any way she could -- she was just desperate to be a part of it all.

“You all have such a beautiful aura about you -- and it’s over this whole place! Every since you’ve been working in here -- and seeing all this happen...well, I’m out there, doing a lot of bad things. But in here -- this place -- it makes me believe that maybe I can get back to being the old Betty once again.”

It didn’t take long before Betty’s tears had become my own. We stood for a few minutes, her talking about her life and me sharing about mine. I told her that the hope she was describing had, in turn, filled my own heart with hope. That that’s how it is with God -- He uses us to bless each other, no one person being more important or “better” in His Kingdom, but all of us learning from and needing each other. This was the beauty she was sensing in all of us.

Since that conversation, I have spent a lot of time thinking about Betty and how she sees the garden. Located in a place that is arguably one of the ugliest, most crowded and run-down parts of our city, the garden is becoming a place of beauty and life. And for people who see little other than their local surroundings day after day after day, beauty brings hope.

I am thankful for Jesus and His simple spirituality -- boiling it down to much more basic concepts than I want to create in my privileged American mind. I am thankful for what He knows about the people He has created, the needs that they have, and the places where He can best meet them. I’m especially thankful that, in spite of my ignorance, He lets me be a part of His meeting them. After all, those connections are the places where beauty, life, and hope shine brightest in my own life.

I look for Betty every time I visit the garden now. Inevitably, if she’s there, we end up having a spiritual conversation along similar lines to the one we had that day. She usually has a story to tell me about something that’s happened at the garden, and God will give me another chance to tell her how much He loves her. We shed a few tears, we hug, and I leave with a very full heart -- filled with the fullness of the love God has for this woman, and with the generosity she has to share her life with me.

We also want to say Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! May God bless you and minister to you all during this special time.

We pray that your family time is meaningful, rich and full of joy as we take the time to focus on each other and our Heavenly Father.

So, Merry Christmas from Compton, CA!

Preparing a Downtown LA Urban Hike

I love downtown LA. I don't get there very often anymore. But during our first few years here our Director and I developed an extensive walking tour to take mission groups through.

Tomorrow I get to do it again!

Check it out.

Our Africa Trip in AIA's Magazine

The Spring edition of the Every Athlete Magazine included a really nice article on our December trip to South Africa!

Here are the 4 pages of the article in image form. (Click to enlarge)

page 1

page 2

page 3

page 4

As the official trip photographer Tonya took 95% of these photos!  

Wer are so blessed to have been able to participate in this experience and see God work in some many different ways. 

We are grateful to all of you that partnered with us in this trip! We love you!

South Africa!

2012 AIA Pro Soccer Tour 

I, Mike, have a confession. When I was asked to chaplain one of our professional MLS soccer teams, I had ulterior motives. I was not that interested in working with pro athletes as individuals -- I really just wanted to get them mentoring kids in Compton. As the team chaplain I could push hard for this to happen.

Now though, I realize the full blessing of getting to know and grow together with some amazing players. When Justin and Michael gave 3 years to come and mentor Compton kids, I had a front row seat watching God do incredible things in their own lives. Even after they were both traded to other teams, we have been able to still build into each other.

In October, I challenged these guys and a newer player, James, to participate in Athletes in Action’s first ever missions trip for pro athletes. Michael and James accepted! Together with our whole family, another 4 pro players, a trainer, a girlfriend, and handful of AIA staff, we headed to South Africa in the middle of December.

During the first half of the trip, the players stayed in homes of several pro African players, followed them in their team schedules, and led Bible studies with their teammates. Having US players present drew more South African players to the meetings. We were able to have significant ministry impact with four pro teams -- great relationships were strengthened or launched! At the Bible study Zach and I attended (with the BidVest Wits from Johannesburg), a record was set for attendance!

The second half of the trip was spent in some of the poverty-stricken townships. We visited two churches, two orphanages and an AIDS hospice, with kids ranging from infancy to 19 years old. We were blown away by the vitality and life of these kids that were all taken in from the streets! After we served at these facilities (cleaning, cooking, playing with the children, etc.), the players would have a game with kids from the facility or the local neighborhood. Afterwards, players shared their stories to all those who had gathered, testifying of how God had worked in their lives and encouraging the kids to trust in Him.

In the times that Michael shared, I could see from his expressions that God was working in him even then. He shared about playing on dirt fields at age 5 in his home country of Sierra Leone, and how God provided the only immigration lottery pass available for him to move to the US to be with his mom. He shared about God providing soccer opportunities that kept him from getting into trouble, about how much his mom sacrificed to keep him on quality teams, and how God touched him at a low point his freshman year in college. It seemed as if playing on the African dirt brought him back full circle and opened his eyes to see how God had constantly worked in his life, though he often had missed it at the time. This unique glimpse of God’s sovereignty and provision effected Michael in a profound and permanent way. This is a moment I had prayed to see from the first time I challenged him to come, a most special of many great moments on the trip.

Michael sharing his story at the first orphanage.

We are so thankful for how God worked in Michael, as well as all the players. Three of them were so impacted by their time as “pro missionaries” that they asked to be baptized in the hostel pool on the last day of the trip! They wanted to make a public declaration of their commitment to put Christ above everything else in their lives. What a privilege to share this moment with them -- and for our children to do the same. An ongoing partnership in is the works with AIA in South Africa, where the we would continue to send pro players there on an annual basis. What a privilege to be a part of pioneering such a ministry!

Many of you received a letter from Sydney and Zach, as they had to raise their own funds (a great experience!) to attend this trip. We are SO GRATEFUL for the generosity of so many of you that blessed them abundantly and let them see firsthand that God is able to provide for all of our needs! We asked them to each write a paragraph sharing their own perspective on the trip:

Sydney

South Africa was an experience I will never forget. I got to see God’s work firsthand in everyday life, yet a life that isn’t mine. I saw God work in ways I don’t see in the states. I saw wild animals up close and experienced majestic beauty in ways watching TV will never accomplish. I got to feel a lion’s growl deep inside my veins, see his teeth, and all his might. I experienced hospitality that my US-acculturated self literally couldn’t believe. The beauty of the people and the culture whacked me in the face and I was astonished. Not only were we blessed by the people who welcomed us there, but also with the people we got to go with. God blessed us with a trip of a lifetime, one that came at a young age. Therefore, I’m spoiled. Great, first missions trip, and I’m spoiled! God’s good right?! All I can hope now is that I will be able to go back!

Zachary

My favorite part of South Africa was the townships and the animal park. I liked them because they were fun and interesting. I had so much fun in South Africa. In the animal park, I got to pet baby lions and tigers and saw a baby rhino. The township was fun because we connected with so many kids. I learned that life is different everywhere, but God is ever present.

Pray for us that this experience with extreme poverty, soccer outreach and cross- cultural ministry would continue to impact us and help us be exactly what God wants us to be here in Compton. Also pray for Michael that God would continue to use this experience to strengthen his walk and prepare his heart for all that God has for him.

Mike & Tonya, Sydney and Zach

More favorite pictures!

Video of our first game 

Video of Dasan having fun with the kids!