“We want to have other nations [become] strong enough to be sending countries,” says Paul Ballard, a former professional soccer player and now the national director for AIA Soccer, “It’s not that farfetched to believe countries in Africa could be consistently sending teams to start and sustain ministry.”

Since 1993, AIA Soccer has been sharing the message of Jesus with the soccer community worldwide and, for over 10 years, God has been faithful as they bear witness to an abundance of fruit throughout Southeast Africa, including: 

• Significant growth of AIA’s soccer ministry
• Development of local and national leaders
• Doors opening in new cities and countries
• Sending shipments of equipment and ministry supplies
• The transformation of many souls

AIA is dedicated to helping others in the region discover Jesus, experience the power of the Holy Spirit, and inspire fellow believers to mobilize and perpetuate the cycle.

In a region that lacks the resources for soccer cleats and balls, a large part of the ministry is directed towards training coaches and developing their leadership skills. “We focus on trying to help coaches teach the players the principles to be ‘total athletes’ and how to include spiritual training in their lives as well as athletic training,” Ballard says.

AIA International soccer tours seeks to expose thousands of athletes and children to the life-transforming message of the gospel, and equip leaders of this generation to have an impact for Christ.

AIA is committed to using the universal language of soccer to communicate the most powerful message of all: God’s passionate love for His children as expressed through His Son, Jesus Christ. Thanks to the generous contributions of our donors, we have been able to integrate the gospel into the fabric of the culture of soccer both in Canada and around the world. 

 If you are interested in supporting AIA’s soccer ministry please visit us online.

This past week, our Langley Breakthrough Prayer and Outreach Team had the privilege of partnering with three churches that regularly reach out to the homeless and financially challenged of our community. These churches hosted a dinner for about eighty-five guests.

Our part was to show the love of Jesus through practical activities, such as hand spas (manicures and hand massages), free haircuts (a huge hit!), and our prayer tent where we offered “free spiritual encouragement.” Just blessing these folks in these practical ways was wonderful, but the added (intentional) bonus of being able to have conversations with them regarding their spiritual lives was really what it’s all about!

From the very first moment that I met nineteen-year-old Sam, I was impressed with what a beautiful and smart young man he was. As I shampooed his hair, he began to share how his parents abandoned him at the age of two, how he was raised in foster homes, saw his brother shot in front of him, was a reformed drug addict, and was now going to a special school where he could get his grade twelve diploma.

As I finished the shampoo, I asked him if I could pray for him. “Oh, yes please!” was his response. He was so open and so soft that I took it to the next level and asked him if he would like to invite Jesus into his life. Again he was ready and even thankful that I would ask. After I shared a little more about what that meant, we prayed together and he entered into a new life and fresh start.

The very next thing he said was, “I would like to volunteer and help youth at risk.” Praise God for the good plans that He has for Sam!

When you pray for your community, expect God to give you opportunities and a part in bringing the answers to fruition.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

In January, MIT Nuclear Physicist Dr. Ian Hutchinson gave a talk at both SFU and UBC that explored the relationship between Science and Faith. It was encouraging to see students and faculty join in on a great discussion that demystified the common misconception that science and faith are in conflict. 

In early March, we hosted world-renowned philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig for a series of talks at SFU and UBC. On March 1st, Dr. Craig gave a very thought-provoking talk at SFU entitled “Is Belief In God Reasonable?” to a standing room only crowd of 150 including a number of students and faculty from the SFU Philosophy Department. It was encouraging to witness Dr. Craig answer their most difficult questions. A number of students and faculty have recently remarked that they are now giving the Christian faith serious consideration.

On March 5th, Dr. Craig then gave another academic talk to a capacity crowd of over 400 students at UBC entitled “Does a Fine Tuned Universe Point to a Cosmic Designer?”

One of the first questions during Q&A with Dr. Craig came from a girl who was deeply moved by Dr. Craig’s very scientific talk. She sincerely asked, “Now that you have convinced me that there is an intelligent being that has created me, what should I do about this? Does this being require me to worship him? How should this change my life?”

My colleague Jessica shared an interesting insight regarding her question: “As I listened to her ask her question, I realized that, over the last hour, her entire worldview had made an enormous shift.”

I am sure that she was not the only one grappling with the question, “What do I do now?” Please pray that students would continue to take bold steps towards Him!

I have recorded some of the talks and have just posted the UBC talk on our Youtube Channel if you want to see it and share it with your friends.

Haircuts, hand spa, kids games, coffee and dessert: These were the components of our recent Community Coffee Night event. Our purpose was to demonstrate the love of Jesus in practical ways, and to foster opportunities to have meaningful conversations with our guests from the inner city area of Langley. As I cut one man’s hair, he shared about how he had given up on God years ago. He had prayed for help many times as a young child suffering abuse, but did not experience any answers. He also talked about his son that he has not seen since he was four years old. Clearly his heart was breaking over this. When I offered to pray for him, he was very open and thankful. The haircuts and hand spa are important, but it is really about the conversations and the opportunity to present Jesus.

As our prayer team ministered to one lady, she quipped, “You are actually making me believe there really is a God!” Another man admitted that he had been doing a lot of reading, but didn’t really know God; the team prayed with Him to receive Christ.

It is exciting to see how the number of our guests continues to grow from one event to the next. With approximately 30 volunteers (representing nine different churches), it is a great way for the church to get “hands on” with the gospel. We expect as we continue to care for this neighbourhood in practical ways, build community, and share Jesus, we will see change that can ultimately impact the whole area.

The volunteer team

Faith without works is dead….

It is good to pray, but even better when the living God invites us to be part of the answer to those prayers.  Across Canada and in various parts of the world, Breakthrough Prayer continues to lead teams to pray for their cities, and encourage them to listen for the Lord’s lead, to take action that will see those prayers become a reality.

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy Triumphs over Judgment. What does it profit brethren if someone says he has faith but has not works? James 2:13-14

Be A Light from Power to Change on Vimeo.

THANK YOU

• Last month, over half a million people visited our site
• Over 60 thousand of them heard the gospel
• 1500 of them made meaningful decisions for Christ

Imagine if these numbers grew exponentially. There are 2.5 billion people that are connected to the internet. Each one of them at one time or another will be searching.  We can be there for them… but we need your help.

Help someone find their light today.

Sincerely,

TruthMedia

He was only 11 years old.

Seized by Syrian soldiers for walking amongst protestors, he was beaten. Tortured. And when he died, the soldiers didn’t relent. They broke his neck.

The rest of his family escaped, fleeing to the neighbouring country of Jordan.

For Syrians, it has been two years of violence, strife, and fear. Over one million have fled the war-ravaged country, and hundreds of thousands more are internally displaced. Jordan is now host to 450,000 Syrian refugees, according to government estimates - the majority of them living in urban centres. The United Nations Refugee Agency is reporting that 1,500 more stream across the border daily.

Global Aid Network’s (GAiN) on-the-ground partner in Jordan is meeting with refugees every day in the city of Mafraq. These families are often living together in makeshift shelters. They have no money for rent, heat, food, or medical care.

By working through the local church, we are able to demonstrate God’s love, as well as provide much-needed food, water, and medical supplies. The Emergency Survival Kits we are distributing contain food and water for a family of five for 10 days, two blankets, and medical supplies. Each kit costs $150.

“I am thankful we have people who are willing to go to the field and help,” our partner says. “Now, [with these supplies], we can go and help the Syrians.”

The Jordan government is calling for significantly more humanitarian support. We must move quickly to respond. Together, we can tangibly show the love of Christ and help others when they need it most.

Will you partner with us today to bring hope to Syrian refugees?
Yes! I want to help!

GAiN is the Humanitarian Division of Power to Change

They are running for their lives.

Under the veil of darkness, men, women and children move swiftly towards the border. Their homes have been burned to the ground. They have no food. No water. No possessions; only the shirts on their backs.

They reach a fence and scramble upwards. Shots ring out in the distance. As they climb, the shots get closer. Some are hit. Others are caught and tortured. For those that escape, they must find food and shelter. Now, they are refugees.

As the civil war in Syria escalates and violence reaches a boiling point, the United Nations is reporting that over one million people have fled the country to escape persecution and torture. But this number doesn’t tell the whole story. Many Syrians are without passports or identification and are desperate to escape. Fearing they cannot pass through the legal borders, they make a run for it. If they do arrive safely on the other side, there is little room left in refugee camps and they are left to fend for themselves.

The UN Refugee Agency reports that approximately 40% of the refugees are children between the ages 0-11, and 14% are between 12-17. As families attempt to escape Syria, many children are left fatherless.

Over 300,000 registered refugees are living in the bordering nation of Jordan; however, the government estimates the actual number is closer to 420,000. Hundreds more stream in every day. The Jordan government, the UN, and other organizations are trying to meet their needs, but as the crisis worsens, it is not enough. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that the “humanitarian response capacity is dangerously stretched.”

Global Aid Network (GAiN), the humanitarian division of Power to Change, is responding to help the Syrian refugees in Jordan. Our in-country partner is on the ground assisting refugees in the northeastern city of Mafraq. Often, over 20 people are packed into small flats or makeshift shelters. They have no money for rent, heat, food, or medical care.

We are working through the local church, coming alongside these refugees and demonstrating God’s love to them. Immediate financial aid will provide Emergency Survival Kits with food and water, 2 blankets, and medical supplies.

But, to distribute these emergency supplies, we need your help.

Will you partner with us?
Yes! I want to help!

Recently, I attended Les Miserables; this is a profound story of grace.

It reminded me of something I witnessed in November of 2012. I had the privilege of joining our ministry team—reaching out to women in prison. Grace was the evening’s topic. There were five volunteers and twenty-five women residents present. Suddenly, a woman interrupted our discussion.

She announced she was forgiving everyone in the room and especially a particular inmate and she looked right at her. The forgiven inmate began to laugh and she explained that she had done nothing but bully the woman since she arrived. Then, the “bully” began to confess that she did not know why she treated people that way and she was sorry. The woman forgiving stood up, walked across the room in front of everyone and gave the “bully” a hug. The “bully” then turned to the leader and said “sorry, we are little off topic!” We did not think so—everyone in the room witnessed “grace.” It was beautiful.

When Jesus is present, His Kingdom thrives: the blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak, the broken are healed, and the captives are delivered. Sometimes, we are looking for Him and He is in our midst—working miraculously in our presence!

For 2013, my prayer for all of us is that we would be faithful and fearless (not discouraged or disheartened; but rather resolutely courageous) in our pursuit of God and praying His Kingdom will come and His will be done among those we are seeking to reach.  Jesus came—now, He sends us, His faithful ambassadors, to share His story and His love… so the blind will see and the deaf will hear, the brokenhearted will be healed, the captives will be set free, those who mourn will be comforted, and there will be beauty instead of ashes.

May you experience His amazing grace and abundant blessing,

Donna

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve”- Joshua 24:15

The world of professional sport is foreign to most of us who only see a flash of athletic brilliance every now and then on the television screen. But the truth is, sport consumes so much of an athlete’s life. Often, sport is a joy, as the rush of competition redeems seemingly endless hours of training and practice. And for the many Christian athletes who spend years in pursuit of their dreams, there is both opportunity and temptation: the chance to glorify God in sport, and the risk of it becoming an idol.

Meet Jaclyn Halko, the Uxbridge native who got involved with Athletes in Action (AIA) while a student at Western University.

“I loved the atmosphere,” says Jaclyn, fondly remembering the AIA campus ministry. “There were 30 of us: a rowdy rambunctious group, passionate about sport and God. It was such a huge, exciting time for me.”

During the course of university, Jaclyn was discipled by AIA staff, built friendships, and regularly attended events and retreats. Then, in 2009, her rowing abilities started to get recognized.

In her last season, she won MVP and a silver medal in the lightweight women’s single sculls event at the Canadian University Rowing Championships in Fort Langley, BC.

“I wanted to retire from rowing because it was expensive and so I was looking for a job, trusting God.” But He had other plans. Incredibly, Jaclyn received an email to try out for the World University Games in Hungary.

Jaclyn not only competed in the regatta, she won the bronze medal in the lightweight women’s double sculls.

She came home from Hungary overwhelmed with joy, but again, leaning towards retiring. “It just so happened there was a time trial the day after I flew home,” she says, recalling the irony of her past. “I raced and won, so RowOntario gave me some money to go to the national championships. I thought, ‘Might as well!’”

In September of 2010, Jaclyn travelled to Victoria, BC and won the lightweight women’s single, which she says was “amazing and surprising.”

But by this point, Jaclyn had submitted her application to work as an intern in Poland. And, as life would have it, irony abounded. The exact same day that AIA (Power to Change) accepted her application, the Canadian national team requested her rowing prowess and offered her a salary in exchange.

“I had to choose one or the other. I felt very strongly that I wanted to go to the London Olympics, but my heart was moreso pulled to God and His work. I believe God would have honoured either decision, but I chose to go to Poland.”

So, in February of 2011, with Canada’s offer still ringing in her ears, she left.

In years gone by, Jaclyn had wisely reached out to the Polish national team coach, thinking that connection might come in handy; it did. She had the opportunity to represent Poland at the 1st and 2nd World Cup in 2011.

She continued to train in Warsaw, while working primarily with the strong AIA basketball ministry in Poland. She learned Polish, met with new friends, and established trust in a nation that generally regards faith as an extremely private issue. “It was difficult to go to a deeper level,” recalls Jaclyn, “so I cooked for them, cared for them, served; I really enjoyed contributing my experience to theirs.”

But what began in certainty soon consumed all of Jaclyn’s energy, strength, and time. “I sacrificed a lot to try and make the Olympics. 2012 was one of the hardest years of my life. I was isolated from fellowship when training with the national team… God wasn’t number one.”

In the non-Olympic World Championships in August, Jaclyn and her team won the lightweight women’s quadruple sculls. And finally, after victory in Poland, Jaclyn returned home, resigning from the Polish rowing team.

“I had had enough, but when I came home I experienced reverse culture shock: it was the deepest valley of my life.” Jaclyn recalls those days with deep sincerity. “I was unsure of who I was, what I was doing. I had forgotten that God is the only thing that will sustain you and give you peace. I wasn’t looking to Him for that.”

After a month, Jaclyn surrendered and quit her beloved sport of rowing. “I said, ‘God, I’m miserable. If rowing is first, I’m letting it go.’” Jaclyn’s understanding of God is not a harsh master that demands payment of the things we love. Instead, she explains, “He is so good. He gave it back to me. ‘You are meant to row,’ He said.”

And wouldn’t you know, as irony returned once again to frequent Jaclyn’s rowing career, the Canadian national team invited her back to compete on the international stage.

Jaclyn is now based in London, ON at Canada’s national training center living out her dream. Which is?

“To see other people find the same love and fulfillment in life that I have in Jesus Christ.”

GAiN’s Water for Life Initiative partners with the JESUS Film Church Planting Strategy in various villages. Clean drinking water opens the door to the Living Water.

Through the JESUS Film Church Planting Strategy, over 255,000 have seen the JESUS Film and have heard the gospel in their own language. Incredibly, over 52,000 people have made the life-changing decision to follow Christ. We celebrate with believers around the world over this incredible news.

One member of GAIN’s staff recently traveled to a village in north Benin where he met pastor Daniel. GAiN had provided Daniel’s village with a well, and as a result, through the JESUS Film Church Planting Strategy, 35 people have met Christ and have since been integrated into the Church.

“The well has done a lot for the church, and people understand the concept of God’s free, unconditional love,” shares GAiN staff member. “People get it, and are deeply
impacted and grateful.”

And the multiplication continues. Pastor Daniel applied on a neighbouring village’s behalf for a well where he as planted a church of 40 members. He is able to speak boldly, with credibility and without fear in his own village. People have even started to come to church of their own accord, wanting to know what the gospel is.