In reflecting on this trip to the Ivory Coast and working with veteran missionaries, Bob & Becky Mach, our prayer was three-fold:
- To evangelize the lost
God gave us the privilege to work with Centre Emmanuel Basket-Ball of Bingerville and the coaches there to use basketball as a means to give our testimonies and bring the gospel to these players, ages 10-19. Each day of our clinics, our guys presented lessons on sin, the judgment of our sin, and the redemption that is found in Jesus Christ. We praise the Lord that three players trusted Christ on the last day of camp.
- To encourage the missionaries and help them in their work
The Mach’s have a diverse ministry from the churches to the Bible Institute, to a medical clinic, to this basketball center, and no doubt other areas as well. We wanted to be a blessing by helping on Sunday in the Sunday school program (various classes of different ages), preaching in morning and evening services, special music, and any other way we could come alongside and bear the burden even if for a short time. The basketball center provides a special avenue to give the gospel in Ivory Coast to young people of all backgrounds, some Muslim. These are individuals who won’t come to church but through basketball, we can open a door. By working with these 40+ players and 6 coaches, we could open doors for furthering the work that the Mach’s are called to.
- To energize our student-athletes to see the mission field
We desired that our players have the opportunity to use a skill and talent that God has given them – to play basketball and to use it to reach people with the gospel. Some of them may be called to a foreign mission field as God directs, yet all have been impacted for life through this trip to look at missions with different eyes because of how God used this trip.
Mr. Mark Goetsch