BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa – Today France and South Africa meet in this World Cup host city for a key match that may decide who proceeds to the next round of the competition. But a group of French fans are focused more on the soccer action in townships than those being broadcast on television.
A French team from Athletes in Action is ministering to youth in the townships of Bloemfontein through soccer camps.
Each morning more than 100 excited youth show up at a local soccer field where they learn to sharpen their soccer skills and work together as a team. Most importantly, they also hear a lesson from the Bible.
Joel Thibault, leader for the French AIA team, is coordinating the daily events to reach youth in the area.
“Each day we share the Gospel with them and try to make some illustration with soccer life to real life,” Thibault said. “They are very respectful and very happy to come each day.”
After a morning spent teaching the youth various soccer skills, Thibault brings the young athletes together just before lunch for a devotional and for one of the French team members to share his testimony.
In the afternoons, the youth are divided back into their teams from the morning sessions for a few practice games against each other.
“It’s really a pleasure to play with them, to coach them,” Thibault said. “We are very proud to be here and we learn a lot from them.”
Jacob Alexander is a writer for IMB’s Global Communications Team. He’s currently a seminary student and plans to be a bachelor until the rapture. His passion is telling the stories of God at work throughout the continent of Africa.
