CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Shagmie Levenvall’s life has changed dramatically in the last five years. He grew up in a Muslim home, used drugs as a teenager and was a member of a gang.

Today, Levenvall is a living testimony of how Jesus Christ can change anyone’s heart and the direction of one’s life.

Mentioning the word xenophobia strikes terror in the hearts of many foreign nationals living in South Africa. At least 62 people were killed and thousands displaced during xenophobic outbursts in May 2008. Initially targeted were migrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, but in the end 21 of the deaths were South Africans. The Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa warned last month that foreigners living in the country would be targeted after the World Cup. Threats have been voiced, and CORMSA is taking them seriously. There are reports this week of fearful foreign nationals fleeing parts of South Africa. Others are threatening to retaliate if attacked.

Pray that citizens of South Africa will act wisely even if provoked and that peace and calm will prevail throughout the country following the World Cup. Pray for Christians in South Africa to demonstrate acceptance of all people. Ask the Lord to protect His followers from possible xenophobic activity. Pray that Christians will find powerful ways to communicate God’s love to every person they encounter.

PRETORIA, South Africa – “We have the challenges of the city on our doorstep,” says Charles Dekiewit, pastor of Central Baptist Church in downtown Pretoria, one of the host cities of the 2010 World Cup.

A little more than 2.2 million people live in Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital. Like many cities worldwide, its challenges include homelessness, prostitution and crime.

“We literally have prostitutes operating around the vicinity of the church,” Dekiewit says. “We do not want to be a church of isolation, and we want to be reaching our community.”

Artists, musicians, dramatists and other creative Christians are finding ways to use their skills to share the Gospel during the World Cup. The Ultimate Goal’s Taxi CD has Christian songs and short Gospel messages to bless passengers as they are transported around town. A JOY BRACELET creation represents the fruit of the Spirit, and the company insists the bracelets be given away as tokens of thankfulness and hope. Outreach Festivals use face painting, dramas and music to share the story of God’s love and forgiveness.

Praise God for the way He has gifted these talented members of the body of Christ. Pray they will continually find creative new ways to share the Good News.

STELLENBOSCH, South Africa — Before the 2010 World Cup kicked off on African soil, a team of Brazilians were already looking ahead to 2014 when Brazil hosts the next World Cup.

Their training ground, however, is in South Africa, where they are ministering to youth and getting ideas on how they can use soccer to minister to their own people in the next four years.

“Our goal was to come here and serve the communities and learn something for Brazil 2014,” said Celio Freitas, team leader for the Brazilians. “We are preparing a great campaign to lead in Brazil.”

Nelspruit hosted four matches in the group stage of the World Cup, but in the last 10 days life has returned to normal for most of her citizens. Normal for missionaries in Nelspruit means training pastors and church leaders and encouraging them as they shepherd local bodies of believers; mentoring the facilitators of Bible studies for youth and children; providing for people with physical and spiritual needs in impoverished parts of the city; opening their homes to individuals who require comfort or solitude.

Pray for those who are laboring in the harvest fields of Nelspruit, that they will clearly see where God is at work and lead out in encouraging others to join Him there.

A sympathetic smile for a frazzled mom and cranky children at the end of an exhausting flight. A listening ear for an airport employee who has just experienced a grievous loss. A willingness to pray on demand in the middle of a busy terminal. A comforting presence in a quiet chapel. Airport chaplains Tricia, Godfrey, Joan and Gerald and their team of volunteers have ministered to hundreds of people in the six weeks since they took the first steps toward fulfilling God’s call to ministry at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. These godly men and women share God’s love unconditionally, but when asked by fans to pray for a particular World Cup team to win a match they only agree to pray for the team on the condition they may pray for the opposing team as well!

Walking the halls in pairs wearing their Airport Chaplaincy jackets, they are stopped by an airline employee requesting prayer for an ailing family member. A few minutes later a policeman asks them for a Bible. Prayerwalking when not praying for someone at hand, these servants of the Lord make themselves available to anyone with a need.

Thanks to the generosity of another Christian organization, Bibles have been provided for those who were on the waiting list, and now there is a small stock for future requests. Praise God for this provision, and pray for more volunteers to keep this ministry alive when the World Cup is over.

JOHANNESBURG — Desperate areas. These are the focus of Impact Africa, a mission organization operating under the belief that people in desperate situations are searching for something that leads to hope and a better life.

The organization, which launched in 2003, ministers among the poorest of the poor, who live in settlements called squatter camps surrounding South Africa’s large cities. Impact Africa has a vision to be an agent of change through Christian outreach events, children’s education, teaching, discipleship and facilitation of short-term mission teams.

During the World Cup, a seven-member team representing Impact Africa are sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in Diepsloot, a community in northern Johannesburg.

Does God care who wins the World Cup? I don’t know, but today a black African sister in Christ gave me a new insight into something He does care about. We were discussing the dismissal of all of the African teams from the tournament, and she said, “None of them was ever going to win. If they had won, who would get the glory?” She went on to explain that many African players had gone to witchdoctors and had consulted ancestral spirits in an attempt to help them win. Her point was that God would have received no glory had an African team won; instead, spirits of darkness would have been praised.

Does God care who wins the World Cup? I don’t know, but He does want His glory declared among the nations. Continue to pray that many people will be drawn to Him through the ministries and outreaches planned to share the Gospel with the nations who have come to South Africa for the tournament. Pray that Christian players on the remaining teams will have many opportunities to give God glory for what He has done in their lives.

FIFA has promoted its “Say no to racism” campaign by having the captains of each team in the quarterfinals read a statement before their matches, condemning and rejecting discrimination of any sort in the sport and in society. Jesus taught that every individual has equal value in God’s sight and that He longs to have people from every race, tribe and tongue worshipping before His throne. Pray that Christians will be like Jesus, totally rejecting racism and reflecting God’s character in the way they relate to each other and to all people.