JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – “The World Cup is over, but South Africa is still here,” said a missionary with the International Mission Board (IMB) serving in Johannesburg.

The prayer of IMB urban missionaries in South Africa is that God would use the soccer World Cup to draw attention to the lost people of the nation’s cities.

IMB missionaries minister in five cities that were hosts of the 2010 World Cup: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.

Wade Coker, the lead IMB strategist for southern Africa, said the Gospel was shared with thousands of people across South Africa, and hundreds made decisions to follow Christ. In Cape Town alone, Coker cited 287 people receiving Christ.

“To me the most critical work and sometimes the most difficult work in these types of events is going to take place now in the coming month or two,” Coker said, “and that is following up the decisions and … gathering the people together in Bible studies and in new outreach groups.”

Read Part I

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Bruce and Sheri Erickson were missionary kids who met in boarding school in Kenya. After college, they married, had two children and were public school teachers in California.

Almost five years ago, the Ericksons felt God leading them to work with foster children. One family in their church had just taken in a foster baby girl, Madison, whom Bruce and Sheri began spending time with.

Unsure of God’s purpose for them in the three-month-old baby’s life, Bruce and Sheri prayed how they could be obedient to what God might be leading them to do.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — He was a missionary kid from Ethiopia and Kenya. She was also a missionary kid from Kenya. Now, Bruce and Sheri Erickson are missionaries ministering to young people with their three kids in Cape Town, South Africa.

Bruce was born in Ethiopia and lived there until he was 10, when he and his family returned to the United States for a time due to unstable political situations in the country. After two years, they returned to the mission field to serve in Kenya, where Bruce met his future wife in boarding school.

Sheri was just a teenager when her family left the U.S. for Kenya to serve in medical missions.

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.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — When he was just a 3-year-old toddler, Raldo was standing too close to a fire his uncle built. Not realizing his small nephew was nearby, the uncle turned around and doused the fire with paraffin.

“The fire came at me,” Raldo said.

Now 9 years old, Raldo is severely scarred on his face, arms and hands from the blaze. But that does not stop this youngster from living a life like any kid his age.

Raldo is just one of hundreds of children in the Capricorn township who received a new pair of shoes thanks to Samaritan’s Feet South Africa, a Christian non-profit organization that works through volunteers to share Bible stories and distribute shoes to children in need.

Forest Hills Baptist Volunteers in Cape Town from Africa Stories on Vimeo.

Volunteers from Forest Hills Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, share experiences from their mission trip to Cape Town, South Africa.

During the World Cup, members of Forest Hills Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, are hosting a Life Champs Day Camp at a school in Cape Town.

In these video clips, they worship with children in the local language, Xhosa, and share prayer requests from camp.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — It is known to be one of the most dangerous townships in South Africa. More children are murdered here than anywhere else in the country.

The Nyanga township near Cape Town International Airport may have a reputation of violence, but volunteers from Forest Hills Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, are not letting that stop them from shining the light of Christ in an otherwise dark place.

In Cape Town, many children are coming to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior when they hear about Him at soccer clinics and Holiday Bible Clubs. Pray that these children will become strong disciples of Christ.

From Pam Lynch: We ended the week with a wonderful “Celebration” service at New Crossroads Baptist Church near Andile and Mzamomhle schools. All of the children were invited to attend the service. They commenced with very enthusiastic singing of the theme song, “Life Champs,” based on Joshua 1:9 and written by the seminary students who had helped lead the Holiday Bible Schools and Soccer Camps. A skit was presented by one of the classes of girls, also based on the Scripture verse for the week. After some of the seminary students presented a skit of the Prodigal Son, centering around forgiveness and acceptance, Bibles were given to all of the childrens who had accepted Christ as their Savior this week. Although not all of the kids who made this important decision were able to attend the service, 103 Bibles were presented to these new believers! This was an exciting time for them. Their “coaches” (teachers) did the presentations which made it all the more special for the kids. Praise the Lord for these camps and kids who are now part of the Lord’s family. The church was given the admonition to accept and nurture these children. Missionaries who work in these schools will be doing follow-up with them as well.