And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." - Luke 3:11
Sharing medicine, education, ministry, food and clothing is what a local mission organization wants to do in Niger, Africa, May 13-28.
To help raise awareness of and donations for Hope Soccer For Christ's trip, a worship benefit concert is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. March 28 at the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center.
The concert is free and open to the public but proceeds from a love offering will benefit the mission. Even if a person has no money to give, concert organizer Jordan Foreman said all persons are welcome to come and support the mission's cause. Mostly contemporary Christian music will be performed, he said.
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world. According to pbs.org, its people are so poor they cannot even buy food. The Web site indicates the impoverished country is twice the size of Texas, and is losing 15 people a day to hunger, and nearly 3 million of its 11-plus million people are at risk.
Foreman said the country is 95 percent Muslim. There is one Christian tribe in the country, and he said the mission group is going to encourage that tribe and work with them while there.
Hope SFC is a local mission organization that shares the love of Christ through soccer, Foreman said. It's headed up by Thiago Pinto, who will be the head soccer coach at Bethel College. Pinto will give a presentation at the benefit concert.
SFC is based out of Atwood and is affiliated with Hope Church of Atwood. Foreman said SFC is, however, its own separate organization, and all donations are tax deductible.According to the Hope for Niger Web site, SFC was founded in 2006, in association with Freedom Ministries based in Atwood. Hope SFC's Brazilian born founders, Pinto and Bruno DeJesus, minister the love and gospel of Christ through their knowledge of unique Brazilian soccer techniques, both domestically and internationally. Since their inception, they have led numerous youth soccer clinics around the Michiana area, as well as evangelistic soccer outreaches in Brazil, Ecuador, Israel, Japan and most recently, Niger.
Last year, Foreman said, SFC went to Niger with donations to set up a soccer field for a missionary group already there. While there, Pinto talked with the country's minister of athletics and it was agreed that a Nigerien team would play Hope SFC's team May 17 this year, Foreman said.
Before and after the exhibition game, medical, educational and ministry tents will be set up in the stadium. It seats 35,000 people. Foreman, a 2003 WCHS graduate, is one of the 25 people taking the two-week missions trip to Niger. A paramedic, he also will be heading up the medical tent.
The May 13 trip to Niger is very expensive for each of the 25 people going, Foreman said. Besides money for expenses, the missions group also wants to try and raise money to provide food for some of the Nigeriens. Except for three of the travelers, this is the first trip to Niger for the group.
More information about the benefit concert and trip is online at www.hopeforniger.org; more information on Soccer for Christ is online at www.hopesfc.org
