Hello again from Africa!

This has certainly been an adventurous trip, and it is almost over. The only thing I have left to do is fly back to the States, so in two days I should be arriving back in Colorado. I want to thank all of you for your prayers, because God really blessed in every place I was able to go.


Malawi and Tanzania turned out to be great trips as well. In Malawi, I was able to meet up with my church contact in the States from a church in LA, and it looks like they are going to try very hard to put together a team to go back with me in late August to do two trainings, one in Lilongwe at African Bible College, and another at a place that will be decided by the head of Sports Outreach Malawi (SOM), who have been doing ministry around Lilongwe and one other city in Malawi for the past six years. They are excited to partner with us to learn more about how to use evangelism as the main focus of a sports camp, and they also have the same vision as us when it comes to working through the local church and training leaders, so that was very exciting to see God start that partnership.

In Tanzania, I was able to meet some great people. Many of you know that I had some doubts as far as to the people I was going to meet, because while I knew I would be meeting some good people, up until two days before I arrived I was not planning on meeting anyone who had contact with the church we want to do the training with in the States, so I was a little discouraged. I called Tim Conrad (president of UW), and he was able to send me some contacts from the church, and it ended up working out great. The leaders that I met are not only excited about starting sports ministry, but they are both leaders in their different denominations, and will be able to help in getting leaders from all over the country to come to the trainings. We are hoping to take a team back from the church in the States, located in Tampa, and that trip will probably happen in September.

God has been good, and because of that this fall I have three trips lined up out of these three countries. I love having successful trips, because it is not only encouraging to me, but a confirmation that God has a hand in what is happening with this ministry. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.


God Bless,

Ryan Van Hoven