Oh so many questions...

Having spent my entire life in the church, and attending countless mission conferences, little thought was given to the support raising of the full time missionaries.  I loved hearing their stories and adventures, and how God was changing lives, but I never imagined the amount of time they had to spend to raise their full support.

Having just started in this venture, it can be overwhelming, to say the least.  Do we send out letters, or meet face to face?  Should the letters be two sided, or just one?  Color, or black and white?  Do we send self addressed stamped envelopes or will people get their own stamps?  Tri-folded brochures or single folded?  Who do we send them to?  Do we ask for one time donations or monthly?  What pictures should we use?  Do those font colors go well with our pictures?

And those are just the questions about the mailings!

I just thank the Lord for friends and family who have poured their hearts and time into us.  Proof reading our letters, critiquing our picture choices, spending time in prayer, and opening their homes are just a few of the things they have blessed us with.

This whole journey has given us a new perspective and appreciation  for those missionaries we have followed for so long... Joe and Cindy Platillero, Brady and Cindy Greene, and the newest of Stephen and Sara Otis.

Thanks to the Parks, Jernigans, Campells, and Pardues for being such gracious hosts!

Jodi's story...

Imagine:  living on $2 or less a day.  Living in a small hut with dirt floors.   Even worse, having an empty heart with no hope or salvation.  This is much of Brazil.  As many of you know, Tom and I have been lead to go into missions with the Charlotte Eagles International Tours to Brazil .  After many years of prayers , Tom’s  summer tour to Brazil has brought us into missions .   Tom has “retired” from CAK soccer coaching to pursue his calling, and I am excited to be a big part with him.

The story began long before Tom’s summer trip to Brazil.  In 1995, Tom and I both went on tour, as college students/players with the Charlotte Eagles MAI.  I went to Austria, Sweden, and Czech Republic.  (Tom went to Russia, Germany, and Czech). We played professional and local club soccer teams, giving testimonies (the gospel) before games, at halftime, and after the matches.  We also ate with the team, did youth soccer camps, and fellowshipped with those we stayed with .   Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, so what better way to connect with the lost, then through the beautiful game!  What an amazing way to see the Lord work!  And to imagine doing this someday as a leader!  God  began tugging at our heart for this type of mission, and that is exactly what God has called us to do.  We will be doing the same type tours to take the gospel, using soccer as our common ground, to Brazil.   We will begin the trip in June and be in Brazil 19 days.  

Getting started...

Soccer has been such a huge part of my life, as both a player and a coach.  It has allowed me to travel around the world to compete, coach, and minister to many people.  From my humble beginnings at Delaware County Christian School in Pennsylvania back in 1985, to playing at Carson Newman College in Tennessee.  Jodi and I both were also both able to tour overseas as players with the Charlotte Eagles (from North Carolina).

As a coach, God has truly blessed the teams that I have been a part of.  Record setting seasons and championships have given us a platform to share the love of Christ all throughout the state of Tennessee, as well as the surrounding areas in the south. 

Sharing the Good News to people around the country through the sport of soccer has reignited my passion for sports ministry.  Four years ago, my wife and I helped organize a Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) soccer mission trip to Brazil.  We were hooked!  We started the pursuit of sports ministry during the summers with the Week of Champions sports camps in South Carolina.  There, we met some of the management that runs Missionary Athletes International (MAI) that partners with the Charlotte Eagles Soccer Club (the SAME club I traveled with as a player on my mission trips back in 1995!).  After lengthy interviews and many hours of prayer and discussion, my wife and I decided that this was the direction that the Lord was leading us to follow.  I stepped down as the soccer coach at CAK having coached there for 12 wonderful years.  I am now the Director of International Youth tours with MAI and the Charlotte Eagles.  Each year, I will be planning summer tours, using teens from across the nation. We will be traveling to soccer rich areas, and use soccer as the “draw” to give us the opportunity to share the love of Christ with their people. 

I am the first “satellite” office of Missionary Athletes International and currently reside in Knoxville.  Being able to stay in Knoxville will allow me to continue to teach 6^th grade science at CAK, as well as be involved in the local soccer community.  As tour director, I will be in charge of planning, directing, and recruiting for those summer trips.  Jodi plans to join me on the tours with MAI, as well. 

We hope to keep you all posted on updates on this journey!  We are very excited about what God has in store for us.