How did the Brazil tour impact your life (Part 2)

Part 2!

The following are quotes from tour members and parents of tour members that answer the question:

"How did the Brazil tour impact your life?"

“Three weeks, one God, and Faith that can move mountains.  Brazil tour has shown me how God can change lives for the Kingdom (including my own)”

Paige Hoffman

“I just now understand that the past is the past.  The old has gone and the new has come.  Being on tour has allowed me to move forward in my life and never look back again.  Jesus took hold of my heart and changed me from the inside out”

Rachel Setzer

“The trip definitely showed me that this is what I am suppose to be doing; using soccer to reach others is what God has given me a heart for.  I also learned a lot about myself.  My relationship with God grew so much! “

Sarah Winship

“It was different than I was expecting, but better than I could ever have imagined.  It made Christ real to me”

Doug Liedle

“Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations…”

In doing so, I have seen lives changed.  More specifically, the lives of those who go to disciple.  When you open yourself up to being a vessel for God to work in and through, He brings a change to you by doing so.  Your prayer and financial support has made all of this possible!

How did the Brazil tour impact your life (Part 1)

The following are quotes from tour members and parents of tour members that answer the question:

"How did the Brazil tour impact your life?"

"Hearing my son say it was a life changing experience, then watching his life change... hearing him say that his greatest blessing of the year was being saved by grace and knowing that these words were heart felt and the fruit of the tour."

Dr. Jeanann Pardue (mother of Benj Pardue)

"This trip changed my life forever.  God took a hold of my heart by physically making me break down and gave me no other choice but to trust in Him.  This trip was the most amazing and unforgettable time of my life!"

Kayce Campbell (two time tour vet)

""To put it simply, the Brazil trip is where my Christian walk truly began."

James Logan (two time tour vet and team leader)

"I found out that I am loved. This tour opened my heart to missions. I found out that I have a passion for missions, and a desire to love more than I thought possible."

Kiah Allen 



While the American tour members went down to share the love of Christ with the Brazilians, by being a vessel for the Lord, they themselves were touched by God.  This is why I do what I do.  To see Christian Americans who have a heart for the Lord, meet him in a way that they never would here in the states.  What an amazing group of young people!  

More quotes to come next week!!!

A picture is worth 1000 words...

If a picture is worth 1000 words, I don't know how you would calculate a collage... is it worth 1000, or do you multiply by the total number of pics in the collage?  Either way, these pictures tell a lot!

Our Brazil tour 2011 was a HUGE success.  So many lives changed, both Brazilian and American alike.  It is so hard to summarize a two week trip, but I thought it would be good to do it in pictures.

1.  Retiring from coaching at CAK has left a huge hole in my heart, so any time I get to coach is awesome.  Especially with co leader James Logan.  He and I got to coach about 12 games, and had a BLAST in each one!  While we didn't win all of them, the impact of the teams’ portrayal of Christ on the field was tremendous. So many came forward after the post game talks!

2.  Jodi got to play in the games, but being the sole "mom" on the trip, her heart was drawn to the young Brazilian kids.  While their English is poor, Jodi's Portuguese is even worse, STILL her love for the kids was evident every time she interacted with them!

3.  The mayor of the town (seen holding the trophy) came and presented the whole team with medals.  The ironic thing, was that we LOST the game 0-4!  We actually played these girls several times, and NEVER won.  But the impact the Eagles made was enormous.  On the last day, the Brazilians came up to us, and wanted to know "what we had" that made us different.  They said "even though you lost, you ALWAYS encouraged, and had smiles on your faces.  We NEVER do that.  What is the difference between us?"  What an opportunity for the gospel!  Two girls came to Christ because of that experience.

4.  Jodi again with 3 young girls at a local school.  They taught her some Brazilian games that she was able to bring back to our own daughter!  While we missed our kids, we also hoped that we were having an eternal impact on the Brazilian young ones.

5.  What amazes me are the American kids and how they interact with little children.  Here Zach, is playing with a boy at camp.  This tough, hard nosed defender shared his joy in Christ with so many children.  What a testament to Christ's love!

6.  Savannah explaining the "Salvation bracelets" that we gave to the kids all across the city.  It was an easy way for our players to interact with the school kids.  We probably gave away over 500 bracelets! 

7.  James Logan (Samoan by birth, Brazilian by choice) is giving his testimony to about 100 kids at a camp.  His translator is a young Christian kid who had never translated before.  They both did an OUTSTANDING job!  This is the camp where the young boy’s foot was healed.

8.  "Christ's will be done"... even though the plans didn't work out for baptisms at the beach (that is a WHOLE different story) God had a plan.  We were going to baptize 2 kids at the ocean, but instead we baptized over 12 at the hotel!!!  So many were able to say "I want to show that this is MY faith now."  And these were the AMERICAN tour members that got baptized!

9.  I was able to speak at many churches.  This church was my favorite.  The lead youth pastor is a Palmeras fan, but I am a rival Sao Paulo fan, so before I spoke, I put on a Sao Paulo jersey.  We both got a kick out of it.  The youth loved it.  Relationships are key on tour, and this is my 4th time at this church over the years.  I can’t wait to go back this spring! 

10.  And last, but most wonderful.  We were able to see God's power manifested.  Here one of the directors was praying for a young boy who had pain in his foot and had trouble walking.  Through prayer and intercession, the boy was healed!  It FLOORED our team.  While we read about those in the Bible, so many think that those things don't happen today.  But we lived it and saw it.  Some of our team experienced it after a night game in Limeira!

Prayer was such a huge part of this trip.  And worship the other.  What I love most about it all, is that I was able to see lives changed.  To hear Americans (Christian Americans) say, "This is the first time I have really felt the Lord's presence" is so encouraging and powerful to me.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support.  While I still have a lot to do (receipts receipts receipts) we are already planning next years' trip!  Sure hope you all would like to be a part of it, too!

Tales of a bygone era

So I write this blog after finishing my thank you notes to my mission supporters, and I thought... "do people even write thank you notes anymore?"  I remember as a child sitting down after each and every Christmas and birthday and scripting in that awful chicken scratch a thank you to each and every friend and relative that gave me a present.  I couldn't go out and play until some of them were done.  Do kids do that any more?  Do mine?  I figured my wife would take care of that, so my kids very well may do it. 

Then I got to thinking what else I did as a kid that kids don't do anymore.  Like dressing up for church.  My daughter came out in a tie dyed shirt and sweatpants this morning and seemed very confused when I told her she needed to change.  "Why daddy?"  Because we dress up when we go to church.  I then followed with the "I'm now an adult person" lingo with "when I was a kid, I wore a tie every Sunday" (because I actually DID!).  Even ADULTS don't do that anymore.  Flip flops, sweat pants, and jeans seem to be the dress de jour.  While I don't wear a tie anymore, I still wear a polo, khakis, and leather shoes.  Just can't seem to dress down for church.

When I was a kid, I also called my parents' friends by "Mr. Cornett" and not "Mr. David" or "David".  I STILL call my parents' friends by their last name, and I am almost 40!  It is just a sign of respect for me (or perhaps I still view myself as a middle schooler since I have been in middle school for over 15 years now!).  I used "sir" and "ma'am" and still do.  Again, a sign of respect.  I try to have my kids do that, as well.

Then I got to thinking of what I had that my kids will never have... a rotary phone.  Rabbit ear antennas.  Only 4 available channels to watch. Stick shifts in cars.  Not being able to contact your friend every minute of the day through the massive social media and texting that is available (wait, people use their cell phones to CALL each other???  Weird)  The phone cord that would get all tangled so you had to hold it up by the cord and let it spin out of control to untangle. 

I could go on for hours. 

All of this, because of "thank you" notes. 

I guess my big "thank you" should go to my parents for instilling in me the values and traits that I am trying to pass down to my kids.  And while they will never play "kick the can" or "flashlight tag" like we used to, I think they will end up with the same wonderful memories of childhood that I have. 

Kick'n Back follow up.

Well, our first outing for the Kick'n Back foundation was a HUGE success!  At the CAK vs. Hardin Valley game, we were able to collect over 75 pairs of cleats, 20 balls, 30 pairs of socks, 30 pairs of shin guards, and many jerseys and shorts.  And that was just at our first game!  2 of my players (seen in the picture to the left) came to the game with me.  Both enjoyed watching the match (though they were rooting for Hardin Valley... booo!) and were very honored for the donations that were given.

James Logan and I were able to clean and sort all of the gear the next day.  We filled over 4 bins with the cleats, tied each pair together, and sized each so that they were easy to read and pick out.  It took us most of the morning just to go through the cleats.

That Sunday, we went to our Burundi practice and brought the gear with us.  The guys were so excited. We took a $5 donation for the pairs of cleats, and a $1 donation for any socks or shinguards.  All of the proceeds go back into the Kick'n Back foundation, which will help pay for their future expenses.  This provides ownership of the gear to the guys.  Studies have shown this works much better in the long run, as opposed to just handing the gear out.   The whole team was able to purchase cleats at a cost that they all could afford.  We had a great practice that day, because everyone had their own shoes!

Our next venture as a Burundian team is our game schedule.  We will be playing 2 scrimmages over the next month.  The first will be against a team of American college students.  Most all are former CAK players who attend at UT.  The B.F.C wanted to get an 11 a side match before they play their rival team in Charlotte.

The second scrimmage will be against another Burundian refugee team in North Carolina.  Our challenge now, is to find a way to get them to Charlotte.  With gas being so expensive, and bus or van rental even more, this provides a difficult task.  However, we have started a nice money base with the funds collected from the cleats.  If any of you would like to help out, however, we would love it.  All donations are tax deductible.  If you have any questions, please e mail me.

We are hoping to have our second promotion at a Farragut soccer match next week.  We'll keep you posted!  Thanks so much for all of your prayers.  We really appreciate them. 

Next blog will share the updates with the Brazil mission trip.  We are in 3rd gear, ready to shift to 4th!  2 new tour members were just added yesterday!

Kick'n Back

Isn't it neat, when you have a dream, to actually see that dream or vision start to come true?  For me, living a life in sports ministry is the dream.  To serve my Lord using a sport that I LOVE to play and LOVE to coach is something I have always dreamed of doing. 

And that dream grows bigger in reality every day.  Starting with the Charlotte Eagles, it has now moved to include working with the Knoxville Force professional team, into a new foundation called Kick'n Back.  Not only does it "recycle" soccer gear to the refugees in and around Knoxville, but it also allows businesses and people to "kick back" their skills and resources to help those in need.  How awesome is it, that the the CAK soccer team is now working with a church and Robert Hodge to help the same Burundian refugees that I have been coaching!  They will be helping the refugees in building their gardens to help feed the people around the Londsdale complex.

WBIR did a news clip on their garden just this weekend!Burundi garden

And at senior night at the CAK vs. Hardin Valley game, the schools have allowed us to come and collect soccer gear for our African friends.  Free admission to anyone who donates.  What a blessing for us, and for the Burundians. 

When we played last week, several of the guys had different cleats on, and different sizes.   Most asked to wear my cleats when I wasn't playing, because they had nothing.  Many have sent me messages of "please find size 11s!"  I would give them mine, but I wear a 9.5!

John Russell, owner of Johnny Longs soccer academy saw the needs of those boys.  As we were training at his location (which he so graciously allowed us to use at no charge!) he quickly went to his lost and found and brought over the cleats that were left in there.  "Let them use these.  And we'll find some more for them to use!".  He later came with t shirts and shorts for them, too.  He called me that night and had an idea for hosting a soccer tournament to aid the guys.  How incredible is that?

Our first donor saw the need for things and wrote us a check for $1000!  The husband and wife wanted the guys to have the same opportunity and gear that most Americans take for granted.  The boys and I proudly wore our new pennies to practice, and kicked around our new soccer balls (which included over 30 balls donated by another group!). 

Things are really going full speed with so many things in our lives now.  The Charlotte Eagles tour is getting ready to get under way, with the addition of a greatly needed keeper for the women's team!  I got to coach a middle school game today, and will be coaching an AYSO practice tomorrow.  Life is GOOD!  And God is even better.  While he has blessed me with an ability to use a soccer ball and direct people around a field of grass, I am honored to "kick back" those skills in His name to win something so much more valuable than a championship ring. 

My new team!

Well, I managed to remain "retired" from coaching for a few months, but God has directed me to my new team.  They look a little different from my last squad, to say the least!  But what an outstanding group of young men!

A few months ago, I received an e mail from a friend, who received an e mail from a friend, and I came close to deleting it (whenever I see 2 FWD's in the subject line, I tend to lean towards the trash can icon as most of us do).  It was from a University of Tennessee professor, who represented a group of Burundians refugees that live in Knoxville (and YES, I too had to look up where Burundi actually is,too.  See if you can find it!).  I had no idea that we had refugees in Knoxville, let alone over 200!   They were looking for a Christian coach who could mentor them, and train them to prepare for their season with the African soccer league (again... we have an AFRICAN soccer league in Knoxville???).  Turns out they travel around the south east, playing other refugee teams!  I e mailed back that I might be able to help, not knowing at that time, what on earth I could do outside of being  their coach. 

This is what I have been wanting to do, but thought I would have to wait until I came on to full time staff with the Eagles.  But an opportunity arose with the Knoxville Force, which is the new semi pro team here in Knoxville.  The were looking for someone who could use soccer as a ministry in and around Knoxville!  What an amazing "God" thing!  I met with the president of the Force, and proposed working with the refugees.  They loved the idea!  So I met with the  African team last week.  About 15 young African men came to the meeting, somewhat skeptical on why I would do this for them.  They kept on asking "what do we pay you?" and "you mean you would even come to practices and help?".  I told them that God has always supplied my needs, and that all I wanted from them was an opportunity to build relationships with their community.  I further explained that I was a missionary, of sorts, that used soccer as the platform of my work.  They seemed to understand that. Once they saw that my motives were genuine, and I really wanted to help, they were very excited about the possibilities!

We have our first "practice" this weekend.  There is a long road ahead of us, with budget proposals, and approaching local businesses to see if they would like to pair with us in this local outreach.  But it is a step.  The first step, in what I hope to be a long walk towards building a relationship with a culture that I didn't even know existed here in Tennessee. 

Mission log: stardate 3/20/2011

OK, so kind of nerdy in a Star Trek kind of way, but it does state the purpose.  This is a copy of the first support letter that we are sending out this week.  The status of the mission trip will now get much busier as the summer is getting closer!  Exciting times ahead!

60%!  We have broken through the halfway mark.  Support raising has been a true challenge for Jodi and I, but has definitely strengthened our relationship with each other and our walk with the Lord.  He has shown us his presence through situations and people in ways that we couldn’t have dreamed of.  The finances sent in have allowed us to complete our “set up trip” to Brazil and fully schedule the teams and churches we will be working with in June.  More of that to come later in the letter...

Names:  One of our biggest needs is references.  If you could send us 5 names of people that you think would like to hear more about how God is working in our lives and on the mission field, we would greatly appreciate it.  We are trying to meet more on a “one to one” basis with possible supporters, but need your help in doing so.  If you could send any names to tgerlach@charlotteeagles.com we would be very thankful!

Tour group:  We have 12 girls signed up for the trip, and as of now, 6 guys.  There are several more that have expressed interest, but have not fully committed.  Please be praying for a full roster on both teams.  We would like to take 15 girls and 15 boys, if possible.  There is the option of using some of the Brazilian Christian teens to play with us, but we would rather have a full US roster.

Pre-trip:  I just recently returned from a week in Brazil, doing the “set-up” trip for the summer tour.  I met with several pastors, coaches, and leaders to make our schedule.  There were so many interested groups that wanted to work with us that we had to turn some away!  We were able to secure our transportation, accommodations, and most all of our games.  We talked with high school principals, who were very excited about us coming and speaking to their students.  It is very different than in the states.  We also set up a visit to Sao Paulo stadium, which is one of the biggest professional teams in Brazil.  We will be watching a pro-game, taking a tour of the stadium, and also scrimmaging their u-17 club team! 

We were able to connect with about 500 Christian teens while we were there. We spoke at 2 camps that occur during the week of Carnival (which is the Brazilian equivalent of Mardi Gras).  It is so amazing to see God working in teens across the world.  There was a tremendous youth speaker, worship band, and fun and crazy games.  Teens are teens all over this planet.  While most of them are much better than me in soccer, I was able to teach them the game of American football!  90% had never thrown a football before.  We had a blast playing “two hand touch” for hours one afternoon.  (My “prowess” as a football player made up for whatever I lacked in soccer skills!!!) Some of these same teens will be working with our group when we come down to share Christ with the soccer clubs across Brazil.  My favorite activity, however, was called soap soccer.  They had a blow-up soccer field, filled with water and dish soap, and teams played some of the craziest soccer you have ever seen!  Hopefully we will be able to get this for our summer tour!

 

Prayer requests:

1.       Recruiting the full squad:  Time is running short.  We really need at least 6 more guys to commit to the trip. 

2.      Support:  60% is great, but we need 40% more to be at full.  If you could pray about some people that you could send our way, we would really appreciate it.

3.      Visas:  This is the biggest hurdle for the team.  I personally went through a rough time getting mine approved.  Now we will be sending in about 40 for approval!  Please pray that it goes smoothly.

4.      Please pray for the hearts and minds of the teams.  And I don’t just mean the ones in Brazil!  We really want God to work with the American kids who are going, as well.  I pray that they all will have open hearts to see God in action.

In our next letter, I will introduce you to some of the team members you can be praying for.  We have a fantastic group of leaders and some equally incredible teens.  Giving you names and faces will hopefully aid you in making your prayers more personal.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us an e mail or a phone call. 

Thanks so much for your support and your prayers! 

Strangers are just friends waiting to happen. ~Rod McKuen

Some friendships take years to happen.  Yet, there are others which seem to blossom overnight.  Such is the way of mission tours.  I find it so amazing to be in a foreign country for such a short time, yet leave behind a bit of my heart each and every time I go. 

I just got back from a week trip to Brazil, the main purpose of which was to set up the longer tour in the summer.  I got to see some dear friends which I hadn't seen for many months, yet also had the joy to meet some new Christian brothers and sisters.  Even though most didn't even speak any English (and my Portuguese wasn't much better) I still felt as though I had known them for years.  

Take, for example, Neto (in the picture above).  Neto and I had the joint vocabulary of about 5 words that each of us understood.  Yet, after only 2 days, there was a teary goodbye when we had to leave.  We really didn't have much in common.  He didn't play soccer.  He didn't speak English.  He was in to hip hop (both American and Brazilian).  But we did have 2 things that we shared. First and foremost, he was my brother in Christ.  That alone brought us closer than anything could have.  We also shared the joy of laughter and good times.  Anytime we were together, we were laughing.  Laughter is a language that needs no interpreter. 

I got to spend 3 days at a Christian camp for kids ages 12-25, who wanted an alternative to Carnival (the Brazilian equivalent of Mardi Gras).  While most all of the country was indulging in so many carnal pleasures, these 300 young people were delving into the True meaning of life.  Worship, followed by an AMAZING youth speaker, was always followed by fellowship and crazy games.  Unsurprisingly, teens are teens all over the world.  We had so much fun.  Designing a 300 yard zip line, a 30 foot climbing wall, and my favorite, was blow up soap soccer (which I have yet to see in the United States, but is a MUST HAVE).  Basically, it is a "jumpy house" with two soccer goals at each end.  But the best is that they put dishsoap and water in the base, so you slide and fall while trying to score goals.  It was amazing!

The relationships that we built in those 3 days will last a lifetime.  The Relationship that some of the kids received in the worship will last into eternity.  I think this is how God wanted the world to work.  Putting aside all preconceived notions, ambitions, and judgments, and just loving each other.  What a blessing these people are to my life. 

This is what I want my tour team to accomplish this summer.  And, Lord willing, develop the same deep relationships that amazingly are seeded in just a few hours of being together in Christ.

"Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere."

"Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere"  Glenn Turner

Why do I worry about things that I have NO control over?  CONSTANTLY!  

Take for example my Visa application to Brazil.  Even under normal circumstances, this can be a complicated thing.  Most of the website it in Portuguese, and when you do get to the English part, it can get confusing.  Then, once you fill out the necessary forms on line, and print them out, you have to be sure to put the photo in the exact position on the application.  THEN, you have to get a postal money order (which can only be obtained from the post office, which necessitates an hour wait in line because I can only go on my lunch break, which is the same time that everyone else is going!) AND can only be paid for with a debit card (that actually has a positive balance in the account).   "OK, well, then try THIS card".   Yeah, that is always fun with 20 people behind you...

THEN, you must get two overnight express mail packages with $18 postage (both ways) and fill out the appropriate addresses on the correct label.  

With signatures in the right place, and package mailed and delivered, it is a waiting game.  

I got my application back within 3 days of mailing it.  Which, for those knowledgeable in the Visa application process know, is not a good thing.  Apparently, there is a new form which is now necessary that proves that I have "the financial means to not only go to Brazil, but to pay to get back to the US" (flashback to the debit card fun at the post office!).  Well, I was missing that form.  So I got the form, and promptly mailed it back.

Now, to the worrying.  I leave for Brazil in about 10 days.  Within those 10 days are 2 weekends, and a holiday.  So, that is 5 business days.  If I don't get the Visa, I don't get to go.  So what do I do?  I worry.  And stress.  And worry some more.  

AND WHAT GOOD DOES THAT DO?  Will it speed up the process?  No.  Will the people in the consulate realize that I am really stressed, so they will put it on the top of the pile?  Wishful thinking.  

These past few months God has been trying to teach me so much about patience and reliance on Him.  And believe me, I am a slow learner.  I am sure that He is sitting up in Heaven, and shaking his head as He smiles to himself and says "you are making this so hard on yourself!".  I try to "let go" but then, for good measure, I feel the need to keep that little "pinky" of my hand grasping firmly on the problem, because, well frankly, because I have a hard time with letting go!  

So, I figured blogging about it, will let me face my worries head on, and call them what they are.  Unnecessary and fruitless.  A waste of good time.  As Leo Buscaglia said,

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy".  ~Leo Buscaglia

Well, I am all "sapped out".  Enough of this senseless worrying.  I am not going to stress over this visa any more.  If I get it in time, I will get to go.  If I don't, I won't.  Simple as that.  So, all done with worry.  At least for today.  Well, maybe for the next hour or so at least.  Or until I post this for sure.  

 

 Gah.... I am such a slow learner.