Mission partner Mark has developed a ministry to athletes in Lesotho, through sports administration. Here he shares a story of faith from a Lesotho athlete, Lerato. To read the whole story, click here.
Mark: The Lord opened the door for us to share His love in Lesotho. In 2014, I established a small team of exceptionally talented cyclists and am now helping them develop to their full potential. As the riders are able to compete at a higher level, they earn a little money to feed themselves and their families, making a huge difference to their lives. We managed to build the team from nothing to a high level that even eclipsed Great Britain in the mountain bike rankings for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Along the way, we have organised national and continental championships and I have managed teams to the World Championships, and the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
Spending so much time with this small group of athletes gives me a great opportunity to share my faith with them. We often encourage each other with biblical advice and pray together, particularly at the big races when they feel outside their comfort zones.
We often encourage each other with biblical advice and pray together
Lerato
Lerato is one of our young upcoming athletes. She finished just outside the medals with fourth place in the triple-jump at the Commonwealth Games and has a bright future ahead of her. Unfortunately, she recently lost her father and was devastated. At that time, she found great comfort through the daily Bible devotional readings tailored to athletes and relates that the strength she found in God, in the midst of suffering, empowered her to win a bronze medal at the African Championships. She continues to read her Bible daily.
Pray:
- that the members of Lesotho Olympic Committee will set a godly example in the midst of widespread corruption in sport
- for the people of Lesotho, where many regions are inaccessible, and the population is mostly poor
- for opportunities for mission and gospel work in Lesotho, and for believers bringing vocational skills in agriculture, care work with orphans, education, health and technology.
