Every Athlete, Every Country

With Cesar Jimenez, at Agape conference

Dear prayer warriors,

Last week we had an incredible time during the Agape (CCC) Spain annual conference. We drove as a family from Malaga to Platja d’Aro, Girona, over 800 miles, stopping in Madrid to spend the night and say hello to the family.

The conference, under the theme: “Called”, gather not only staff at the different ministries with Agape including AIA, but associates and volunteers and friends from our movements. 

Abraham, Pablo & Noemi, Tony & Eli, Arnau, Gala, Cesar, Jessie, Michael... We had an owesome group of a new generation for Athletes in Action. It was neat to see them listen to speakers like Javier, Felix, Natan or Edi, all of them at national or area leadership roles with Agape, but former AIA leaders.

Jesus really ministered and touched our hearts and minds. You can celebrate and pray with us that some of them are confirming their call relating to serving the Lord with AIA different ways.

Today, Lidia, our children and my in laws left me at the airport in Madrid and hit then the road to Malaga. I travel to Orlando, to join 45 Athletes in Action leaders from around the world for our Global LIFE Summit and for the International Sports Coalition ACE Conference with 650 delegates from over 120 countries. 

I’m looking forward to our time together with our dear brothers and sisters.  In addition to our AIA leaders the first days, we will also have several ministry LIFE partners joining us as well.  These are men and women who God has led to join us by giving their Life, Influence, Finance & Expertise.  It will be a true joy to be with them.

• Please, pray for Lidia while I’m away:
• For strengh, wisdom and stamina to deal with our 3 little ones.
• For health and protection for all of them.

• Please pray for AIA corporately that God would lead us as we:
• Seek Him through extended times of prayer, sharing and time in His word
• Hear more about our global direction as a global family around our vision to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport in every country
• Strategize around 3 key initiatives of country growth, our efforts surrounding the Olympics and how to effectively use our strategies such as sports teams to build local spiritual movements

• Please pray specifically for our ACE time too:
• God would give us a great time of being together during this awesome networking and strategic planning gathering.
• God would lead me as I lead and network with many others.
• Please pray for divine appointments and confirmation forward as relates to Road2London 2012 preparations.
• Pray for this time to be of great vision and encouragement to Chris Hughes from Oxford, Wouter and Jonathan from Holland and David & Ellen from Spain whom will be there as well from our area

Thanks so much for praying for us.  Lidia, Samuel, Josué, Lucia and I truly appreciate it. OneTeam with you in Jesus until the nets are full with Christ followers in every team, sport & nation,

Rubén, Lidia, Samuel, Josué & Lucía

Mission Vilnius 2011

http://www.athletesinaction.eu/totalathleteacademy/vilnius2011


Almost 50 AIA and Agape/CCC staff and volunteers, students, coaches, athletes and other sport influencers from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Rusia, Ukraine, Poland,  Czech Republic, Germany, Spain & Holland, gathered last week for Mission Vilnius.

(1) Doug Pollock, evangelist with almost 3 de decades of international experience with AIA (GodsGPS.com, author of God Space), (2) helping the local Agape Student ministry reach out their future leaders, (3) editing and producing a first ever Sports New Testament, Give me the Rock 2 DVD and Meet my Head Coach brochure in Lithuanian, (4) and the city hosting the second round of the FIBA EuroBasket (the largest sport event in Europe this year) where our key ingredients to this AIA Western Europe Total Athlete Academy project.

Many participants say this has been the best training experience they've ever had. Doug has challenged participants hearts and motives with the Word, and dynamically resources and empower everyone's toolbox for beyond methods, but a lifestyle of engagement and belonging with the Lost, as a Christ follower.

Everyday people have gone on small groups and pairs to university faculties, the main opened and populated sites of Vilnius to seek to engage on spiritual conversations, serve with humble acts of kindness, seeking to advance the kingdom God's speed and where he's at already.

Ruben Fernandez, our area coordinator who God has entrusted many relations to the Spanish Federation's players, coaches, officials... Got free tickets for many of the games and this helped the experienced AIA staff like Brook, Doug, Brad and others expose the rookies to apply what learnt with Doug to divine appointments, acts of kindness and serving the people of sports perspective.

Brad Bartz, working with Ruben at AIA west Europe coordination and the point leader for the Baltics is still in Lithuania, travelling with Renata, Agape National Leader to follow up key contacts that along with those who came to Mission Vilnius we'd like to keep serving and challenging together to steer movements that matter everywhere.

Thanks for teaming up with us. Press "on your knees" until the European nets are full.