| Hundreds of Iranian and Afghan kids and youth have been impacted by sports ministry run by local Iranian churches. One of them is Saeed. Saeed’s mother died when he was just nine years old. When his abusive, drug-addicted father then abandoned the family, young Saeed was left to fend for himself. Separated from his brother and sister, he scraped a living on the streets of Iran before being taken into a state-run welfare home. The home offered Saeed the safety he’d been denied during his painful childhood, but it could not provide the deep love he craved. During his years there, Saeed developed a passion for soccer. In his late teens, Saeed left Iran to be reunited with his sister in a neighboring country. In his new city, Saeed was overjoyed to discover there was a soccer program called the “Rock Academy” run by the local Iranian church. “When I started practicing with them, I realized they were different than the other teams I had played with,” Saeed recalls. One day, Saeed accepted the invitation from his coaches to come to church. Struck by the joy he witnessed, Saeed gave his heart to Christ on his second visit. Today, Saeed is praying for his brother and sister to come to know Jesus. He continues to be part of the Rock Academy and the local church, which has become the loving family for which Saeed always longed. Thank you for your prayers and partnership which allow the Iranian church to reach out with love to people like Saeed in creative and compelling ways. |
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