Liberia

From the Field: Stories of Impact from Liberia

At Surge Soccer, every day on the field brings new stories of hope, resilience, and transformation. Our work in Liberia, a country still healing from the ravages of civil war, is filled with moments that remind us of the incredible impact soccer can have on individuals and communities. These stories are not just about the game—they are about lives changed, futures shaped, and hope restored. As we continue our mission in Liberia, we are excited to share some of the inspiring stories from the field that highlight the difference we …

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Heading Back to Liberia Thursday

I’m making my fourth trip to Liberia on Thursday to assist with football development along with our education and trauma relief specialists. (September 12-23)  (30 hours of travel each way,  lol) Top of the list is the seminar I will be giving for approximately 68 football trainers (grassroots & academy) and observation & consulting with the U17 & U20 Boys National Teams. Meetings with: the Liberia Football Association, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Beautiful Beginnings School (our pilot/partner school for grassroots football), and Elite Teacher Training. We will also host …

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Liberia’s Fatherless Generation: How Surge Soccer is Making a Difference

In Liberia, a country still grappling with the aftermath of two brutal civil wars, the scars of conflict run deep. Among the most tragic legacies of these wars is a generation of children who have grown up without fathers—often referred to as Liberia’s “fatherless generation.” This demographic, which makes up more than half of the nation’s population under the age of 16, faces a daunting future with limited access to education, mentorship, and positive role models. At Surge Soccer, we are committed to addressing this urgent need by using the …

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Liberia is Next! ~ September 12-23

Please read the attached letter and as always we appreciate your prayers and financial support. sharing hope through soccer, Dave Irby

Updates on an intern, Massa, BBS2, and Ollie

Winifred, one of the Liberia Christian Leadership interns, is such an exciting story to watch as God writes across her life. She is the one intern who has a mentor/sponsor, and she is growing, using the skills she has learned through Surge Soccer, and applying them to the pursuit of the goal God has placed on her heart-opening a pregnancy center in Monrovia, Liberia. Here are a few excerpts from her latest communication with her sponsor/mentor: Thanks for always supporting me in this journey I have started for the future …

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Revolutionizing Reading in Liberia

“Revolutionizing Reading in Liberia” discusses Surge Soccer’s initiative to improve literacy among Liberian youth through soccer-based educational programs. It highlights the challenges faced by the education system in Liberia and showcases the impact of combining sports with learning. The program uses soccer to engage children and incorporate reading and educational activities, aiming to foster a love for learning and improve literacy rates.

Surge Soccer Liberia – 2023 Summary Report

Surge Soccer Liberia appreciates God almighty for his gift of life and many opportunities he had given us to work for his kingdom purpose. We also extend our thanks and appreciation to Surge International Board members and all others who contributed towards the growth and development of Surge Soccer Liberia throughout last year 2023. This report summarizes all of our activities as it relates to the following programs and financial breakdown.  During the course of the year (2023) it was agreed that we have an online meeting once every month …

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Year End + Matching Grant 4 Liberia + Anaheim + UN Conference

Dear Friends, MEET OUR LIBERIAN INTERNS IN THE ATTACHMENT Many years ago we received a $30,000 matching grant. This Year End matching grant is a mere $3,000 — but what an impact your prayers and year end donations can have in Liberia. We are starting a Christian Leadership Training program and have five young Liberians ready to GO! We appreciate the Year End Gifts we have already received and we are praying for a few more so we can start the new year in Liberia with a Bang! Imagine for …

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Surge International Launch New Leadership Program in Liberia

We are pleased to announce our new Leadership Internship Program in Liberia. Set to launch in November the concept took shape on our most recent trip from the US to Liberia when Roberta Reed (our education specialist) spent time with Winnifred, one of our Surge Liberia volunteers. Since our first trip to Liberia in February 2022 we have now made 4 trips to Liberia. Surge Soccer Liberia has been officially launched and we have grown from two Liberian staff members to a total of nine staff and volunteers. With the …

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Sammy Surge visits the  Praise Academy Solid Foundation School

Today Sammy Surge and team visited the Praise Academy Solid Foundation School located in a slum in Liberia. 150 children and staff were on hand for Sammy’s presentation of study hard, play fair, help others. This school is located in a slum community. This school is a primary school with 150 students between the ages of 5-15 years. The school has 10 staffs including teachers and administrative staff.

Lotz November Update – Liberia trip 

Thank you for praying for Al’s recent trip to Liberia. Looking at our prayer requests, I’m happy to report answered prayer forall: Safety in travel Good health Clarity in teaching Open hearts However, there were still a few snags on the trip that made it fairly stressful. Al was writing things out as it was happening in order to have documentation for our dealings with the airline, so I’ll copy and paste some of that here.

Liberia – November 2022

We are so grateful to be working in Liberia and for our Liberian friends, but we have found it hard to get to Liberia.  On November 8th this was our note “Please pray for my friend & colleague Al Lotz as he is stranded in Ghana. He was on his was to teach at a conference in Liberia. He flew from Atlanta to New York to Accra, Ghana and is now stranded due to a strike. No word on when he can get out! On our four trips we have experienced multiple flight cancelations & delays! “ But …

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Liberia update and things to pray about (Visit with Amos Gayflor)

Good morning! Thank you for praying for Liberia and for the Liberian people. Please pray specifically for Ollie at this time. Her older brother died this past week. Here is an encouraging, inspirational, and thoughtful video of Amos Gayflor, chief of one of the Liberian tribes, and dedicated to spreading the word of God throughout Africa. What amazing people we met in Liberia, and now you can meet them through the videos! The new technology made a huge difference in our second Cross-Cultural Professional Learning Community meeting! Thank you! It …

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Beautiful Beginnings School & Darius

Good morning and best wishes as you head into the Labor Day weekend. Thank you for your continued prayers for Liberia and for Beautiful Beginnings School. Monday, September 5, is the first day of the new school year with students! Such an exciting time of possibilities. Here is Ollie with the 2022/2023 PTO Board. The two modems have been purchased and installed, so our next Cross-Cultural Professional Learning Community meeting on Friday, September 9, should have better connectivity. Thank you. Ollie has been traveling and leading back to back professional …

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 Endings and Beginnings (Roberta #5 of 5)

Ya hello-o! (A greeting to you all in Liberian Koloqua) Saturday’s professional learning session at the Deborah Kaye Moore Foundation had a challenging start. The generator broke, so we got a 30-minute late start. The technology did not function well, which pushed the start time back even later. We worked our way through three projectors before we found one that successfully connected with Ollie’s computer. It was very very hot (though I was the only one who seemed bothered by it). By many standards, the day should have fallen flat …

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Beautiful Beginnings School (Roberta’s Story #4 of 5)

Happy day after Independence Day! We have so much to be thankful for, and one of the things I am thankful for is you and your prayers for Liberia. In this penultimate email, I hope to give you a glimpse into Beautiful Beginnings School. Ollie had invited me to spend the day observing in classrooms, providing feedback, and listening to teachers. She picked me up in the morning and we made the hour-long drive out to Harbel. The gas situation is challenging. There is no gas available at gas stations …

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Laughter and Tears (Roberta’s Story #3 of 5)

Thank you for your prayers. We awoke after another sleepless night. George had been feeling poorly the night before, so he, Dave, Roy, and I did self-tests. Three of us tested negative, and one of us did not. Dave, Ollie, and I headed off to meet with the Minister of Education. Roy did not. Along the coast of Liberia, rainfall exceeds 118″ a year. In Monrovia, rainfall can reach as high as 198” a year. June (when we were there) is the rainy month, with rain falling an average of …

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It wasn’t the most dangerous road I have ever been on!

Dear Friends, We have completed our second trip to Liberia with a wild ride on the second most dangerous road I have traveled (open attachment for #1, #3, and #4). I also walked across the bridge into Sierra Leone that the rebels used to launch the civil war many years ago. More importantly we have established SURGE SOCCER LIBERIA and are working with our Liberian colleagues on educational, leadership, discipleship initiatives and sports ministry training.So much more in the attachment and on our website – www.surgesoccer.org.   And on our website read the …

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Sustained by Prayer (Roberta’s Story #2 of 5)

Good morning. This was the second email I sent out as I attempted to let our American prayer partners see the beauty, surprises, and challenges we saw in Liberia. Thank you for allowing us to serve together on His team. Thank you for your prayers. They sustained us. After the first night, we were able to move into the hotel that had originally been reserved for us. While the view was terrific, some of the other amenities such as running water and toilet paper were difficult to come by. We …

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