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Two sisters traveled five hours by bus from a jungle area to attend our training program. Their area was known in the past for its “headshrinkers.” As a child, another one of our coaches was shuffled around to seven different orphanages. Abuse during that time of his life led him to a life of alcohol and drugs. As an adult he met Jesus and is now serving the children of Riobamba, Ecuador through soccer. After two years of waiting to travel, Al Lotz and I trained twenty-three coaches in soccer …

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How blessed we have been to help train 45 soccer coaches in Liberia and 4 in Haiti using email, WhatsApp and Zoom. But today the long wait to travel again is over! My Surge colleague Al Lotz and I are in Quito, Ecuador. Then a 3 hour bus ride and we will arrive at our destination at 1:00 am – Riobamba. Nestled at 9,000 feet Riobamba will be our home for 6 days as we train soccer coaches live and in person! The project is the vision of Josh Ayers, …

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Dear Friends, IF the Lord wills the long wait will be over and in November I will head to Ecuador. ECUADOR – The long wait is almost over. If the Lord wills I will board a plane in Portland, Oregon on November 3rd and fly to Atlanta. My long-time friend and colleague Al Lotz will join me there for the flight to Quito, Ecuador. A three-hour drive will bring us Riobamba, Ecuador. Nestled at just over 9,000 feet, Riobamba is the home to 240,000 people, and home to my former …

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Dear Friends, The pain in my ribs has persisted since the accident. After having x-rays twice and nothing showing up, my doctor ordered a CAT scan. The results showed a partially healed fractured rib. As most of you know healing of rib injuries just takes time. And though activity can be still painful over three months later, at least I know what happened. With the new information about my rib injury, I feel better that the trip to LIBERIA fell through. At the same time, we discovered the internet isn’t …

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“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”  – Romans 5:3-4 Along with millions of others I paused and prayed for Danish midfielder Christian Erikson when he collapsed on the field in Denmark’s opening match of EURO 2020. The following day we found out that Erikson was “stabilized” and resting comfortably in the hospital; so along with other long suffering Austrian fans I jumped for joy when Austria defeated Northern Macedonia 3-1. It was Austria’s first …

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When They Say You Can’t Make It It was Europe vs. South America, England vs. Brazil, as Liverpool, the European champs, faced Sao Paulo, the South American champs, for the 2005 FIFA World Club Championship. What a year it had been for Liverpool. Led by Steven Gerrard, it had won the European championship for the fifth time, setting the stage for Liverpool to face Sao Paulo for the world title…. Read More

We are planning to be at the Seahorse Open House – Sat. October 2nd. We would love to see you there! PLEASE INVITE OTHER SEAHORSE ALUMNI! RSVP using the link below — AND let me know if you are planning to come and Celebrate the Team and Work that the Lord had us start. PS- Susie might join us if your wives come as well. Seahorse Soccer Friends, Supporters, Alumni, Sponsors, & Vendors, (FROM PAUL GIZZI) Please mark Sat. Oct. 2 in your calendars now to meet with us at …

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Dear Friends, It is forty-nine days and counting since a young man ran a stop sign, without slowing down, causing our violent crash that totaled Mitch’s Prius. Mitch and I had driven to his home in Nevada after we had participated in the Orphanage Charity Match in San Diego (we were the photographers). We were resting up before heading to Oklahoma City to visit the soccer teams at Mid-America Christian University. This was my first ministry trip since Covid hit! In addition to still not being able to lay on …

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We are pleased to announce that Likius Hafeni, long time Surge Ambassador and current Surge International Board Member, received his Master of Divinity from Corban University (Salem, Oregon) this past Saturday. Hafeni, who had already earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Corban first came to Salem in 2009 to play for the Surge’s Cascade Surge team. But his story is not quite that simple. Growing up in Mariental, Namibia Likius represented his country at the international level of soccer. Around the same time he pioneered soccer …

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We got our vaccines! Second doses, minimal side effects and happy to do our part in helping to stop the spread of this virus. It was so nice to get back into church on Sunday after being away for over a year. Al is happy to get back into co-teaching in our small group. And we are so grateful that we are in a place where we were able to get this vaccine, as many are not so fortunate. Right now, we would ask you to pray for Alan Pinto …

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“OLD TIMERS” CHARITY MATCH RAISES OVER $8,500 AND COUNTING FOR THE RANCHO SAN JUAN BOSCO ORPHANAGE IN TECATE, MEXICO Dear Friends, Twenty-six years ago we were leaving Mexico after our one-day soccer event for the Rancho San Juan Bosco Orphanage; as we crossed the border back into the United States Susie turned to me and said, “We aren’t done here!” The next week she strapped Nathan into his car seat, loaded up our car with bags of groceries, picked up her parents in Temecula and headed back down to the …

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Greetings All, David Welk says “GAME ON” – our much awaited Orphanage Charity Match will be played: Sunday, March 14 @ 10:00 am at Doyle Park in San Diego with a meal afterward. While the games feature Spartans against Carnitas we have room for many more players to add to the rosters. If you are over 50 we invite you to play with us.  See brochure attached which explains how to make a donation.  Or Donate Online. I look forward to being there to film the event and thank each of you for helping …

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Join David Irby on on Facebook Live tomorrow at 10:00 am PST by the Vice-President of Sports Journalism in Liberia. We are starting new initiatives in Zambia, Liberia, Kenya and Haiti to train pastor and coaches in evangelism & discipleship through sports. Varmah Kamara, will be the host, from Facebook.

We’ve been awarded the Silver Transparency Award from GuideStar. GuideStar gives non-profits a comprehensive platform to display their cause and data complement capabilities. This allows everyone to access the key figures that help in making the decision to what nonprofits to donate.

Zambia – Your prayers are appreciated as Marc Randall (To Every Nation CNET Zambia) and I have started meeting weekly on Tuesdays at 6 am PST by What’s App & Zoom. This month Marc and I are adapting the great training materials from ReadySetGo.world for pastors/evangelists/coaches. Pray that internet will work and that we can inspire and teach the leaders in Zambia in how to use sports to share the Christ’s love and to disciple those that come to Christ. Please pray as our goal is to “roll out” the …

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Training Future Leaders in the US – Finally, your prayers are appreciated as today I signed a contract to co-author a new textbook (Sports Ministry) for Human Kinetics. “Worldwide, Human Kinetics publishes more products—including books, journals, videos, and courses—than any other publisher serving physical activity disciplines.” University professors and dear friends – Wayne Rasmussen, David Lewis and Bill Galipault and I appreciate your prayers to complete the first four chapters by May 1, with a March 2022 deadline to complete the book – to potentially be used by Christian universities …

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Haiti – Please pray for us as Josh Westermann will be using Zoom to train soccer coaches in sports ministry (evangelism & discipleship). With the trip to Haiti cancelled three times we are praying the internet will work so we can equip and encourage the coaches – and please pray that Josh can follow up in person in May. Date: Monday – Thursday, Jan. 11th – 14th, 2021 by Zoom Participants: 60 Haitian coaches currently coaching within the Project Living Hope Soccer Academy

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”  Luke 1:37 In our prayer letter you will find out more for the bold plans the Lord has given us for Zambia and Haiti and about the new book I will be co-authoring “Sports Ministry” to could be used in Christian universities across the USA. View Surge Update Blessings! Happy New Year sharing hope through soccer, Dave Irby Surge International