News

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 …

Read More

Charity Soccer Match in Tecate. USA v Mexico Saturday September 10

Charity Soccer Event Saturday September 10Encino Park Tecate Baja California USA 50 V MEXICO 50 and USA 65 V MEXICO 65All proceeds helpingSan Juan Bosco Orphanage We are excited for you to join us in support of San Juan Bosco Orphanage located in Tecate, Mexico. The Orphanage receives no government support and lovingly raises needy orphaned children. On Saturday September 10 at 12:00 the 55+ game will begin followed by the 65+ game at 2:00. Followed by a Carne Asada Feast and your favorite beverages. $150 donation request for each …

Read More

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 …

Read More

Soccer Mondays in May – Morning Star Community Church

MStar Kids is hosting Soccer Mondays in May! The cost is $25. 1st-5th Graders. 4-6pm. It’s a step above our Sports Camp instruction, but still open for beginners. At Soccer Mondays in May you will: Improve your technical skills Improve your game intelligence Improve your finishing skills Develop into an effective team player Our main coaches for this are David Irby and Likius Hafeni. Coach Irby has a US Soccer ‘A’ License, a Masters degree in teaching and has traveled around the world as an ambassador for Christ through soccer. …

Read More

Liberia in 60 Seconds / Sammy Surge visiting Kids in 2 States

Dear Friends, Sammy Surge is back from Liberia and will be at Morningstar Church/Salem, OR in May & and at the Red Hill Lutheran School Soccer Camp, Santa Ana/Tustin in June! The one page ATTACHMENT will inform you about our new work in Liberia. Liberia in less than 60 seconds: 4 cancelled flights, 59 hours of travel, over 8,000 miles one way, 4 covid tests, going from 29 degrees and snowing to 85 degrees, felt like 100 due to humidity; the electricity worked mostly. “And God was glorified throughout our …

Read More

Al & Lori’s Update – March 9, 2022

Thank you for praying for the trip to Liberia. In the days leading up, there were times we weren’t sure it would actually take place. Some of the flights were cancelled, including the day of. Dave didn’t find out until he had already gotten to the airport on the 17th, but it all got re-routed and both ended up starting (again) on the 20th. Everything went smoothly after that including all the Covid tests. Dave and Al were able to train 61 coaches for a couple of very full days. …

Read More

A wonderful visit to Beautiful Beginnings School

It was a wonderful visit to Beautiful Beginnings School- A radio interview first. At the school there was dancing, speeches, Sammy Surge presented his principles with high fives and a dance, before the real dancing, a tour of the school, a Bible quiz, a youth soccer match and our leaders – Amos n Darius entertained the kids and shared the gospel! Study hard, play fair, help others was our theme, Sammy Surge’s theme – as we observed, learned and greeted so many. – dinner w the President’s chief security officer. …

Read More

Liberia Trip Update: Feb 19, 2022

As we venture back out into the world, we all know it is not without risks. Preparing for the unexpected and adapting is critical in accomplishing our goals…. First my return flight was canceled, then changed. Next my departing flight was canceled, then changed. Yesterday I went to check in at PDX and much to the suprise of the Delta Ticket Agent she couldn’t check me in for my flights to Monrovia, Liberia. Air France had canceled my new flight. Almost 2 hours later my Thursday flight was now on …

Read More

See You in Liberia on Friday!

– Follow our journey – Learn about Key Meeting with Minister of Education – About Training top Soccer Coaches in Liberia – Training Pastors in Sports Ministry – Developing partnership with Beautiful Beginnings School sharing hope through soccer, Dave Irby US Soccer ‘A’ License

Surge International to Partner with Three Organizations in Liberia

Irby and Lotz preparing for first trip to Liberia – February 2022 Surge International is pleased to announce a new project that will give you access to helping us shape the world we live in! Partnering with Ollie White, Beautiful Beginnings School; Doco Wesseh, the ONE GOAL Foundation; and Rochell Favor Woodson (One GOAL/President, World Girls Football Club) we hope to impact Liberia through education & football and through local churches. Meet Ollie White; a learner, reader, and leader who by the grace of God is revolutionizing reading in Liberia. …

Read More

Ecuador + Liberia + Merry Christmas

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 …

Read More

Ecuador!

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, …

Read More

Ecuador, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Liberia: September 2021 Update

[tds_council]“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”[/tds_council] Dear Friends, IF the Lord wills the long wait will be over and in November I …

Read More

Summer 2021 Update from Irby

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 …

Read More

The Long Wait is Over – Austria Wins in Euro2020!

“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 …

Read More

Sports Spectrum Daily Devotional: Thursday, May 20

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