Togo / Trauma / Orphanage / Vacation Bible School
Liberia: This month we launched a virtual new program to tackle a horrific lingering problem in Liberia. Twenty-four Liberians, double the amount expected, joined Roy and Roberta Reed and key trauma experts from Liberia and the USA for our first training. “According to studies conducted by organizations like the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, 40% of Liberians suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and other mental health conditions. These disorders have taken root deeply in the national consciousness, affecting people’s ability to heal, rebuild, and move forward.” — Sistershospitallers.org Your prayers …
June 2025 Update from Surge Liberia
We present our compliments and we appreciate God for the wonderful time spent together as afamily as we worship God in the beauty of holiness. On behalf of the entire Surge Liberia team, we appreciate the continued support from SurgeInternational Board and all those who are helping to make our work in Liberia a success thatGod’s kingdom will be glorified. We are very excited to share with you the successful graduation of Lovetee and Lucinta, whograduated with an AA degree respectively in Business Administration and Public Health.We look forward to …
Update from Dave’s trip to Liberia
The weekly long training for the 60 young Liberians had gone well. From field sessions in theNational Stadium, to devotions, lectures, and prayer time in the conference room. Saturday wasthe day the coaches would train children and receive their certifications of completion; inpreparation for going back to their 20 locations, across Liberia, to begin the DT6 Saturday Schools(Bible lessons, scripture memory and fun soccer games). Read More…
Liberia Next April 19-28 / Your Prayers Requested
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Dear Friends, Over forty years ago the Lord connected Al Lotz, Jon Ortlip, and me through our love for Jesus and love for soccer—to pioneer a new form of …
a fractured wrist, a cancelled trip, a new opportunity
Dear Friends,The new font I’m using for our theme verse is Dreaming Outloud. At Surge International we dream silently, we dream out loud, we pray silently, we pray out loud – that we could connect with people through soccer so that we can meet their needs in Jesus’ name. One of my recent dreams didn’t come true – I didn’t go to Liberia on January 27th with Al Lotz and David Welk. I woke up the night before my flights at a hotel by the Portland airport with a whooshing …
We Made It $ / Liberia Next / My New Record
In this fatherless generation, we are sensitive to the deep wounds and scars a lot of children are suffering from…Sports plays a pivotal role in restoring hope and happiness in the hearts of children. 2025 will be massive, as we will be in every street corner, sports park, school, and gymnasium with our Learning for Life Program. (L4L). – Darius Barolle, Surge Soccer Liberia Please see the letter below for more INFO and great photos of my two travel partners! sharing hope through soccer, Dave IrbyUS Soccer ‘A’ License
From “How Soccer Explains Leadership” podcast with David Irby, CEO of Surge Soccer
Wonder why we do soccer? Why it matters? Check out David Irby’s recent conversation with howsoccerexplainsleadership.com. Bringing Hope Discover the powerful story of a Christian soccer team risking everything to bring hope and unity to war-torn Sudan—an inspiring testament to faith, courage, and reconciliation. Leadership Leadership, often overlooked in coaching, is now my focus. Inspired by a podcast and coaching in Liberia, I emphasize vision and empathy as key to building cohesive, inspired teams. Full Transcript from Podcast: Do Hard Things in Hard Places with David Irby, CEO of Surge …
Christmas may come early for us?
Dear Friends, We are approaching the most important month for us financially as December is the month when we make up deficits and usually have a small financial cushion as we enter the new year. For the first time we have received a Christmas Year End Match Grant of $15,000. Every dollar we raise up to that amount by December 31th will be matched. At the same time we received news that one of our largest monthly donors may have to suspend their donation due to severe health issues and the costs …
Sammy Surge: Teaching Life Principles through Soccer
In the world of Surge Soccer, there’s a beloved figure who plays a special role in our mission to inspire and educate children: Sammy Surge, our energetic and ever-enthusiastic mascot. But Sammy is more than just a fun character—he’s a teacher of essential life principles that help shape young minds and hearts. Through Sammy, we bring powerful lessons of integrity, teamwork, and kindness to children around the world, using the universal language of soccer to make these lessons engaging and memorable. The Origins of Sammy Surge Sammy Surge was born …