update from Virginia - Nov 17

update from London - Nov. 12

update from Ha Long Bay, Vietnam - Nov. 8

shots from Nha Trang

update from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - Nov. 4

shots from Saigon

In Ho Chi Minh...

After a loooong past 24 hours I am safely in Vietnam. The first flight to Malaysia overnight was a bit long but i managed to watch a couple movies including the Proposal with that Bullock woman in it. For once a main character was named 'Andrew' in the film too ; ). Well done Hollywood.

As I just spent alot of time in prayer today God gave me a vision that this journey home over the next too weeks is about regenerating in Him and being restored in His rest. The Holy Spirit has been really present over my journey thus far and I really ache to tune in more to Him over the next couple weeks. I am hyped to see whats in store for me in these countries.... I truly do believe that God has a bigger plan than me just visiting some new places but to bring something of worth ...His worth...to these people I come in contact with.

praising the Lord ....in the presence of unlimited internet . - andrews

update from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Nov. 3

the Prime Minister of Malaysiaaaaa...

yall remember that line from Zoolander?...its when Will Ferrell's character wanted the PM of Malaysia dead in that movie and that line just is circling my thoughts as I see any signage with the word Malaysia on it. haha.

annnyyyways .....Good Morning from Kuala Limpur!! I had a pretty great last day in Joburg even with a couple appointments to fill up the day and work right until the end of my assingment. ITs really weird so far to have left South Africa but there is also a sense of a new beginning and a freshness to this next chapter in life. Im off to expereince Malaysia for this 11 hour layover and will check back in soon ....maybe later today with a pic or 2. -TAE

headed to full time staff!

whoop whoop!

Over the past couple months Ive been in a process of applying with Athletes in Action to step up and become full time staff. As of Thursday I recieved final word from AIA that I have been accepted to that full time staff position. I will be heading to Daytona Beach in early January for new staff training and subsequently getting my assignment at that point and support raising in 2011...so look out for me!

Also with support raising if you think you could host a support raising night for me in your hometown then please let me know as I will trying to line up support appointments and events early next year or even in December of this year!

I am so excited that this journey of investing in the lives of athletes will not end here and will continue to transition to an assignment in the USA. I will be in touch with all of as to where that assignment will be as soon as I get word. I am aiming to be on a college campus somewhere in the Southeast.


here are some pics from the past couple weeks:

reaching out to the kids at Vorontoe with some special guests Elise and Neil

my great friend Almarie and I at the Whitehead wedding last week

great cake...wowoowwow!

the married couple on each side. Carien on the far left and Riley on the far right

12 days remaining

12 days....wow. 12 days left in Africa. Its honestly mind blowing. I think about month 9 or so you have just settled in to the fact that this is where you live and your home and that you aren't going anywhere else. That mentality is also making it very hard to end things now. So I press forward in that and I try to seek intimacy with Jesus to fill me to end things well.

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts of late. Jesus is keeping me focused and not im too distracted at all about anything after November 2nd at the moment. My goal is trying to connect well with all guys Ive been able to lead well this year. So far I have had the chance to get together with a couple guys and spend time with them. We will see about how the rest of the time goes. So many people are having me over for dinner from church or people Ive been able to impact this year. I think I will be covered for food until I leave! Even the Captain of Sundowns has invited me over to his house next week with his family for a goodbye meal.

Sprinting to the finish of SA but knowing the race of ministry and making disciples never ends... TAE

enjoy some shots from the past couple weeks:

jacarandas in full bloom here in Jozi

taking the UJ girls out for lunch after KB and Q were baptized

Tso Sammy and myself at the Rezolution conference

The Orlando Pirates have a pastor...hahaha

Thank you John Piper for keeping the commitment to come to South Africa!

taking a few friends (Gift, Timothy, and Sammy) to the latest Soweto Derby - Chiefs vs Pirates in Soccer City

runnin on

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.... Hebrews 12:1

What awesome words from Paul that are even encouraging me today as I aim to finish well here in Johannesburg.

Here is a photo from an outreach just a couple weeks back in a less fortunate community in Joburg called Brixton. We ran a soccer clinic and I shared my testimony to the kids of how i came to faith. It was a great time and we are looking to build a partnership with these people and get our UJ athletes out there to reach out to the community more frequently.

great wisdom from JD Greear on Islam

this is a great video of the Christian perspective on the current movements and issues in the Muslim world from a favorite pastor of mine JD Greear of the Summit Church in North Carolina. please take a few minutes to watch.

Sunny and a high of 81 today here in Johannesburg...welcome Spring

Ask Anything Friday - September from The Summit Church on Vimeo.

time in Stellenbosch (click to download talk from Intl Sports Leadership School)

After a few days with my friend Barrett and his Durban Stint team I met up with my AIA staff team last week in Stellenbosch just outside of Cape Town to teach the principles that AIA has that show the ways in which we can worship God with our sport. We were there to present and teach these principles to a Intl Sports Leadership School where people from all over the planet (Sierra Leone, Nepal, Ukraine, Ivory Coast, Brazil, and more) came to here about how to do Sports Ministry effectively. It was an incredible time of getting to know these amazing people who feel called to reach others through sport.

I was able to teach on motivation and if you click the link above you can download the talk and have a peek in to what kind of lessons we were passing forward. Its amazing to me that I was able to teach to these people who have come from every corner of the globe...what an amazing God we serve.

At the top are a few pictures at the top from my Robben Island trip taken right before the conference where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years.

the soccer fields at Robben Island Prison

the most beautiful city on Earth

Speaking to the students at the sports leadership school

the American crew at the top of 'Golgatha' in Stellenbosch

vineyards

the wine tasting crew at Solms Delta Farm

Cape Town: Sept 7, 2010

here are a few shots from today in and around Cape Town:

Simon's Town

Cape Point

Barrett and I

the drive around Chapman's Peak

the gang watching the sunset

jackpot...Creation is still in progress

off to Cape Town

I am once again in OR Tambo International Airport waiting for my flight to Cape Town. I will be there for the next 9 days to have some holiday time with my American friends working in Durban and also my South African friends from my Vail days. So holiday time until Wednesday and then from Thursday on Athletes in Action South Africa is helping host people from around the planet at ISLS.

ISLS is a conference on Sports Leadership where people form around the world come from different churches and sport ministries to learn how God and sport come together. We will be teaching the 5 principles that AIA has to show them how they can truly connect with our amazing God through sport. I will be teaching a session on Friday morning called 'Inside Game'. This teaching will be asking 'What is your motivation?'... in sport...in life...Maybe you are asking yourself now what is you motivation to work hard, be the best, and do the right thing? Well our motivation really needs to be Jesus and things that come from Him because no matter how you peform on the football pitch or in your family at home you need the unconditional love of the Father and not putting motivation in things that can vary based on your performance. So I will dive more in to that on Friday morning at 9:30am local time and 3:30am EST. Be praying if you can for the hearts and ears in the room to be attentive over the course of the conference. At the end of the Conference we will be taking the participants through what AIA calls the SPECIAL. Its a long athletic competition to help them fully rely and trust God for everything when they are most weak physically. gEt hYYYpeEEee! ITs gunna be a great time. I will update you all from down there in Cape Town. check ya

Camps Bay - Cape Town

Zimbabwe recap

This trip to Zimbabwe was life changing for me. I didnt think that it would impact me in such a way because I have been in Africa now for 10 months. Zimbabwe did shake my soul and for that I am grateful.

The trip started out with a late night arrival on Thursday in to Harare. My friends with Athletes in Action and Campus Crusade picked me up and drove me back to Chris' place (AIA national director for Zim, and only 27 yrs old). We stayed at his place which didnt have hot water on the tap or electricity sometimes but it did have alot of love and faith inbetween the walls. In Zim everyone is thankful if the have a roof and if they get a meal. That goes for everyone. Everyone in ministry, everyone driving a taxi, everyone carrying a baby, everyone. Life is much more simple when the world's amenities are stripped from you and there is just living and breathing for God. Zim is blessed in one gigantic way in that they dont have the daily distractions of the 1st world.

My second day I was able to go in and meet the newly appointed Director for Campus Crusade of Zimbabwe(pictured on the right). He is a great guy that is looking to bring Jesus in to every corner of Zimbabwe. It was just an honor to sit in his office and chat to him as he shared his passions for reaching his people. He is new to the role of National Director so he needs prayer and support along the way. Please lift Zimbabwe Campus Crusade up as the new leader takes charge and leads a vibrant group of people laboring for Christ.

Later on Friday I went down with my buddy Chris and Tafadzwa to hear the 'honorable' Robert Mugabe speak at the Zimbabwe National Agriculture Festival and Show. Mugabe even gave a shout out to our friend Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about his donation of some tractors to the country of Zimbabwe. I think I was one of 3 white people in attendance but it didnt bother me as Ive been in many situations like that and its the norm for me now. I was thankful I was able to be there.

Saturday we had a day full of ministry planned in some areas about 45 minutes outside the city of Harare. We ran soccer drills and facilitated games for the boys in attendance. They come to this soccer ground every Saturday to hear about Jesus and learn more about what he has done for them. We reached out to the boys through sport but the more important message was that they left with the Gospel. Pictured to left is one boy explaining the colors of one of our 'message balls' that have the colors represent a part of the Gospel. Both boys pictured were able to recite back to the group the gospel just by the colors of the ball as hints. Well done guys!

Later after the football clinic we traveled down the road to a local orphanage where we had the great opportunity to love on some kids. They have some fantastic leaders there that really do have a vision to help them succeed in life. It was just amazing to me to see that God in His great plan had them there in rural Africa and had a plan for me to be from America yet with them in that moment. Our God's plan is incredible and I honestly have reached the point somany times in asking him 'why me?' 'why this moment' but he has called me here and I gladly accept over and over the gracious gift it is to be in this continent. It was a blessing to be with these kids and over the span of a short time give them some hope to keep fighting and keep pressing deeper in to God.

From the orphanage we walked around the neighborhoods to the local rec center and football pitches. It was rough seeing the areas these people live in. We donated a ball at the soccer pitch to the guys there but I had to share the colors on the ball before handing it over. The message of the ball was simple. The colors represented 'the greatest story ever told' I explained. These guys were to think of the story of the ball each time they played with it and not just that its a soccer ball. Pictured below is myself and the main guy in charge at the orphanage. Its his role to help the kids in the community and with the donation of some balls to me by Wayne, a player I disciple in South Africa, we were able to donate a ball to the orphanage to play with for as long as the ball lasts.

Its my pray for these guys and girls that now use the ball we gave them that it has a greater eternal impact upon their lives.

We ended our time with them by praying for them and then we left so some of out friends helping us for the day from Operation Mobilization could catch a taxi before the sunset.

This trip really helped me appreciate even what I have here in South Africa. SA is really a gem inside of Africa and its definitely the exception to the rest of the continent in terms of its technology and resources. Sure it still has poverty and brokenness but not to the extent as far as a nation as do some other countries in Africa such as Zimbabwe.

On the more interesting side I felt a bit of racism towards myself from the people there. White people in Zimbabwe are not accepted by everyone there and through a few instances I felt what it was like to be on the other side of discrimination. It was honestly a tough thing to swallow at first but as you begin to understand the history of this nation you can understand a little bit more of why people may think the way the do. It all goes to shaping me to become a better person and I praise God that all things work together for my good. Overall this trip really helped me get a fresh start to make the most of what I have left here in South Africa. I am excited to push further and go deeper with athletes here over the next couple months.

Starting Saturday I am flying down to Cape Town for a few days of holiday with the Durban Stint team including my great brother and life-long friend Barrett Grant. After the few days of holiday I will be speaking and helping organize a Conference in Stellenbosch for people in Sports Ministry in Africa. We will be training them in the principles of God and Sport from Athletes in Action and showing them practically how these two seemingly different things come together. Its basically like an African Ultimate Camp Experience for any of you readers who have been to Fort Collins for UTC.

Thanks for your recent prayers to keep going as they are felt in a number of ways through the Spirit. For anyone who prayed over my time in Zimbabwe THANK YOU so much. It has helped me catch more of what God desires and expects for me here in my last couple months in SA and also in the rest of my life. I just keep taking ever single experience from this place and use it to expand my knowledge on how to reach out to the lost and hurting on this planet as best I can. I am looking forward to seeing what is next for sure. Goodnight from Johannesburg.

pictures from Zim

I will write a lengthy recap soon of my time in Zimbabwe but I am posting some pictures to give you a better picture of my last 4 days there....to say this was an amazing trip would be an understatement. here yall go...

Sharing my testimony with the kids

Heidi

the Construction Memorial Sculpture