Much has been said and written about the emerging youth culture around the world. A new common culture among young people everywhere is the result of

• increased communications technology,
• increasing globalization,
• the shrinking distances between places,
• and the increased awareness of other peoples and societies.

Global Youth

Even in Tera, Niger While Niger’s youth are poor and isolated, they still listen to the “marketplace” music and watch movies and TV coming from the West and from Africa. They want to dress like youth around the world. They are becoming more aware of computers, video games and cell phones. They don’t see the world in rigid terms of black and white and are more relativistic. Unemployment, crime, drugs, sex, and pregnancies out of wedlock are common problems for these young people, just as they are in many parts of the world.

More than 60% of Niger’s nearly 13 million people are under the age of 25. This demographic and the desperate need to reach out to youth in Niger prompted us to plead for youth workers. Ten years later, God called Mike Murphy from Canada to spend a year serving with us, learning French, and beginning a youth ministry. Then he held down the fort while we were on home assignment, continuing to develop the youth ministry.

Reaching Youth Through Sports

One of Mike’s gifts was sports. His dream was to use sports as a platform to reach youth and give them something to do, thus keeping them from getting into trouble. But there are very few sports facilities in Tera. The town has a degraded sports park that it would like to improve, but because of other constant, pressing needs, funds do not get allocated to upgrade it.

	Mike Murphy and his karate class (photo by John and Nancy DeValve

We are working to raise funds to improve the sports park to show the love of Christ to the youth of Tera. Giving them a place to participate in positive activities will benefit them and their families.

This opportunity is improving our relationship with the town and the state. We are working closely with the current director for sports and youth in the state of Tera. He is opening many doors for us with the town and state officials and smoothing out paperwork and applications. He is enthusiastic about the project, and we believe that God has brought him to this position just at the right time.

You can partner in this effort through your prayers and your gifts.

Pray

Your prayers are vital. Please pray that God will send more workers to work with youth now that Mike has returned home.

Give

Your gifts will buy cement, paint, and the needed materials to improve the park. Give online