Christ-centred ministry spreads more and more light

By Lee Forland | South Africa in Southern Africa

Stock photo by Kennex Media SA, via Pexels.

Notoriously the most dangerous prison in South Africa, Pollsmoor casts a dark shadow over the Cape Town community beyond its walls.  School delinquency, drugs, gangs and teenage pregnancies ensnare local youth, breeding and perpetuating a cycle of darkness and lack of hope.

Wanting to share the hope offered through the good news of Jesus Christ, Freeman Ndlovu put the word out that he was starting a free football program for boys and young men – the only requirement for participation was showing up.

To everyone’s astonishment, 28 young men came to play.  There was just one problem – Freeman did not own a football!  Thinking quickly, he got them jogging laps around the sports field, then managed to buy two balls for the following night.

Young Legends was born.

The ministry was featured as a SIM story last year, but it continues to see wonderful growth.  In fact, it is having such success that the city of Cape Town has provided Young Legends with the use of land and have accepted them into the South Peninsula Football Association League. It is also spreading, with projects being replicated on the other side country in Johannesburg.

Why such success? Because Young Legends is about much more than just playing sports and doing activities.

During the COVID pandemic they prepared and distributed food to many needy families, shared the word of God, and offered prayer, encouragement, and words of wisdom to people.

Discipleship, in partnership with local churches, is also very important. Each Young Legends leader is assigned two members to mentor. As a result, there continues to be a growing spiritual awareness and sense of purpose in the children and young people

.

A Young Legends team. Photo by SIM South Africa

Their testimonies speak volumes. One young man says: “Being around the Young Legends family and living with one of the members, I’m taught about the word of God, and I started attending church.” Another says: “Young Legends is a blessing from God, and I am proud and happy to be part of it.”

Beautifully summing up the ministry, Xolisa Mdamoyi, a Young Legends football player, puts it like this: “The vision is not about playing soccer, and winning tournaments and leagues so that we can make money, but it was something totally different. Basically, what the Young Legends family wants to do is to change lives.”

Thanks to the initiative of Freeman and his friends, in partnership with churches and organisations like SIM, that vision is becoming a bigger and brighter reality.

Pray

• For the upcoming training, at the end of November and 1st week of December, to go well and that at least US$1,100 will be raised to help cover the expenses.

• for continued encouragement for the coaches and strength for them to continue and not grow weary.

• for continued financial support – much is needed to sustain both our Cape Town and Johannesburg teams.

 

To find out more about Young Legends, please contact Freeman Ndlovu at freeman.ndlovu@sim.org

SIM Asset Publisher Portlet

Publicador de contenidos

SIM Asset Publisher Portlet

Publicador de contenidos

Related stories

Voice of truth to Sahel nomads

Read how SIM workers Phil and Carol have been sharing God's plan of forgiveness and bringing 'MegaVoices' of truth to desert communities forgotten by Christian mission.

Phil Bauman es el nuevo Director Internacional del SIM

Phil Bauman asumirá el cargo de Director Internacional de SIM cuando Joshua Bogunjoko deje el cargo a finales de febrero de 2024. Esperamos con confianza y fe lo que Dios hará con el SIM a través del liderazgo de Phil en los próximos años.

Gospel bears fruit in hard-to-reach places

SIM writer Lee Forland shares the joy of seeing how the good news is spreading and bearing fruit among the Yao people in the hard-to-reach rural areas of eastern Malawi.

How did he make you feel?

SIM Kenya director Dr. Peter Okaalet sadly passed away last year, having made a significant impact in the field of HIV/AIDS medicine, as well as in the lives of the people around him. SIM stories writer Tohru Inoue remembers his personal experience of the man behind the medic.