3v3 SOCCER RECAP

God proved Himself once again to be who He says He is.  An omnipotent loving Father that gives great gifts to those who wait.  The resources that God provided our group were enough and by doing well with what He had given us, He blessed our whole event.  We had set out to create an event that would first and foremost provide an environment that was enjoyable, memorable, and encouraging.  The other desires for the event (funds, compassion children sponsored, and participants for future EPIC events) were prayed for but if the former was not there, we would have given up why we are here, "to love because He (God) first loved us".

The day before the event the weather was questionable and the participants were unknown.  According to the forecast, the weather where we were hosting the event was rainstorms through out the day.  The teams that we knew that would be in the tournament were only 4.  After months of diligent preparation with the people and resources God had provided for us, the outlook looked grim.  But, this did not stop us because even with what we could see we know, by faith, that our God is who He says He is.  So we lifted up our hearts for the event to God, through prayer, and our hope was renewed.  No longer was it what we could see but it was what God could do.  With further preparation, 50 player waivers were made and 3V3 fields were set out for enough to have 12 teams play.  

9am rolled around, the start of the tournament, and people began to show up.  Waiver after waiver was signed and team after team showed up.  We started the tournament around 930am with partly cloudy skies and 12 teams registered!   We had our friend, Julio, begin to DJ as the games began and we continued to set up what remained unfinished.  Perhaps the organization at the beginning was moment to moment but as the tournament went on the high pace began to slow.  People that came solely to enjoy the event, began to wonder over to the volleyball net, to the smoothie tent, and bust a dance move by the DJ.  As the tournament came to an end, the clouds remained although the ground stayed dry, the competition continued to be friendly, and the calling of the fouls from the players was outstandingly honest.  The event wrapped up with two teams winning, one from the Co-ed bracket and one from the men's bracket, and each player receiving a free EPIC t-shirt.  By the end of the event, over $700 was brought in, $200 in free printing, and 5 Compassion children sponsored.

This event was just another opportunity for God to show His faithfulness and to grow our faith.  The EPIC group will be going on a journey in Haiti that God will have much for us to do while there but that does not start on August 7^th but today.  My prayer is that we will continue to ask for more boldness and gain more obedience by the faith that God gifts to us, to do greater work as Christ said we would.

With few injuries and much prayer, we hope that those who attended the event, left with at least one moment being touched by the love we are continually seeking to show as Christ has made available to all.

Thank you for all of those that came to the event.  You all were brought to the event as an answer to our prayers by the will of our heavenly Father, made available through the savior of the world, Jesus, and by the power of the Spirit.  Praise God!