ICM Has Their 1st Graduating Class in Congo!!!!

Above are the members of the first graduating class of ICM in the Democratic Republic of Congo!!!!!! These 100+ men and women come from all over Congo. Many have traveled for days to attend this graduation ceremony. Most are Pastor's who desired to be trained more effectively in how to share their faith and live out God's purpose in their lives. They have gained valuable tools in how to better equip their parishioners to do the same......Deo Mwamba (the director of DRC ICM) estimated that these men and women represent over a million Congolese people who will experience life changing skills learned from ICM. Congo will be changed for the better!!!!!

This is Deo.....praying a prayer of consecration over the graduates.




This is the dedicated staff that have raised this group of graduates up. They have worked very hard and poured themselves into training these men and women. ICM is very proud to have these men and women on staff who are faithful, visionary, and qualified to train God's workmen to do their part in Kingdom building. By the way, check out that hot chick on the front row with the beautiful pink dress.....the one on the left....duh!!!!!! Wow, does she look good or what!!!! Grace and the ICM Women's Ministries team are very significant to the ICM program.






I was one of four men who got the privilege to hand out diplomas to the ICM grads.
Notice in this picture my left hand. It's a sign of respect here in Congo to shake a person's hand with the right and grab your forearm with the left hand. Many men who are really close friends might shake hands and touch foreheads 3 times...first on the right side, then the left then the right side again. I like that and hope to bring that custom back to California with me.




Below, I am preachin' at the graduation ceremony. I was very honored to have been a part of such an important event. As you can see I am in a suit and was melting inside. This is the first time I've pulled the suit out and I was drenched by the time we left for home. I spoke from II Timothy 2: 20-21.....challenging all to be empowered by God for a NOBLE purpose. I love that picture of being an instrument for noble purposes so that we can be made useful to the Master! I want to be that kind of person......

TASOK Middle School Soccer One More Time

Our last game for Middle School Soccer was great! The team played awesome and with such heart. I have been really proud of them for working so hard and progressing so far in their soccer skills. They are a great group of young men who have been so respectful to me and have so wanted to please me as their coach. They also are very committed to each other. I couldn't be more proud to be their coach and have them as players. They are to be commended for their attitude and spirit.The team we played was from the CS Mbemba middle school and were an excellent team and nice young men. They brought along at least 100 student spectators who cheered and celebrated wildly when their team scored (4 times). They were fun to watch and when the games was over our team went to the center of the field to shake hands with their team and THE WHOLE CROWD came with their players and shook hands with all of us. I don't think any of them knew what to think of us as we gathered at the center of the field to shake hands....so they all came out and joined in. It was so fun and the kids were enthusiastic and very respectful as they all went thru the line....with huge smiles on their faces!!!! It was one of my most memorable events so far in Congo. Very fun!!!

Me and Bumba....my Right Hand Man

This is Boomba......he is a great Christian man who works on staff here at TASOK. He loves sports and has been invaluable to me in the PE area and a great help in getting us games to play. He seems to know so many people in Kinshasa and is very well connected to schools and sports clubs. He refs our games and does such a great job of caring for the students and their needs. Please pray for him and all the workers (the atelier) here at school. They make so little money but play such a huge role in the lives of so many people here on campus, from students to staff members.

TASOK Middle School Soccer Action

Thought you'd want to see some of the action that we're having here in the Congo....Steve's team is made up of 6th, 7th and 8th graders. There are 18 students on the team. We've had a couple of losing matches but the kids have played hard and really enjoyed the competition. So what if we've been beat 7-1 each time!!!!!!!The picture below is the only bummer of the day......this player was making fun of our team and it hurt! If I were their coach this goalie would never see the field again! I told the kids it shows 'no class' to do what he did.....and I was frustrated his coach didn't do anything about it.....they represented the Portuguese School here in Kinshasa.
We did have a great rooting section though!!!!!!!! Some of TASOK's best Middle Schoolers came out to cheer us on.