ATHLETE TESTIMONY
ATHLETE TESTIMONY
Greivis vÁsquez
Emerson Fittipaldi
Venezuelan pro basketball player Greivis Vásquez understands God's grace and wants others to experience that through his actions
Legendary Brazilian race car driver Emerson Fittipaldi came to Christ after nearly dying, but he has learned to overcome because of his faith
During his first National Basketball Association All-Star weekend, Venezuelan Greivis Vásquez, when he was a first-year point guard with the Memphis Grizzlies, got a special welcome from the University of Maryland, where he played college basketball. After receiving awards as the nation's best point guard, Vásquez's college jersey was lifted to the top of the arena. "That was all God," says Vásquez. "It was a dream come true. I worked so hard at the University of Maryland and people are appreciative of my work. I came over here speaking no English. I've come a long way. I believe God did it all for me." The third Venezuelan citizen to play pro basketball, Vásquez was selected 28th overall in the first round of the 2010 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft. But his greatest award? "Being a believer in Christ," he says. "I've got Jesus Christ in my heart. I put everything in (God's) hands. I live out of grace. Everything I have I don't deserve. I'm thankful for what God has given me. I want to give back to people and lead people to God."
"Yes, I'm back!" The excited announcement was made on his Facebook page and is how the legendary Emerson Fittipaldi, one of the world's most accomplished race car drivers, let his fans and media know that he was returning to racing – at the age of 67. Fittipaldi's accomplishments are well known internationally, including two world titles and more than 50 event victories at various levels of the sport. More than his victories and enthusiasm for racing, though, Fittipaldi understands what is most important. He became a believer of Christ in 1996 after a crash nearly took his life. "It was a very frustrating sport, and you have to be strong to know how to lose," said Fittipaldi about his faith. "It's very difficult to learn how to lose. And if you have faith, you know how to recover. You know any (believer's) life, the history of (faith in Christ) is always coming back and being strong again, stronger more than before, even if you are defeated before. And that's my life. I think it's very important to have this faith to help you."
HEART VALUE
HEART VALUE
Vásquez gives God the credit for all of his accomplishments in life and also wants to bring others to Christ.
Fittipaldi is committed to his faith, recognizing the importance of obeying the Bible.
MAKE DISCIPLES
OBEY THE BIBLE
where sports and faith connect
HEART VALUES • IN TEAMS • In Sport And Play
In the Eastern region of Uganda, organization heads and officials of local sports partners met to discuss how to take greater responsibility for sports outcomes.
SPORTS MINISTRY AROUND THE WORLD MIDDLE EAST • In Syria, 50 women
participated in a sports day. Three local sports facilitation teams are serving communities and 4 new sports facilitation teams are expected to begin, each providing games and sport for kids.
• In Iraq,
participated in leadership training for sport.
• Also in Jordan,
• In Jordan,
60 people from 10 church sports
partners met to consider sports ministry training.
37 people
20 people from
7 local sports partners in 3 cities completed leadership training for sport. Approximately 850 refugees took part in games and sport for kids.