Yeah...I know...long gone and ancient history...but I have just received another report from an eye-witness to God's mighty hand at work during the last Olympics. It was too good not to archive the report "somewhere". Thanks Dave for your ministry there...and for sharing these stories with me...sorry about the edits!
"I have been able to minister to so many athletes and officials in Athens... what a harvest field. I found a lot of athletes with problems, to use as a point of contact...
I enjoyed ministering to South African athletes, Namibians, a Turkish athlete, Estonians,Greek reporters, a Ugandan boxer, Latvian athletes, Nigerian athletes, USA athletes, Russians, a South African swimmer , and also a German discus thrower.
I met up with Glory Alozie (ex Nigeria). She runs for Spain now. She's 5'1" of dynamite. I prayed with her for her races (100 metres hurdles). This young lady flew into Sydney to compete at the 2000 Olympics to find that her childhood sweetheart and fellow athlete had been killed by a car in Sydney a few days before. No one had informed her of the tragedy. She was devastated and for two weeks didn't feel like running, eating or sleeping. With the help of a fellow chaplain, who counselled her, Glory bounced back to win silver medal in the 100 metres hurdles. Since then changed nations when Nigeria refused to fly her fiancé's body back for burial - she had to do that at her own expense. She's gone on to win in many competitions around the world. A truly amazing story of tragedy and victory.
I changed accommodation on one of my free days, and decided to sit and read in the Plaka – a famous shopping area in central Athens. I was minding my own business on a park bench, when three young athletes came and sat next to me. We got talking and I found they were from the water polo team. After telling them that I played water polo in South Africa many years ago, they asked what I was doing in the Olympic Village. Well, that opened a huge door to share Jesus with them.
A few minutes later two Greek men came along handing out Gospel tracts, to me and a young lady who’d sat down at the other end of my bench. I noticed that she was struggling to read it and asked where she was from. She replied in broken English, “Stan-country”. Her husband was the national champion in his sport. I greeted her in Russian and began sharing the Gospel with her. It was so easy as the Holy Spirit opened her heart to Jesus. Then her family arrived and she told them what I’d told her. It was amazing that her first witness was to her family right on the spot. There I was having a rest on a day off, and the Holy Spirit had everything arranged. This never ceases to excite me.
One day there was a deluge of athletes to share with – they just came out of the woodwork – two German wrestlers, two Russian boxers, three South American volley ball players, and several of my old friends from the Sydney 2004 Games who were competing in the 20km walk.
Something beautiful happened as I was walking from the hotel to breakfast at a restaurant across the square. I passed an old man pushing a walking apparatus. He asked me if I'd seen somebody along the way. I answered "No" and walked on, but the Lord quickly impressed me to go back and talk to him. The thought crossed my mind as I walked back to him, "I'm going to be old too, in the not to distant future; don't I want some one to give me special attention?" I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was Greek but visiting from Chicago. He told me his name and his age (87). He looked like he'd been sleeping on a park bench. We spoke about a lot of things, like the Olympics and nutrition, and the inventions he'd made, including one he'd come to introduce to sport in Greece. He said he needed to get to old Olympus about 200 kms away and didn't have enough money. Prior to this the Lord was "telling" me to give him 50 Euro, which I did. He gasped and simply said, "Hi yi yi yi yi". It's been a long time since I heard that expression. He then simply said to me that some people in the last few days, had asked him if "he'd found Christ?" He said to me that he didn't know what that meant, and would I help him to understand that statement. This came right out of the blue as I hadn't shared anything of the Gospel with him. I said to him that it was more that Jesus was seeking him that he was seeking Jesus. I told him that Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost - like the shepherd who left the 99 sheep in the fold and went out to find the one who was lost. He asked me what he had to do to be found. I said, "Just let yourself be found. Tell Jesus that you are lost and ask him to bring you home." I told him how to pray and invite Jesus into his heart. He then that this was the simplest sermon he'd ever heard, and walked off to find a quiet place to "found."
On the way to watch the final of the baseball between Australia and Cuba, I met three Australian girls from Bendigo together with a young Canadian Athletes In Action team member. When he mentioned who he was, I asked the girls how they’d got involved with a Christian athlete, they replied that they’d only just met him and didn’t know who he was. That opened the door for me to ask them where they stood with Jesus. Their hearts were really open to the Lord.
One day I was helping security at the Transport Mall, the entrance to the Olympic Village where the athletes arrive back from events or practice, when a water polo team arrived back from a game. Discussion arose about tactics of their game and they wondered that I knew about the game. Somebody asked, “What else do you do?” I was amazed how this opened opportunities to share spiritual things with them for a few precious minutes. Over the next hour I met up with a water polo champion, the Spanish Physiotherapist, and a basketball player – an powerful young Christian man with Proverbs 3:5-7 tattooed on his arm.
One day while walking near the entrance where the athletes return from their events, a tall young rower arrived back with a wreath on his head, his bunch of flowers and a medal around his neck. I greeted him in Russian and blessed him in the name of the Lord. He whipped around and said back, “That is why I won medal, because He blessed me.” What a great time we had sharing the Lord. Shortly after that a wrestler from a "Stan-country" walked by. I greeted him too in Russian. He came over as we started chatting. He was thrilled the way he was progressing at the Games. He hugged me and asked me to pray for him. He willingly prayed and received Jesus.
In the shopping precinct I met up with a huge man – an Eastern European wrestling coach. I asked him, “Do you remember me from Sydney?” He blinked and a smile broke out across his face. He burst out, “You are the man who prayed in Sydney. You are the man who prayed in Sydney.” That was precious.
While helping with security checks at the International Zone, I was introduced to a young Chinese man whom I found was to be assisting with the administration of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. He personally asked if I’d apply for the 2008 Games and gave me his official email address. What an amazing God-incidence."
David tells more of his life story and ministry on his website at www.smethurstministries.org
It is well worth linking and praying for this choice servant of the King of kings!
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