Spring Means Baseball

The snow is melting. The evenings are getting longer. Although things are still cold, spring is on it's way... and that means baseball!

Praying for the teens and youth of our city, The Lord has told us to make as many events as possible available to the local youth for this upcoming summer. We're hoping that camps and outreaches will foster on going relationships with many teens. We are also praying that the Gospel, that will be given at every event, will impact many and salvation will be at hand. 

Emily and I have began to plan a number of different youth outreaches and camps. We are planning English camps, music outreaches, an outdoor camping trip, and my personal favorite, a baseball camp. 

It seems like a lot of teens don't have a lot going on in the summers here in Ternopil. Organized sports aren't as popular as it is back home in Colorado for teens. Summer jobs for students don't really exist. Many of the youth that we will be reaching out to will be orphans or teens that have absent fathers. Many turn to alcohol, drugs, and crime out of their boredom and frustration.

Our hope is to use baseball as a way to give these teens a constructive outlet. We will be hosting a baseball camp this summer for a week. Kind of like a spring training camp. My goal is to draw enough interest from the local schools (and possibly orphanages) that I can form a few teams that will be able to compete on a regular basis throughout the warm months. Eventually, I hope to have an organized baseball league developed in our region.

I see baseball more than just a sport. I see it as a tool that we can use to pour into young men's lives (many who have absent fathers). Our prayer is that this baseball ministry will be able to teach these teens teamwork, leadership, responsibility, and work ethic, as well as just having fun and playing the game. 

Because many don't know or understand the game of baseball, I have an unique opportunity to teach the youth how to play the game. I have the opportunity to be more than just a coach, but a mentor. We plan on pouring into the kid's lives not just so that they will become good baseball players, but that they will learn of and understand the love of Christ. The whole point of this ministry is to ultimately point teens to Jesus.

I'm really excited about what the Lord has in store for this summer. I'm excited to see how He is going to use Emily and I to reach the teens here in Ternopil. I'm excited about using baseball as a way to pour into lives and share the Good News.

If you are excited about this ministry as well, we need your help! We are starting this ministry from scratch and we need baseball equipment. If you feel lead to donate equipment or sell it to us at a low cost, please email me at byron.underoath@gmail.com. 

Please be in prayer that we receive all the equipment that we need and please pray that the Lord blesses this ministry and that there is much fruit from it.

God bless,

Byron