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| Basketball Miracles |
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The Bangkok gym was bursting with energy as the crowd cheered excitedly for the basketball teams. Sweat poured off the Athletes in Mission (AIM) players as they fought hard to win the game in spite of the intense humidity. They were playing against a highly skilled University team that included professional Thai players. Although it was a close game, it eventually ended with the Thai team winning 94-90.
The AIM team had been in Thailand for a few weeks and had seen God at work as they served with MBMSI church planters Ricky & Karen Sanchez and their team. The goal of the basketball team was to share the gospel message with the people of Thailand as they played in basketball games and tournaments. In addition to playing basketball, the team served through helping with service projects, preaching and sharing in church services, and teaching sports camps at Thai schools. It was after their tough game against the Thai University team that the AIM team encountered the power of God when there was an unexpected medical injury. Because of the extreme heat and humidity of the gym, team captain Matt Opalko was suffering from heat stroke and dehydration. The team used fans and the little bit of ice that they had to try to cool him down, but Matt’s body wasn’t responding to this treatment. Matt needed to be rushed to the hospital, which was about half an hour away. Matt was loaded into a van along with a couple of other players, one coach, and Ricky Sanchez and his daughter Sierra. Matt was in critical condition by this time and was vomiting and starting to lose consciousness. They began to pray over him and pleaded with God to heal Matt. They had no more ice or water to pour over Matt in order to cool him down. There was nothing that they could do except pray. They declared their dependency on Jesus and their need for Him to miraculously intervene in this life-threatening situation, and as Sierra Sanchez prayed over Matt, she felt a bolt of power surge through her body. At the same moment, Matt experienced Jesus’ healing touch and was instantly healed! The Spirit of God cooled Matt’s body down and he began to praise God. All the way to the hospital Matt thanked God and gave Him the glory for healing him. When Matt arrived at the hospital, he continued to praise God and was able to share Christ with all the nurses and doctors. The doctor initially thought that he was crazy and was going to diagnose Matt with anxiety because he wouldn’t stop talking and sharing the good news of Christ! The AIM team saw God use a critical situation for His glory. They witnessed a miracle when Matt was healed and was given the opportunity to share the gospel with many Thai doctors and nurses. Praise God for His miraculous work! Pray that the Thai people who heard the good news of Jesus through the ministry of the AIM team will put their faith in Him and that there will be much fruit as a result of the ministry of this team. “Praise the LORD. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise him for His acts of power; praise him for His surpassing greatness.” - Psalm 150:1-2
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