Prayer Meeting at Ellis Park (World Cup Stadium)

Last Saturday we went to a prayer meeting at Ellis Park, one of the host stadiums of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is a huge international soccer tournament held every four years, and it's arguably the most-anticipated sporting event on the planet. Although soccer is still gaining an audience in the US, it's hugely popular in many other parts of the world.

This year the World Cup will be June 11-July 11 here in South Africa (the first time it has ever been held in Africa!). Christians in many of the nine host cities are organizing prayer meetings in the World Cup stadiums. Ellis Park is a very historic stadium in Johannesburg.

If you've seen the movie Invictus, with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, you've seen Ellis Park -- it's the stadium where South Africa won the rugby World Cup, helping to unite the country soon after Nelson Mandela became president.
In the stadium, we prayed for the fans and athletes who will attend matches in Ellis Park (the US team will play at least one game there, and there are at least two Christians on that team, including Tim Howard, the goalie). We prayed many people will have the opportunity to hear about God's love through the ministries that will take place during the World Cup.

Our media team developed a Web site, www.worldsoccerjourneys.com, to share news and prayer requests about the World Cup host cities and the ministries that will take there. There are also fun articles about how South Africa is adding their own cultural spin to the event (like the Diski Dance!), and "About Soccer" and "About the World Cup" pages for those who don't know much (but want to know more). Please check it out!