Transforming Zambia through Amazing Grace

Zambia is a landlocked country in the southern third of Africa with a population of 20 million. It is home to several national parks and the famous Victoria Falls, a waterfall twice as high as Niagara Falls. The Big Five animals (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, and cape buffalo) are also found in this country that is just three times the size of Minnesota. 

Zambia is also home to Simon Mwanamoya, our longest-serving FCA staff in southern Africa. Simon lives in Kabwe, a city of 1.5 million people two hours from Zambia’s capital city of Lusaka. 

Simon lived with his grandparents from a young age because they needed someone to “run” for them (this is typical in Zambia). It was there as a young boy that he was introduced to Jesus by a pastor who shared John 3:16 with him. He says, “I didn’t even hesitate. It was just a simple scripture but a rich one.” 

Stirrings in his Heart

Early on, Simon felt called to be a pastor and was given a church to lead after his college graduation. When he married Edah, they did ministry together. However, as a big sports person and former competitive soccer player, Simon knew something was missing. He developed a passion for giving out tracts at the local soccer grounds on Saturdays where 14,000 people would gather for matches. One Saturday in 2010, he met a man from Operation Mobilization (OM) who told him about sports ministry. Simon said, “I didn’t hesitate because it was in me.” He attended a training in South Africa later that year and started doing sports ministry in Zambia. 

He served first as the Zambia Sports Coordinator and then as Director of OM Africa. During that time, he connected with FCA staff who invited him to be part of FCA, first as an affiliate, and today as an international teammate. With a passion for coaching (he has studied coaching at the highest levels), teaching God’s Word to coaches and athletes through Discovery Bible Study, and equipping coaches, Simon serves in these ways on the soccer field seven days a week. 

His Sweet Spot

Simon said, “I’m connected with every coach in Zambia. If there are games in Kabwe, I go and meet my friends and share what we are doing. That’s how we have grown in giving them Bibles and making sure they are also doing DBS.” He has a standing request from Minnesota for hundreds of Coaches Bibles so he can equip every coach in his country. In addition, Simon said, “We have a WhatsApp group of all the coaches. We even have Muslims in that group, and they are interested in learning.”

A couple years ago, Simon formed Amazing Grace, a soccer club with a boys team and a girls team. He and his team are doing so much more than teaching soccer skills. His wife prepares meals for all 48 players every day before and after soccer because some do not regularly get to eat. They start with the physical needs of their players, but they also have a platform to instill the importance of education. In Zambia, girls are meant for business, but for Simon, this was unacceptable. He says, “We decided that we want to fight to say that every child at Amazing Grace should go to school. It was a big fight.” While it is very difficult to change a culture, they are seeing great progress. Simon said, “It’s exciting to see boys and girls back in school and doing extremely well. While it was a fight at first, he said, “Families are now saying, ‘Thank you.’” They even express the following sentiments: “I never thought my child would do this because we didn’t have that dream to see people from nowhere becoming people that can work in society.” What a win.

Finally, through daily Discovery Bible Study, these young players are shown the hope of the gospel. Many have given their lives to the Lord and now have a tremendous opportunity to impact their families by bringing what they’ve learned back to them. Simon’s prayer is often that his players will influence their players with the gospel. 

Hope for an Orphan

Simon shared two examples of significant life change. Titus is a 17-year old orphan being raised by his elderly grandparents who are unable to provide for themselves and depend on him to work small jobs so he can buy food for the family. Simon has seen massive transformation in Titus. He says, “He’s a guy who is always at the soccer grounds early. Then he goes to town to do some work, goes back home and prepares meals for his grandparents, and then returns to the soccer grounds.” He is also doing DBS with an older couple and sharing the gospel regularly. Simon said, “He is our example.” 

Changing the Culture one Girl at a Time

He shared the story of another girl who was chased from her home and was staying with some neighbors because she had nowhere else to go. Simon and his team went to the home and asked, “How can you chase away your daughter? We will help her grow and become a genuine Christian who will do more in the ministry.” Simon and his team have worked with her, and her family is now coming to thank them. 

Big Dreams for the Future

When asked about his God-sized goals for the future, Simon said, “We would have 120 soccer players, and by the end of 2023 we would have 1,200 DBS groups. If we are faithful to the calling and faithful to God, it is possible. We have done that in the past. The most important thing is to invest your own time with 120 servants of God and you will see the multiplication in every city. Then every coach and every soccer player will know.”

Funding Needs

Currently, Simon is receiving only half of his monthly budget. The Lord has always provided through volunteers bringing food for the meals and donating fuel so they can travel to their matches, but there is so much more that could be done. We have a great opportunity to come alongside him so that he can do even more ministry and meet the needs of his family. We can also provide opportunities for him to receive further training and build deeper relationships with the FCA team in Minnesota.  

How can the Northland Pray for Simon?

Simon said, “Pray with us. I work with elite clubs because of relationships that I have. I do part-time chaplaincy for one of the elite teams and minister to them once a week. There are Muslims on that team. Two weeks ago, I gave them an assignment to figure out who Jesus is, even the Muslims. They are not offended but are very excited. Pray with us as we work with them and as we make sure our Amazing Grace soccer players also have an advantage by taking part in these elite clubs.”