Craig's story of Connection and Chess

One of our most powerful and effective tools in Christian ministry is our own unadulterated testimony. During our visit to the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, we were all given the opportunity to share our personal testimonies with the boys in individual classroom-sized groups. Nicole and Craig were in a group, Matt and Ali were in a group, Brittany and Alex were in a group, and Chase and Amy were in a group. In Nicole and mine’s group, I shared the story of how my father left my mother, leaving me feeling abandoned and confused. I shared about the comfort I found in my Heavenly Father. Nicole added that we are never alone because of the Christ is alive inside of us, and that through him, we are all connected as one family. Afterwards, Gilbert, one of the older boys sitting in the back, came up to Nicole and I, and he told us that he never knew his father until he was 14 years old. After one visit, his dad left again, and he was soon abandoned by his mother as well. He had already accepted Christ as his savior, but he had lost sight of any and all hope. In the short time that we got to spend with Gilbert, we were able to offer him a piece of the hope to which we cling: that no matter how alone we may feel in the world, God is always with us, and we are united together through him. You never know who you might connect with when you open yourself up, and expose your own vulnerabilities to others. Matt did this as well in his group, and when he led his group in the salvation prayer, five of the boys gave their lives to Christ. This was far outside his comfort zone because he had never done something as bold as this, but God used his obedience to save the lives of those five boys. 

Next we went to Katwe in Kampala. We met up with Robert again, a man truly after God’s own heart. He shared with us how he brought chess to Uganda and offered the children and their families hope in an absolutely hopeless environment. These children who were wearing rags, sleeping in their own garbage, and had ringworm in several places, were given a chance to make something of themselves - to build themselves a future. He shared how one his students, Phiona, learned chess, and was given the opportunity to compete in an international tournament with two other children from the slum. They each returned home with a gold medal and a flawless record. Later, over the seas, the story of this “Queen of Katwe” quickly began to spread. A book was written about Robert’s ministry and the team’s success. The book became a movie, which was filmed in the very slums that we visited.On September 2nd, “The Queen of Katwe” will air in theaters, raising awareness for the difficulties of life in the slum. Moreover, four children from the slums actually made it into the movie, although they did not play themselves for their roles. During our visit, I was blessed with the opportunity to play one of the first student Robert ever had, Julius, in the house where he started the chess ministry. Although I was defeated, I gave him a good game. During the match, the rest of the team got to bring joy to the children, picking them up, and playing with them. The smiles on their faces were priceless. Although our stay was short, we left behind hope and joy in place of despondancy and despair.