9 Photos of the World’s Most Popular Sport
This summer, millions of people across the world will crowd around television sets to watch the Olympic Games. They will watch swimming, track, cycling and gymnastics. They will cheer on their respective countries in baseball, boxing, surfing, volleyball and table tennis. But no doubt, some of the most viewed and highly anticipated competitions will be in the world’s most popular sport: soccer.
Soccer has an estimated global following of 4 billion people, a number that is nearly double the second most popular sport of cricket (with a 2.5 billion estimated following). So why is soccer so popular?
Continue Reading ›How Does Compassion Prevent Child Departures?
When a sponsored child has to depart our program early, It can be heartbreaking for the Compassion center staff and sponsors who have invested so much love into their lives. Read how our church partners across Honduras are responding to the unique struggles the families they serve face in order to keep children in the program.
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How One Church Is Winning the Fight Against the Sex Trade in Thailand With Soccer
At all hours of the day or night, young boys will exchange their lunch money for time in front of a computer. Captivated by the online games, they are not unlike addicts — unable and unwilling to cut the ties to the only escape they have from their challenging lives in the slums. But the game parlors hide a sinister and dangerous secret. These always-open, unsupervised establishments full of impoverished children make prime target areas for recruiters looking to pull boys and young men into the sex trade.
The Remarkable Boy With More Than One Heart
Noah, a young boy in Ghana, felt like his chest was ripping. His heart wasn’t working properly and he needed God to make a way for him.
World Cup Fever
The 2014 World Cup. Thirty-two teams. Twelve stadiums. Sixty-four soccer matches. Thirty-one days. More than 715 million people around the world tune in! But what does World Cup Fever have to do with you?
It’s Time for a Photo Scavenger Hunt
We’re holding a photo scavenger hunt for the rest of July, complete with prizes. So, get your camera (or phone) ready.
The Value of Sports in the Life of a Child
Sports teach children about unity and trust, about how to express themselves more freely and sports can help children discover their gifts and talents.
I See God In You
One little boy was not playing with the others, but he was smiling as he watched their game. As Lara walked closer to him to invite him to join them, she noticed his completely broken sandals and his mangled, bloody toes.
How Can A Soccer Ball Inspire Dreams?
Who gets those soccer balls you give through the Gifts of Compassion Christmas gift catalog? How does a soccer ball make an impact on a child in poverty?
Building Unity and Trust Through Soccer
During the past year, our ministry in Mexico organized the first soccer tournament in which young people between the ages of 12 to 15 played on teams representing their child development centers.
Waiting for God’s Best Plan
Cristiano’s father had a plan: He wanted his son to be a soccer player. But God, Cristiano’s heavenly Father, had another plan.
The Healing Power of the World Cup
Haiti, which is still digging out from the catastrophic earthquake that struck in January, did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup. But the Haitian people badly need a team to root for to lift their spirits, and most are cheering for the powerful Brazilian team.
