December saw the launch of another of our evangelistic outreaches.

In this case it was the aptly named, Night of Champions where forty-five youngsters - most of whom are part of the All Star Leadership Programme - gathered at Tonypandy Comprehensive School for a fast moving night of fun, excitement and sports competition.

Ask yourself a question - “Why would more than 14'500 people from 46 different countries commit to pray every day for the Rhondda Valleys?”

Answer - “Either they’re mad or its God!!”

It’s a point Phil always makes with a smile when he presents the Sporting Marvels and Delta Force visions. He often qualifies his answer by saying that he’s met hundreds of Prayer warriors and hasn’t med any that are even remotely mad!!

With a full magazine issue of Breakthrough! planned for the New Year we felt the need to update our library of photos.

A call from Ian to Joe Nixon, our official photographers, and a date was set for December 4th. A couple of calls later and Ian had arranged a full itinerary for Joe & Phil that included visits to all three of our partner comprehensive schools.

“Though the specific need was for photos”, Phil said, “the day proved a tremendous all-round encouragement”.

The All-Star program is one our crown jewels. It’s a leadership training initiative designed to encourage and motivate the All-Star youngsters to pursue personal excellence; becoming all that they can be, academically, physically and spiritually.

The All-Stars are all hand-picked youngsters, identified by our resident Sporting Marvels worker as potential leaders and influencers; peer group leaders.

History will forever record that the vision for Sporting Marvels East Africa leapt forward during the last two weeks of October 2007.

It’s amazing to think that of the 15,000 and more prayer partners that now make up the mighty Delta Force, more than half come from just one country - Tanzania.

After a year of preparation, Musical Marvels made the transition from idea to working project last September, when Rachel Ward became our first Musical Marvel.

“With Rachel doing three days a week for her first year”, said CEO Phil Davies, “it was always going to be a relatively gentle start but the key was always to get us the essential beginning point. I remember being with Peter Jenkins, headteacher at Ferndale Community School,

Talk to anyone in the “Youth Sector” and they’ll tell you that the hardest part of working with youth is getting the young people to engage.

After all, if you can’t get the young people to want to talk to you or want to show up for the event or activity you put on, how can you hope to influence them?

In October, Rebecca Chapman’s parents pastors Dick and Opal Chapman, came to Rhondda to visit the daughter they’d sown into Rhondda’s mission field.  

February is appraisal time when it comes to Sporting Marvels three comprehensive school partners. Phil has just completed a series of meetings with the headteachers and the feedback is all positive.  

Operating in 3 out of 6 Rhondda Comprehensive schools Sporting Marvels is now setting its sights on Treorchy Comprehensive School and Ysgol Gyfun Y Cymer