Vernon County couple reaches more than 125 countries with soccer ball ministry
Saturday, May 6, 2023 By Sarah Haney | Daily Mail Editor
Mike and Betty Morris with one of the soccer balls that is used in the couple's international ministry. Behind the couple is a map with all the places marked that the soccer ball ministry has reached. Mike noted that the soccer balls have been distributed in more than 125 countries.
Submitted Photo
Divine Providence — also known as God's intervention in the Universe — is part of what Mike Morris attributes to being at the center of the successful ministry he and his wife have been a part of for more than a decade. The couple's ministry provides multi-colored soccer balls to churches and organizations in their efforts to minister to children globally.
According to Morris, the soccer balls (made by Energia Witnessing Sports Products) are intentionally multi-colored with each color representing a different aspect of the story of Jesus Christ. The colors on each ball include gold, dark, red, clean, and green. Gold signifies the pure holiness of God; dark represents the sin in our hearts; red represents the perfect blood of Christ; clean represents a pure heart before God; and green represents growing up God’s way.
Since 2004, the ministry has successfully distributed more than 50,000 soccer balls and hundreds of thousands of copies of Christian literature globally.
Many times the soccer balls reach their destinations internationally through the aforementioned Divine Providence, noted Morris. One such time, Morris met a man from Ethiopia named Solomon at a meeting in Kansas City who was able to distribute soccer balls on an upcoming trip; another instance, local resident Riley Gordon went on a mission trip to Cambodia in 2017 and was able to deliver the soccer balls as part of the ministry; and so on and so forth.
Morris and his wife are very involved in their church, Calvary Baptist, and also help with Operation Christmas Child — a project of Samaritan’s Purse — where they fill shoeboxes with gifts that are delivered to millions of boys and girls around the world.
Mike and Betty are founders of Children's Evangelistic Ministries and for more information regarding the soccer ball ministry, visit childrensevangelisticministries.org.
