Billy Jones, Pastor of Dunseverick Baptist Church, attended the 2018 World Boccia Championships where he undertook some Christian outreach work. Involving 32 nations, the tournament took place at the Liverpool Exhibition Centre from 12th-18th August 2018. Boccia is a Paralympic sport and is a variation of bowling.
“I linked up with the Gideons and the Brazilian boccia team captain and double Paralympic Gold medalist Dirceu Pinto to distribute Bibles to the athletes.”
For anyone who doesn’t know, Boccia is a sport specifically designed for athletes with a disability. Two teams compete to get their balls as close to the target ball (jack) as possible.
The ball can be thrown, rolled, bounced or kicked. A ramp can also be used if the player is unable to release the ball with their hands. If you would like to find out more about Boccia, click here.
Bibles were distributed to the athletes at the recent 2018 World Boccia Championships in Liverpool.
Billy says he enjoyed a ‘wonderful experience’ while watching the competition and reaching people for the Saviour. He recalls:
“I first was introduced to Boccia in 2011 when the World Championships were held in Belfast and I was the Brazilian team interpreter. It was there that I first met Dirceu Pinto who was the Paralympic Boccia champion.”
He went on to say:
“I met the team again at London 2012 and brought them Bibles to give out to other athletes. When Dirceu heard that I was planning to come to the worlds at Liverpool, he requested that I bring some Bibles which the Gideons kindly donated and he gave them out. My highlight was watching the games at court side and observing the skills and passion of every athlete and especially leading the Brazilian team physio to saving faith in Jesus.”
Find out more about Dunseverick Baptist Church by visiting their Facebook page here.