Faith
What a great day!
This is Scott Paschal. I am the Ministry Director of the International Christian Tennis Association, www.Christiantennis.net
And I’m having a great day!
How?
Well, I just feel really blessed.
I guess one thing that really blessed me today was God gave me a terrific opportunity to serve Him.
Recently, I received a phone call from a Christian tennis missionary, Rachel Snelen. She is leading an ICTA Pro Team Mission Trip internationally.
Rachel Snelen is a professional tennis player who loves the Lord with all her heart.
She has recently earned a rare WTA ranking and is working hard to become a top 1000 player by the end of the year, though she is a fulltime missionary and staff member of the ICTA, as well.
Rachel Snelen, and her twin sister, Melody Snelen, are both special and rare.
When Rach called, I expected to listen to her updates and reports as to how their work has been going in the mission field, which is an International Tennis Federation professional tennis tournament.
I noticed Rachel’s usually certain and strong voice seemed a bit rushed and concerned as she tried to explain the situation as it had unfolded.
But, I could hardly understand her because the phone line was pretty bad.
After a minute or so I did understand what Rachel was saying. And my answer was YES!
Yes, Lord! Yes, yes, yes!
Yes, Lord… and thank you Jesus for this blessing, for this opportunity to serve you deeper, fuller, more.
You see, Rachel and her sister, Melody Snelen had been used by God in a big way.
They met a girl at this professional tennis tournament whose life was being turned upside down. At 16 years of age, and far, far away from her home and family in Europe, this young girl needed help.
And she needed help in a big way and right now.
Though a junior tennis player with potential to be in the top 200 WTA within 2 years, this girl has been terribly mistreated and was in desperate need of love and care.
Rachel and the other girls wanted to bring Alina home with them here to the ICTA House.
Apparently, she had been in a terrible situation with the coach she had been forced to stay with. In my years of ministry through tennis, I have heard many difficult situations.
In fact, the International Christian Tennis Association has developed the ICTA Abuse Recovery ministry to assist young, female tennis players.
Within just a few seconds, I decided I wanted to help Alina.
God has helped me more times than I can count.
I want to return the favor.
Alina is in a particularly difficult situation.
You see, in the Europe she had a very difficult relationship with her father. And here in the states her married coach caused much hardship as well and may very well be a pedophile.
After speaking with me, Rachel and Melody Snelen then offered Alina to flee from her coach and to stay with the other ICTA girls in their hotel room where she will be safe and cared for.
Next, they offered purchase Alina an airline ticket and bring her with them on their next mission trip.
All the girls would fly to Mexico City this Friday where Mark’s mom will meet them at the airport and take them all to her house. (Mark is one of my fulltime students. His mother and father are missionaries who plant churches in Mexico City)
They would all then take the bus to San Lois Potosi, Mexico.
And after their mission trip tour has ended, Alina could then travel with everyone back here to beautuful Palm Coast, Florida, and stay here at the ICTA's Christian Tennis Academy until she is able to safely travel to her home, or possibly live and train fulltime with her new ICTA Women’s Pro Team.
Yet, this story is not complete at this time. Far from it!
You see, the wife of the tennis pro had taken Alina from the tournament. She had claimed she wanted to harm Alina, though I am inclined to think this was said as a phrase to describe her anger, not her plans.
We did not know the location of Alina until the next day!
She refuses to let Alina come back to the tennis academy. Though her husband is the more guilty party, in her eyes at the time Alina is the villain.
Alina was in a terrible predicament.
She is a young, confused 16 year old girl trying to figure out how to survive in her crazy world. Alina was being abandoned, alone, in a country where she does not speak the language, Spanish, and she has little money.
She cannot stay where she was with an abusive tennis pro who could be a pedophile, nor can she safely live in Europe with her abusive father.
My heart breaks for her.
I think my heart is this way, particularly so, because I know of another talented female tennis player, a 22 year old girl I coached who reached top 100 WTA.
She, too, was abused by all the men in her life, especially her tennis coaches. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse, and spiritual abuse dominated her life and led her down a path towards suicide.
Only by the divine intervention of God is she still alive today.
Right now, I will reach out to Alina as a friend and a source of support. We all will.
I have recently spoken to the wife.
Alina’s father has terminated the tennis pro’s guardianship of Alina. I have been asked to be Alina’s legal guardian, though we have never met. The wife is eager to see Alina gone from her life.
As I spoke with the wife, I was truly amazed at her courage. She asked for none of this situation. Did she ask her husband of many years to destroy his family by manipulating a 16 year old?
No, of course not!
Yet, though she was angry and confused, God intervened and the wife and I spoke and prayed together on the phone for Alina’s well being and her future.
She felt that being with the International Christian Tennis Academy is exactly what Alina needs at this point in her life.
The wife and I agreed to work together for the good of all.
She also understands her husband needs help, and will have to deal with his sin.
The wife was overtaken with emotion with my love for her, Alina, and my compassion for her husband. At times, she could hardly speak.
She said some higher power was within me.
I agreed and I spoke to her about God and the saving Grace of Jesus.
ICTA’s Abuse Recovery ministry now has specific plans in action to help her flee from the sinful, abusive lifestyle she was led into by the married tennis pro.
Looks like I have a new player in my life! And my work cut out for me as I work to shine the love of Christ into the life of my new student.
God has a plan and a reason for everything.
As for the husband…
I now know all details about this tennis pro who decided to manipulate his 16 year old female student, possibly criminally. I know many aspects of his life… name, address, teaching certification, phone, web site, tennis club….
In fact, I know this man is the owner of a prominent tennis academy. He has an good record of working with and producing top junior players, mainly boys This tennis pro is quite famous in his state and very prominent in the tennis world.
As the situation unfolds I am sure I will be forced to feel his wrath.
Articles and blogs just may appear “anonymously” on the internet slandering my ministry, voice messages could be left on my cell phone threatening me with physical harm, I might be called a cult leader by this pedaphile… etc.
Abusers hate to lose control.
They are their own gods of their world.
And when someone takes their object of abuse, or better yet, when God intervenes and removes one of His children from abuse, the abuser becomes angry, very angry.
I have felt this wrath before.
The demonic nature of sexual abuse is powerful.
When God used me to intervene against a sexual, pedophile predator skillfully disguised as a tennis pro, my fight is not against the tennis pro himself.
No, not at all.
My fight is against demonic forces that have possessed or oppressed the tennis pro, wreaking havoc on the lives of those in their lives.
These demons have attempted to destroy Alina’s life, the wife’s marriage, and the career of the tennis pro.
Well, I’m in the picture now as a Christian soldier directly shining the light of Jesus into the eyes of demonic lies woven throughout the life of the tennis pro.
I’m putting on my spiritual armor as God explains in Ephesians 6. I’m preparing for a prayer battle.
I know Satan will attempt to now harm my ministry. Thus, we brace ourselves with the love and protection of Jesus and stand firm.
My life just might get very difficult now.
Yet, it’s worth it!
Glory to God, it is worth it!
Yes, Lord! Yes, yes, yes!
Yes, Lord… and thank you Jesus for this blessing, for this opportunity to serve you deeper, fuller, more.
What a pure blessing to know God has brought someone for our tennis ministry to care for in her time of need. No, she doesn’t have money to pay us. Our wanting to help her has nothing to do with financial gain.
This has to do with a small group of four tennis missionaries being sent by God to an ITF Pro Tournament to care for one of His children who was lost.
Luke 15:4 says, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
Our special tennis ministry is certainly blessed.
It is such an honor and a privilege to know our four Christian tennis academy missionaries are the vehicle God is using to bring one of His children home to Him.
I feel so blessed.
And I’m having a great day!
Scott Paschal
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Coach Paschal, It seems God has led His missionaries Rachel Snelen and Melody Snelen to Juarez Mexico for more than playing tennis. I am glad to hear there are dedicated young missionaries for Jesus Christ in today’s hectic world that still have a heart and mind open to God’s promptings. I am sure He led them there to help this young girl. It sounds like she will receive much needed help and time to heal at the Christian Tennis Academy.
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