Missionary Spotlight: Lawson and Joy Sampson

Tell a little about yourself and where you’re from.  I grew up as an orphan in Nigeria, and at times… Read more Missionary Spotlight: Lawson and Joy Sampson

Tell a little about yourself and where you’re from. 

I grew up as an orphan in Nigeria, and at times death seemed better than life. However, God, in His infinite mercy, sustained me and kept me alive because He had a bigger purpose for me to fulfill. In 1990, I accepted Christ in my life, but I was not ready to give up my ambitions for my own life. In 1998, I had the chance to play professional soccer in Eastern Europe. However, the dream was short-lived and my career came to an unexpected stop. The Lord led me to Kishinev Bible Church in Moldova where I began to surrender my ambitions and develop a deep trust in God’s plan for my life. The pastor invited me to attend a local Bible study and from that point on, I have never looked back. I returned to Nigeria in 2000 and began using my love and talent for sport to serve and positively influence others. In 2011, I began serving full-time with SportQuest, ministering on the soccer field and in churches and bringing community transformation through sport. My beautiful wife, Joy, serves with me, and we have six children – Jennifer, Samuel, Overcomer, Faith, Love, and Davida.

What made you choose to serve with SportQuest Ministries?

During my time in Moldova, I got to know Nick Morari, a sport ministry leader there who was connected with SportQuest. Through Nick, I got to know SportQuest and discovered that they were a ministry that would come alongside me so we could join forces together in furthering the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and making disciples through sports.

What is your favorite thing about your ministry in Nigeria?

I get to connect with people on a daily basis through the platform of sports. I invest in young men on the soccer team I coach, I organize tournaments that help churches reach their neighborhoods, and some times I take soccer teams to surrounding countries in Africa to lead camps, get exposure to play at a higher level, and to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. A couple of months ago, I took a group of Christian and Muslim players to Benin Republic. We went by faith to a church there and they fed us and gave us a place to sleep. We did Bible studies together, and the Muslim players participated too. We competed against some teams there, but more importantly this experience deepened our relationships and really impacted the players’ lives spiritually.

What has been the biggest challenge so far?

The biggest challenge is seeing so many needs around me that I am not able to meet. I would love to do more!

Prayer Requests for Lawson: