14 years ago, Isaac Ensenat was a university student playing soccer in Panama, living as a man of the world. God got hold of him through the Power to Change Students Ministry and everything changed in his life, and in the lives of many athletes in Panama City and abroad.
A Power to Change staff member shared the gospel with Isaac in 2008, the Holy Spirit revealed the truth and He started his walk with the Lord. As a soccer player, Isaac took part in an Athletes in Action mission trip in 2009, and that’s where he truly caught the vision. “Doing ministry with the team, that’s when I knew God was calling me into ministry, specifically sports ministry with Athletes in Action,” said Ensenat.
After that trip, Isaac reached out to Athletes in Action about starting a ministry to athletes in Panama and he took on leadership while still in school. A relationship started to grow with AIA Canada and Brian Fowler, the Director of Soccer International Tours and Projects. In the years that followed, nine different groups of men and women were sent from Canada to Panama City to minister to the athletes in the area. This is something that Brian sees so much value in for athletes here in Canada. “Rounding up a bunch of athletes, going overseas, getting them out of their normal day to day stuff, meeting our in-country staff somewhere and combining the things they love, soccer and Jesus.”
God has done the rest, over 2500 people have heard the gospel for the first time on these tours, more than 100 have
made decisions to follow Jesus and another 100 plus have been trained in evangelism. Isaac has mobilized groups of players from Panama and sent them out to other countries to share the good news of Jesus, spiritual multiplication at its finest. All stemming from one man who caught the vision of our God in 2008.
In May, for the first time since 2019, Athletes in Action was able to send a team to Panama on tour. The goal of this trip was slightly different from the previous tours, to build into the key volunteers in the area. Isaac is planning to go to South East Asia for a couple years to help build the AIA ministry there and wants to make sure the ministry continues in Panama while he is gone. He says the tour was incredibly impactful, ““Not only to confirm the calling that some of these guys have, but also to strengthen and grow the partnerships we have with sports ministries here in Panama… God is going to continue using these people here in Panama to use sports as a platform to make an impact with the gospel.”
“One of the things that was really cool was that we did some specific talks for them about ‘what’s your why?’. What is it that God is calling you to,” said Brian Fowler. “One of the things that stuck out to a couple of the guys, was that they have been connected for a while now but haven’t really gone all in or stepped into what God is calling them to. So there was a sense for a few of these key guys that there is something that God was calling them to and I need to take some steps of faith to step into that.”
As Isaac leaves later this year, he’s excited to share the gospel in another community in South East Asia, and know the ministry in Panama will be able to continue in the time he is gone, thanks in part to the visit in May. Athletes in Action Canada is planning to join Issac in 2023 with a soccer tour, something Isaac is very excited about. “I am still actively playing soccer, so to have this possibility to continue to play at a competitive level, but also to use that as my platform to reach other athletes, especially in an unreached area of the world. I have had this desire to go to unreached places for a few years.”
A great partnership with one man who went all in for Jesus and has seen hundreds come to saving faith. Entrusted as a witness and faithful in his calling. Praise God.