Georgia Baptists on the ground sharing Christ at Olympic Winter Games

State Missionary Marty Youngblood, second from right, is leading a team in South Korea this week for the Winter Games. YOUNGBLOOD/Special

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — It was a chilly 25° this morning as Marty Youngblood and Sid Hopkins walked past the train station here on their way to get their credentials at Olympic park. But they didn’t let the cold stop them from sharing the Gospel with more than a dozen folks from Team Canada.

Marty Youngblood, who leads a team training pastors and volunteers in sharing this faith this week, prepares to watch the opening ceremonies in South Korea. YOUNGBLOOD/Special

“We are believing Isaiah 55:11 that God‘s word never returns void,” Youngblood recounted as he and other members on the Georgia Baptist team prepared for up to two weeks of evangelism at the site of the 2018 Winter Games.

As Georgia Baptists tune into the opening ceremony at 8 p.m. tonight on their NBC affiliate television station, they can rest assured that the Gospel is being shared across multiple time zones and cultures in South Korea. One team, headed by State Missionary Youngblood, arrived earlier this week and a second team will be arriving later next week.

Georgia Baptist Women are providing a 20-day prayer guide that can be viewed at https://gabaptist.egnyte.com/dl/y0NHIjfHtO. The ministry group is also encouraging individuals to view the competition schedule here https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/game-time/results/OWG2018/en/general/competition-schedule.htm into order to pray for specific events.

Youngblood said the Georgia team is on site to train and lead pastors, churches, and local volunteers to share their faith with the thousands of visitors and athletes who will be attending the games. The prayer guide will provide a valuable resource for Georgia Baptists who will follow the event from the comfort of their arm chairs.

This weekend’s prayer guide entries include:

Day 9:  Pray for the Olympians as the competitions begin today.  Pray for everyone to compete at their highest level.  Pray for the Olympians to look to God during the moments of pressure – not to drugs or cheating.

Sid Hopkins, center with vest, meets with a team of South Koreans at a training session. YOUNGBLOOD/Special

Day 10:  Pray for the hundreds of Christian volunteers who have traveled far and near to share the Gospel with athletes, coaches, families, media, etc.

Day 11:  Pray for the Olympians to maintain unity among teammates and competitors from other nations.

Hopkins, who is ministering with Youngblood and other team members, is retired Director of Missions for Gwinnett Metro Baptist Association and a fixture at the games. His wears a vest, hat, coat, and lanyard festooned with dozens of trading pins from around the world that serve as witnessing opportunities.

He is affedtionally known as “The Pin Man.”