SportQuest Belgium - The 2026 Summer Recap

SportQuest Belgium ended the summer with a lot to celebrate.


Kevin and Jenni Verstraeten marked 10 years of ministry in Belgium. Marnus and Carolijna welcomed a baby girl. And across the country, six weeks of ministry brought SportQuest leaders alongside local churches, children, teens, families, young adults, and a Vision Team from Betenbough Homes.


Before the city outreach began, 16 young leaders joined SportQuest leaders for the annual training camp. They spent the week in adventure, team building, and sessions designed to help them grow as sport disciples.


That mattered because the summer required more than a schedule of activities. Each city asked the team to show up, serve alongside the people already there, and use sport as a way to build trust.


In Antwerp, SportQuest served with Biblehouse during a week of record high temperatures. More than 50 registered kids and teens joined, with many more taking part in activities throughout the week. Rance Bland, Jacob Susud, and Laura Susud also joined the week, serving alongside Kevin and the Belgium team in a project that combined sport, relationships, and faith.


In Bilzen, no one knew what to expect. SportQuest had never led a project there before, but the new location became SportQuest Belgium’s largest first-time project. The Betenbough Homes Vision Team helped with work projects for families from the church and community in the mornings, then joined the local SportQuest team for a Play Camp in a neighborhood park each afternoon. More than 50 children came daily. In the evenings, dozens of teens and young adults gathered in the local soccer cage. By the final tournament, more than 150 people attended.


Other locations showed the strength of returning year after year.


Herentals reached its fourth year, and many teens already looked forward to the team’s arrival. More than 30 kids came each day to the neighborhood park and soccer field for hours of sport, games, and connection.


Geraardsbergen, SportQuest Belgium’s most established project location, continued to grow with the help of the local youth group. The Plage, the town’s well-known soccer cage, again became the center of the outreach. More than 75 players entered the final tournament, and many stayed afterward for a celebration at the church.


The final two weeks took the team west. In Maldegem, near Bruges, SportQuest continued to support the local church’s effort to connect with its community through the local sport park. The team has not built the same established group there as in other locations, but the week showed momentum, and many young people came to the church for SportQuest night.


The summer closed in Ghent, where three churches worked together to serve young people in the city. More than 40 young people, both with and without church backgrounds, joined on the soccer field in the afternoons and evenings. More than 50 young people took part throughout the week, especially on the final night.


Six cities did not produce one identical story. Antwerp brought heat and neighborhood outreach. Bilzen opened a new door. Herentals and Geraardsbergen showed the value of long-term trust. Maldegem and Ghent showed local churches continuing to reach for young people in their communities.


In every place, the same pattern kept appearing: local churches opened the door, SportQuest leaders served alongside them, and sport created space for relationships and conversations about faith.


That is what Kevin saw across the 2026 SportQuest Belgium summer. Not just activity. Ongoing ministry. Young leaders growing. Churches serving their communities. Children, teens, and families gathering around sport and hearing about Christ.


What a summer.


Take the Next Step

SportQuest Vision Trips connect organizations and families with trusted local Partners around the world. Teams join ministry already underway, serve alongside local leaders, and build relationships across cultures.


To learn more about hosting or joining a SportQuest Vision Trip, contact Jacob Susud at jacob.susud@sportquest.org.


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Serving Side by Side

August 12, 2026
The 2026 Panama Vision Trip Fifteen Betenbough team members, representing five families, traveled to Panama City for a week that brought them into classrooms, onto athletic fields, and alongside local churches and families. Led by SportQuest leaders Jacob Susud and Becky Bowden, the team served alongside local leaders Cesar and Irela Rodriguez and Kike and Zuleyka Catalan. These families have spent years investing in students, athletes, schools, and churches throughout Panama City. The Betenbough team joined that ongoing work. Much of the week placed team members directly with young people. They visited elementary schools and high schools, shared Bible lessons and personal testimonies, led games, and talked with students about faith. Some students stayed after the lessons to continue conversations and spend more time with the team. Sports provided another point of connection. Team members joined local volleyball and soccer programs, helped with practices, encouraged athletes, and shared their testimonies. They also partnered with a local church for a community festival, spending time with children and families through games, activities, and conversations about the Gospel. Parents and children served side by side throughout the week, sharing their faith and working together in a culture different from their own. One moment brought the experience within the team into clear focus. During the trip, a Betenbough team member publicly declared their faith through baptism. The team celebrated together as someone who had traveled to Panama to serve took a significant step in their own faith. Throughout the week, Cesar and Irela Rodriguez and Kike and Zuleyka Catalan connected the team with the people and ministries they serve throughout Panama City. When the Betenbough families returned home, these local leaders continued the work they had invited the team to join. Take the Next Step SportQuest Vision Trips connect organizations and families with trusted local Partners around the world. Teams join ministry already underway, serve alongside local leaders, and build relationships across cultures. To learn more about hosting or joining a SportQuest Vision Trip, contact Jacob Susud at jacob.susud@sportquest.org .

Mission Starts at Home

August 7, 2026
Inside the 2026 Guatemala Family Vision Trip The 2026 Guatemala Family Vision Trip brought families together to live and serve on mission as a family. From July 7 through 14, the team spent the week in and around Antigua alongside local SportQuest Partners Mynor and Rachel Mendez. Families served in local communities, built relationships across cultures, and practiced rhythms that strengthen family unity. Each experience gave them another opportunity to work together and consider how a shared mission can shape life back home. The purpose extended beyond serving for a week in Guatemala. The trip challenged each family to think intentionally about the kind of home they want to build and how they can live as a Kingdom Outpost together. Developing a Vision for Home Throughout the week, families explored the four pillars of a Kingdom Outpost family: Multigenerational Vision, Priesthood of the Family, Culture, and Adventure. Training, devotionals, and time in the Family Vision Workbook helped each family define its identity, vision, mission, and core values. These conversations asked them to identify what matters most and consider how those priorities shape everyday family life. The itinerary gave them opportunities to practice those ideas rather than simply talk about them. Daily responsibilities, shared meals, family time, service, and debriefs became part of the experience. Serving Side by Side In Parramos, the team led sports clinics for approximately 45 boys and girls, ages 12 to 14. The children from the Vision Trip did not watch from the sidelines. They joined the local students in sports, games, and activities while their families served together. In Barrio La Cruz, the work looked different. Team members worked together to build stoves for local families and spent time playing games and sports with children in the community. During another part of the day, women gathered for a cooking class and Bible study while children participated in sports and games. These experiences gave every member of the family a way to contribute. Parents and children could work together, serve together, and see firsthand how each person has a role in a shared mission. Practicing Family Rhythms Some of the most intentional parts of the week happened away from the service projects. Daily devotionals and debriefs gave the team time to process what they experienced. Families worked through their Family Vision Workbooks, shared meals, completed responsibilities together, and made space for conversations about their life at home. A Shabbat dinner on Saturday evening put one of those rhythms into practice. Each parent took a role in the meal as families experienced Sabbath together and considered what it means for parents to lead spiritually within their homes. The week also made room for adventure and cultural experiences. Families explored Antigua, attended church together in San Lucas, and hiked Pacaya Volcano. These shared experiences gave them time to learn, work together, and experience Guatemala beyond the projects where they served. Bringing It Home On the final full day, the team returned to Barrio La Cruz to serve before gathering for a trip debrief. That final conversation brought the week back to its original purpose. Families reflected on what they had experienced, discussed what they had learned, and revisited the vision they had been developing throughout the trip. The goal was not to leave the rhythms of the week in Guatemala. Family identity, vision, mission, core values, shared meals, Sabbath, service, and family meetings gave each family practical ways to continue building an intentional family culture at home. The trip gave them a week to practice being a family on mission together. Home is where that mission continues. Take the Next Step A SportQuest Family Vision Trip gives families an opportunity to serve within established, trusted partnerships while learning to live on mission together. Through service, training, adventure, and shared family rhythms, each member has a role as the family serves alongside local leaders and builds relationships across cultures. To learn more about hosting or joining an upcoming SportQuest Vision Trip, contact Jacob at jacob.susud@sportquest.org .

Showing Up Matters

August 7, 2026
The 2026 Belgium Vision Trip Some of the most meaningful ministry begins with something as simple as showing up. That defined the 2026 SportQuest Vision Trip to Bilzen, Belgium. Nineteen team members from Betenbough Homes traveled alongside leaders Jacob and Laura Susud and Rance and Stacy Bland to serve with longtime SportQuest Partner Kevin Verstraeten and the local church in Bilzen. Much of the week centered on a neighborhood park, where sports and games created opportunities to meet children and families. Each afternoon, the team returned to the same park, built relationships, and invested in the community. Building Relationships Around 25 children came to the park on Monday. As the week continued, children invited friends, families returned, and attendance grew. By the final day, nearly 50 children participated in the sports camp, with many parents staying to watch and spend time with the team and members of the local church. Sports, games, and activities brought children together and opened the door for conversations about faith. After games and competitions, children gathered in small groups. Team members shared biblical truths, asked questions, and listened as the children talked about faith and what they were learning. As the week progressed, those conversations became more personal. Parents also spent time engaging with the team and members of the local church. Beyond the Park While afternoons centered on the sports camp, mornings took the team into other parts of the Bilzen community. They worked alongside members of the local church on projects in church members' homes and at a local school, meeting practical needs while spending time with the people who serve there year-round. Church families also opened their homes for meals and conversation. The team worshiped with the local church, explored Brussels and Bastogne, and learned more about the people and culture around them. The team had not come to Belgium to create a new ministry. Kevin and the local church already knew the community, had established relationships, and continued investing in local families long after the Vision Trip ended. The Betenbough team joined that work for the week. They led sports and games, shared their faith, prayed with others, completed service projects, and built relationships across cultural differences. Daily devotionals and debriefs helped them process those experiences together. The Betenbough team returned home, while Kevin and the local church continued investing in the relationships built throughout the week. Take the Next Step SportQuest Vision Trips connect teams with established local Partners and give them a practical way to support ministry already underway. Teams serve alongside local leaders, build relationships across cultures, and see how consistent, local ministry reaches people over time. To learn more about hosting or joining an upcoming SportQuest Vision Trip, contact Jacob at jacob.susud@sportquest.org .