The Heart of a Champion (part 2)

I first met Andre as he came through the doors of Victory Outreach Church of Hayward back in the late 90’s when his father Frank Ward first introduced us. Frank was a resident within our Special Services home. He was a  man who my Father took attention to because of his background in boxing.  My Father loved sports and especially took to the sport of boxing.  My Father even had a brother who became a golden gloves champ.  So when my Father became a Pastor and opened up a Special Services home in Hayward, CA, heard there was an ex-boxer who came into our Home, he naturally gravitated toward many conversations with him throughout his stay within Victory Outreach.  I found that Frank was a man who really had the Heart and Character of who he truly was.  He had always told me that he really wanted me to meet his 2 boys.  That I would really love them because they were athletes, just like me.

Andre after a Victory!

I was a young, vibrant Youth Pastor at the time and I was meeting a lot of parent’s kids from all over the Bay Area.  On a Saturday afternoon getting ready for a picnic, Frank called me over near the lobby of the church doors.  He said, “I want to introduce you to my 2 sons. You gotta meet them. They are both future World Champs…in the making.”   I met both Jonathan and Andre.  Both were real quiet, collective & didn’t really say much.  As a Youth Pastor you’re happy to meet all the young people that come your way.  I was a little extra excited when I met athletes.  There’s just something about another athlete that is understood when a conversation is sparked.  You don’t really have to explain yourself fully because the other person is doing exactly what you’re doing in terms of discipline, dedication, commitment, and other great qualities in order to be great at their sport.  So when Frank told me that his sons were athletes I was able to talk with them right away, even though Andre was as quiet as he was.  It was all good!  Champions don’t talk much with their mouth’s, they speak with their character.

 

So for the next year and a half, Andre & his brother Jonathan were apart of our Youth ministry there in Hayward.  Andre has always been a great, young man with a strong head on his shoulders since I met him. When his Father told me “He’s gonna be World Champ One Day”, I believed him.  Over the years, Andre’s life has reminded me of a quote by Mohandas Gandhi.  He said, “Things that will destroy man: Politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without CHARACTER; business without morality; science without humanity; worship without sacrifice.”  If you ever get a chance to meet Andre, you would be able to see how much his passion for people drives him to have such great Character.  Or, in other words, HEART.

 

The other day, myself and Pastor Al Valdez (Senior Pastor of Victory Outreach Church in San Diego) had an opportunity to go see Andre fight in Temecula, CA.  After Andre had whooped on his opponent (TKO in 2nd round), we had an chance to talk with Andre after his

Myself, Andre, & Pastor Al

fight & press conference.  It was such a great time to spend and reminisce on some old times and even share some future goals.  One memory that I shared with him that I have never forgotten was his Father’s funeral at the church.  When it was Andre’s turn to share from behind the pulpit of the funeral he said one thing that really struck me. He said, “…I’m going to win the gold for you, Dad. For you.”  You don’t exactly hear people share things like winning an “Olympic Gold Medal” at a funeral.  And even if you did, you would maybe think “…Oh, there just being emotional. I understand.”  But there was something about that moment in 2002 that has always been etched in the corners of my mind.

 

How many times do people, including myself, say things that sound so good at the time just to maybe appease our conscience in order to ease the pain?  I know I have.  It takes a lot of discipline to stick to a goal with great rewards. Why? Because that great reward is preceded by great trial.  By great opposition.  By great adversity.  However, not only did Andre win a Gold Medal in 2004’s Athens, Greece Olympics, he is about to contend for the WBA Super Middleweight Championship belt this coming Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.  Andre started boxing when he was 14 and has never lost a fight. I don’t expect that streak ending anytime soon.  I look forward to writing a part 3 after this weekend’s fight.

Kessler vs. Ward - Sat, Nov. 21, 2009 WBA Championship

The Heart of a Champion (part 1)

Throughout the years, society has been so intrigued by what a champion truly is. From Sports Figures to Average Joe’s; we all love a champion.  If you’ve ever watched a Super Bowl or any sort of Championship game featuring an assortment of opponents, there’s always that one correspondent that gets down to the field to ask that one question to the winner(s) of the game –  ”SO HOW’D YOU DO IT?”  They want to know what it took to be a champion.

 

Being a champion takes a lot of hard work & dedication.  Even the mention of that word “CHAMPION” shares many memories within history of men & women who have taken the long road to keep the Heart of a Champion continuing to echo through the speeches of today.  Men like Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics who won 11 NBA Championships in his 13-year career. Joe Montana, who many consider to be the greatest football Quarterback of all-time, who won 4 Super Bowl Championships. Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour De France a record-breaking seven consecutive years (which by-the-way covers over 2,200 miles of France).

And of course, how could we not mention Babe Ruth who pretty much defined a whole sport by which more than just winning 4 World Series.  Babe Ruth was one of the first 5 men to be inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame and is the whole reason why the Yankee pinstripes go vertical,

rather than horizontal.  Legend has it that Babe Ruth, being a bigger than average man, didn’t like the way the Yankees pinstripe uniform’s went horizontal.  If the Yankees were going to accept his trade they needed to make the pinstripes go vertical so it didn’t make him look “fat.”

 

But the man they call “The Greatest of All-Time” was made in the sport of boxing – Muhammad Ali.  Ali defeated every top heavyweight in his era, which has been called the golden age of heavyweight boxing.  Well known for his fighting style, which he described as “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable among these are three with rival Joe Frazier and one with George Foreman, whom he beat by knockout to win the world heavyweight title for the second time. He suffered only five losses (four decisions and one TKO by retirement from the bout) with no draws in his career, while amassing 56 wins (37 knockouts and 19 decisions).  In all those matches, he was only knocked down 4 times out of 61 fights……AMAZING!  It’s not how you get knocked down, it’s how you get back up.

You know what else is amazing, Ali won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.  Just like a true champion from the streets of Hayward, CA - Andre Ward.  He also won a gold medal in light heavyweight division at the 2004 Summer Olympics.  It’s not so much where you’re from, as it is what you have. And what we have here is the “Heart of a Champion.” 

 

From Sydney to San Diego

My name is Raymond Burruel, I’m from Victory Outreach Sydney, Australia, and I’ve been in the U.T.C. for about 5 months. When I heard we were going to be having a month-long crusade in Victory Outreach Church of San Diego I was excited.

Left to Right: Bobby (Sacramento), Eric (Anaheim), Ray (Sydney)

I remembered the first time we went to San Diego for a week, God did so much within my life.  So knowing that we were going to go for a month I went with higher expectations. I knew we all were going to be challenged and stretched but I also knew that through the challenges and stretching, growth was going to take place within my life.  One thing I kept on hearing in San Diego in chapel, in the church services, and even throughout the day was “The Process”. In San Diego I know I went through a process.  I was learning how to endure the process God had me in, but through it all God allowed me to see the growth within my life. Before it took other people to see the growth in my life for me to see it within myself, but God allowed me to see the growth through my own eyes. I felt my relationship with God getting stronger; I felt my prayer life going deeper; my devotional life growing, God was building character within my life and something Pastor Josh (UTC Mexico Director) had said in one of the chapels was “If we want to build character we better be ready to go to battle”.

In San Diego, I know at times students got on each others nerves and at times couldn’t stand each other, but at the end of the crusade I know that we all got closer to each other. We went through so many different trials and problems with one another but at the end it just brought us closer to one another. I believe from friends we turned into a family.  Everyday we had chapel and we were honored to have some of the great preachers in our ministry give us the Word. Everyday God spoke something within my life; God spoke so clearly in the chapels and even the services we had there.

Allowing God to speak every morning.

One message that really spoke to me was on a Friday night when Pastor Anthony Farrell (VOSD Music Pastor) spoke. He spoke on being humble and pride, and one thing he said that stuck out to me was “One of the most humble postures someone can take is the posture of prayer”.  He said it when a man tries to handle his problems or circumstance on his own strength it shows pride but giving it to God can be humbling at times. In San Diego that’s something God dealt with me.  At times I found myself trying to deal with things on what I know or my own strength.  But in San Diego I learned how to give things to God because in my weak times he is made strong.

 

The month in San Diego, our main purpose there was for the children and the Harvest Fest that was going to take place. It was going to be the first time the church ever put on a musical drama with the children as main characters. Working with the children was something I loved; even though it was hard, I had a good time with the children. Within the month I got to celebrate my 21^st birthday the same day that we had the Harvest Fest and the drama. Even though we had to set up and tear down and it was a lot of work what took place that day will be something I will never forget. After the drama seeing children 9, 10, 11, and 12 years old broken in the presence of God, praying for one another knowing that they are called and the devil is trying to take them out, but standing and believing that God will see them through. The presence of God was so heavy, I was in the back and I was broken seeing what was taking place within their lives. It was the best birthday I ever had.

The month in San Diego will be month I wont forget. God did so much in my life; I was challenged, stretched, and molded. I felt my life getting closer to God from the first day. At the end of the crusade I didn’t want to leave; I got closer to the leaders there, I built new friendships, and got closer to God. God dealt with things that I was holding in and I know it was just to help me become that man that he has called me to be. Through it all I can say God did a lot in my life and I’m not the same person I was a month ago.

 

Harvest Fest '09 with the Kidz GANG of VOSD

 

 

Youth Convention ‘09 Recap

"Passion For The Mission"

"Just Don't Make An Impression.....Make An IMPACT!"