“Ladies and Gentlemen, we will shortly be descending into Sri Lanka. Cabin Crew, please prepare for landing” were the words Marcel said when he flew toward the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, Sri Lanka.
Flying over and down toward the Northwest of this beautiful Island toward Colombo, Marcel noticed some huge flat water lagoons, right next to picture perfect beaches with side shore waves. As an avid wind and kite surfer, the curiosity was too much. Could this area be an undiscovered pearl of Kitesurfing? Could it offer flat water for the freestyle kitesurfers, waves for the big air and surf riders, shallow water for beginners, and all with a jungle style backdrop? All it would need, was wind.
After landing, pilot Marcel went on a reconnaissance mission to see if, as seen in the air, the Northwest of Sri Lanka could become a Kitesurfing paradise? The answer, a resounding yes!
This almost untouched landscape had it all, wind for 10 months of the year, untouched beauty and a variety of Kitesurfing disciplines, all in one location. The pull was too much, and so Marcel, as part of a consortium, purchased land, created a bespoke hotel and established a Kitesurfing school.
All boxes ticked, except one. How can the love of God be instilled in to this beautiful part of the world? A part of the world torn apart by civil war, and a region outside of the worlds sight.
THE FIRST WINDS OF A NEW CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
So started a long and enduing base for ministry. Marcel and his wife have a strong passion for the gospel, and an evangelistic heart, and have set up several serving ministries all aiming to serve people in need and provide a platform for demonstrating God’s love. Preschool’s set up for local children unable to attend main school, employment opportunities and an overwhelming love of the locals around. God was moving, and Marcel was striving to keep Jesus the center of all these serving missions.
Back to Kitesurfing. Pioneering a new Kite surfing location is something few people do, but that didn’t cut it for Marcel. The bigger picture was not just to enjoy a kitesurfers paradise, but to use Kitesurfing to get as many people to experience a real paradise; a relationship with God. The prayers went up, the cogs were moving, and a vision developing.
On the other side of the World, kitesurfing was growing. In fact, at one point, watersports were the fastest growing sports in the world. All over the globe, people were looking to experience the buzz of flying through the air, riding waves and experiencing the thrill of this relatively new extreme sport. Many of these people were people of faith and had been praying, “Father, help me to use this sport for your kingdom”.
Some of these people took vacation in Sri Lanka, or worked in ministries around the world, and slowly, through what we now know to be God facilitated interactions, a core group of Christians, all of whom were Kitesurfers came together, and the concept of Christian Kitesurfers was birthed. It is hard to date all these interactions, but we can relate the first on line meetings within the time of Covid, and so can date our origin to the year 2020.
ENGAGE, DISCIPLE AND SERVE
In 2020, we (virtually) sat down and started to map what Christian Kitesurfers was. Is it to be a sort of church, a movement or an organization? Should it be mission focused, servant hearted or evangelistic? How would it look globally, and how would that translate to the water?
Prayerfully we came to the conclusion that we want to connect kitesurfers with other kitesurfers, to engage them in active relationships, to disciple each other and to serve others through Kitesurfing. To learn more about what we do, who we are and where you can join us plus much more, tap on the button below to visit and bookmark our website.
What followed, was a series of on-line gatherings, prayer, and in 2022, the launch of our first in person gathering, where we gathered in Sri Lanka for some kitesurfing, serving the local community, and fellowship. An amazing week, and a catalyst for Christian Kitesurfers, who after Sri Lanka continued to meet on-line as a small community.
What that first ‘in person gathering’ in 2022 taught us, was that personable community is vital for our mission and vital for Christian Kitesurfers to carry its mantra of ‘Love to Kite, Kite to love’ and so in 2023, we met in Naxos, Greece, and in September 2024, we had an amazing week in Egypt, where God powerfully meet with us and is shaping our next years ahead. Keep watching for more articles in Shout! OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE for more from Christian Kitesurfers.
We are a changing movement, wanting to grow in our love of God, putting Jesus at the center of what we do – and wanting desperately to ‘Love to Kite, Kite to Love’. Maybe you already kitesurf. Maybe you don’t. Either way, we absolutely welcome you to contact us direct, either via the website, or our Insta and Facebook pages.
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