The past month has been a whirlwind for me. I was doing ball-handling shows that took me from Georgia to California. From February 18 to March 18 I performed twenty ball-handling shows in fifteen cities in front of over fourteen thousand people.
I received reports of many coming to the Lord but only He knows exactly how many! It was a marvelous experience where I was sharing my testimony of what God has done in my life at every stop. Sometimes, I can’t believe that this is actually my job. -What a wonderful Lord we serve!

March 19-25 was our California Prison Crusade. Kevin is going to share more about it later in the newsletter but I wanted to tell you the most important thing I learned from it. We are in a battle every day, a spiritual one and we better come to fight because the enemy is trying to destroy us. That was made perfectly clear to me while I was in the prison.

Ephesians 6:10-20 was laid on my heart by the Lord as a perfect picture of the battle we are in. Paul knew what he was writing about because he was writing from prison.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. NIV

When a soldier gets out of bed he has to put on his armor everyday. It is a conscious choice. If a soldier doesn’t want to fight then he can leave his armor off but when the enemy comes he is going to get maimed. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” NIV

Christians, we are in a fight and it is daily, constant and ultimately winnable through the power of the Holy Spirit. My encouragement to you is to put on the whole armor of God. Do it now and do it daily! Don’t go into battle unprepared. Get into God’s Word, pray fervently and seek Him with all your heart, daily!

The Fuqua's Prayer Requests

*For my mom’s health, she was able to move in with us 3 months ago

*For our summer camps, that they would be full and they would go well

*God’s will in Dina’s job situation

*For Darren and Jessica Viss as they edit and prepare our instructional DVD for distribution

Home life is great! Rachel and I love every day with Naomi, as she seems to always be changing and growing. God has been good to us and we continue to enjoy the adventure of trusting Him with all our needs, hopes, and dreams.

Allow me to share with you some highlights from these first few months of 2005.

Hoops of Hope Season
Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” NIV This season was quite humbling on the court as we faced many close games that were decided by the referees, who are also inmates. Our team was forced to focus on the fact that we truly are missionaries first and players, second. As this verse in Proverbs says, with humility comes wisdom. The wisdom we gained was in how to minister more effectively to the inmates not only through our halftime, but also through our attitudes and actions from the moment we walk inside the gates.
During our 14 games we also came to realize the value of fellowship amongst our team. God has blessed us with friendship and accountability that is invaluable for growth in our spiritual journey.

Hoosier Crusade
In February I joined up with our partners, the Saints, for a 5-game tour in Indiana. This trip was extra special as my brother Randy and I got to share the Gospel together at halftime of one game. Our first night was in a youth facility and it was a blessing. These boys all were going to get a second chance so we had a unique opportunity to influence them and keep them from the Big House! Their respect and response was overwhelming. On this trip over 100 inmates indicated a decision for Christ. One of the statistics that our director Frank shared was that 4 out of 5 inmates return to prison after being released. However, if an inmate is involved in a faith based program that number drops to around 17%. That is the ministry God has called us to, changed hearts.

Caly Crusade

This March, Brent and I joined ten men in California for Hoops of Hope’s first out of state prison tour. Our team was comprised of guys from Colorado, California, and some alumni as well.

On our first day we immediately found out the high quality of our team and more importantly the power of our God. The forecast called for rain, rain, and more rain. In fact, it had rained for several days prior to the game and the whole night before. This was key because each of our 3 games was scheduled for outdoor courts. As we arrived for our first game, the rain had stopped and the courts were being dried off. The guards pulled us into a room and told us that if something goes wrong we should stand and the prisoners would lie down. That would let the guards know whom to shoot. Seems to me that standing was not as safe, but thankfully we never found out that day. We then went to the courts to play, but our public address system was not allowed in. There were over a hundred prisoners surrounding the court so yelling would not cut it. I called our crew in and said “each of you is giving either your testimony or the Gospel today.” We divided into 4 groups and shared with the men in small sections. Wow, seeing our team step up and minister in the midst of changing circumstances was awesome. God rewarded our boldness that day with 28 decisions for Christ.
As we went to our other games the weather seemed to follow us. One game was cancelled as rain began to pour so we immediately began to share the gospel. When our speaker spoke the rains ceased and when he said, “amen” they began again. For our final game that day the rains stopped and the wind dried the court, but when the final whistle blew the rain started again.
God is good!
The rest of the week was filled with many more miracles and challenges. We had a great time and God used each and every member of our team. On the court we had one of the best teams we have ever assembled. We went undefeated and won by over 20 points a game. Ross, our big man, finally had a big partner, Jeff Bickmore, to share the load. Keith, one of our board members, and his wife Kim went over the top in hosting the team. They gave their house up for the whole week!
This trip truly was evidence that prayers like yours make a difference. Whether it was the rain, the PA system or dangerous situations on the inside, God was always at our side.

Boaz Prayer Request
*Continue to Pray for the Halls, Simmons, and Cilano’s in Italy as we plan 2006 trip.

*Naomi to keep growing and enjoying life

*Our family and finances

*For upcoming camps and DVD release

CONGRATS TO ECA BOYS ON AN UNDEFEATED SEASON AND BACK TO BACK STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN COLORADO 2A BASKETBALL. DON’T FORGET WHERE YOU BOYS SPENT YOUR SUMMERS!
(HOOPS CAMPS)


PRAISE GOD FOR ALL HIS BLESSINGS FOR OUR FAMILY AND MINISTRY.

Brent “HOOPS” Fuqua
Director/Founder
Kevin Boaz
Director of Prison Ministry, Camps & Missions

Advisory Board Members
Steve Wilklow-President of
The DelMor Group
Keith Schneider- President and Owner of Sierra Data Systems
Kirk Montgomery-Director of Admissions at CSCS
Rev. John Boaz-Interim Pastor and Pulpit Supply
Will Brouwer-Senior Sales Engineer-Front Range Solutions
Dan MaCleay-Financial Advisor
Rich Ratliff-Activity & Volunteer coordinator at Sunrise of CO Springs
Ross Haverhals-Business Teacher at Sierra High School

Follow-up Partners
Brian Nichols-Rocky Mtn Calv
Dale Glading-Saints Prison Min

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

April
26 College Church Wheaton IL
27 Good News Chr Center DP IL