Torrey Babb hopes to bring the message of Jesus to children all over the world with soccer balls bearing Bible verses.

Earlier this year, Torrey Babb and his wife, Heather, decided to form a ministry that would give free soccer balls to children — soccer balls bearing a heavenly message.

“Our goal is to give hundreds — and even thousands — of mission balls to children all over the world,” Babb said. “Each ball will be covered with Scriptures printed in (each)country’s language.”

The Scriptures include:

l. The Ten Commandments

2. God’s Word — Parts 1 and 2

3. How to get to Heaven

4. God’s simple plan of Salvation — Parts 1 and 2

Right now, the balls are being printed in English, but the Babbs hope to raise $40,000 to make 11,000 Mission Balls in Spanish.

“If God wants us to use these balls for every tongue and every nation, great. But if it is just for our growth, that is OK, too. God is in charge,” Torrey Babb said.

With a heart for missions, Babb started a nonprofit business, Frontline International. The company’s goal is to do outreach events for youth. In May 2007, they organized a trip to Guatemala. Individual families could sign up to go. Frontline International’s idea was to get people not in churches involved in a mission trip. They could get to know God through the mission experience.

In July 2007, 20 people teamed up with Hope Haven in Rock Valley, Iowa, and went to Ecuador to deliver wheelchairs for needy individuals. While in Ecuador, they saw kids playing soccer with wadded up paper and plastic bags.

“My Dad, who was on the trip with us, purchased a soccer ball and gave the kids the ball,” Babb said.

“A local pastor translated for us that the ball was for them to keep. We played soccer with them for an hour.

“We hope to take hundreds of the Mission Balls to kids everywhere. The church pastors will get an air pump so the kids will need to come to the church to get the balls inflated with air.

Through that need, they will be able to hear about Jesus Christ.

“Our ultimate goal is to employ handicapped people and poor people who would make the balls themselves in their country. We have connections in Honduras, Guatemala and Ecuador.”

In May, Babb, his wife, son and a friend went to Guatemala on an exploratory trip to find a manufacturer. They found a Christian family business that is now cutting the Mission Balls. Prison inmates in Guatemala sew the soccer balls.

The possibility of reaching children through the Mission Balls is endless, Babb said. With good financial support, the ministry could be expanded to include other countries and other languages.

People who are going on a mission trip — or organizations like Compassion Child, World Vision or Compassion International — could give out mission balls.

It is possible to explore a retail market here in the United States as well, according to Babb. It would be another way to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with unchurched people.

Torrey and Heather Babb live in Brandon, S.D., with their two children, Jaxon and Talix. He is a youth pastor at Faith Temple in Sioux Falls, S.D. Torrey also is involved in prison ministry at the South Dakota State Penitentiary. He supervises the inmates who refurbish and make new wheelchairs for Hope Haven International.

Being an avid soccer player himself, Babb gave some kids in his hometown of Brandon one of the Mission Balls to try it out. He observed kids as they used the balls.

“People kick it, pick it up, read it and get saved. Saved by a soccer ball! I’ve heard worse!” Babb said. “My passion is reaching the lost. I was once one of them. My heart is in the mission field. I love speaking at a camp, bringing clean water to a village in another country or fulfilling my dream of giving soccer balls to kids all over the world.”

If you would like to help, go to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . or check it out on the Web at www.frontlineint.org.

You can help reach the world with Christ through Mission Balls.