Athlete Testimonies:

Jason Elam

Jason Elam watched in a state of surreal wonder as the small twin-engine Piper Seneca pointed its nose toward the heavens and slowly ascended into the bitter Alaskan sky. Here Elam was, watching a plane fade into the firmament carrying his wife, who had just suffered a miscarriage. Tamy Elam, who was traveling on a short-term missions trip, received confirmation from several ultrasounds at two different hospitals on April 24.

Initially, Jason, the Denver Broncos' longtime kicker, balked at the idea of Tamy's continuing her trip. But his worries were soon assuaged by the resolve of his wife. "It was an overwhelming feeling for her, so it was like, I've got to let her go," Elam says. What transpired afterwards was an amazing story of God's marvelous handiwork within the trial.

On the missions trip to two small villages off the coast of Alaska's southwestern panhandle, natives whose reticence had seemed impenetrable to the missionaries shockingly opened up when Tamy shared about her miscarriage. Many revealed their stories of emotional and spiritual pain. Some asked for prayer. At least one woman accepted Christ.

"No life, even a small life, is a worthless life to God," Tamy says. "He had a purpose."

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