I enjoy watching the Olympic games, as much as the next guy. But I also enjoy the interesting, lesser-known facts of Olympic History.

For instance, did you know?

• The United States is on pace for its worst Winter Olympics since 1988.
• Poland won as many gold medals on Saturday (2) as it had in every previous Winter Olympics combined.
• Norway has more gold medals than 100 countries have total medals.
• Biathlon is the only sport in which an American athlete has never medaled.
• Athletes from New York have won 23 gold medals overall, the most for any state. Minnesota (22) and Massachusetts (16) round out the top three.

Additionally, at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, China received it’s first ever gold in figure skating. They did it under the direction of Yao Bin. He experienced disgrace as a figure skater back in 1980. The Chinese were infants in the sport at that time and his first pair performance resulted in laughter from the crowd and a last place finish. After that humiliating episode, Yao determined to transform Chinese pairs figure skating into the best in the world. In 2010, he fulfilled his dream when they won gold.

Unfortunately, that accomplishment included a high cost, as his commitment to transforming Chinese figure skating kept him away from home for years at a time. Yao even admitted that he didn’t even recognize his son when he saw him, because he had been gone so long. Yet, Yao persisted in such long absences in order to accomplish his goal.  The world will remember Yao as the man who transformed Chinese figure skating into a world-class power. Chinese skaters will remember him as the icon of pair’s figure skating. Olympic history will remember him as the first Chinese coach to win Olympic gold in the sport.

But what will his son remember of him?

God’s Word assures us that our Heavenly Father will remember what His children do for His glory stating,

 “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”(Hebrews 6:10)

And so, in light of that fact, it was particularly enjoyable this past week, as we held our in-country meeting with the members of Empowering Action’s board in Santo Domingo, surrounded by men and women compelled by Christ’s love and obedience to God’s Word to spread His light and proclaim His glory, by addressing spiritual and physical poverty among the world’s ultra-poor.