Running, shoes, shopping– three things that David Levy hated.
But God took those three things and blended them to become David’s ministry.
As a high schooler, David wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do with his life. He talked with his dad and a missionary, and they both suggested that he study missions. He liked interacting with people and thought that maybe God would call him to a foreign field one day.
David’s first exposure to Faith was through his sisters, who both attended, as well as through competitions at high school tournaments. He loved the atmosphere on campus and the focus on discipleship that placed a high priority on pursuing a deeper love for God and others.
After Faith offered David a generous scholarship for the missions program, he decided to take that next step and began his studies at FBBC.
As a student, David played both soccer and basketball as an Eagle and loved the relationships with teammates and the investment from soccer coach Gary Backous. He remembers running to “stay in shape” for the various sports seasons, but never really enjoyed it.
He also played goalie, a position that requires almost no running; the bench warmers probably ran more than he did.
His last year of study at Faith was spent in Peru, South America, on the ARRIBA program, an 11-month study abroad and missions internship. While it was one of the most stretching experiences for David, he grew to love the people and the Spanish language (even though he dropped out of Spanish in high school).
After graduating from Faith, David worked at a Christian school and a few local grocery stores. He began running and participated in a few 5K races. But the year that he turned 26, he decided to run a marathon (since it’s a 26.2-mile commitment).
As he started running more consistently, he found that he actually enjoyed it.
One weekend, David showed up to cheer on the Eagles track and field team and joined the race, just for the fun of it! He loved both the competition and camaraderie that comes with the running community.
In 2022, David ran the Athens marathon to raise support and awareness for a ministry that helps rescue women from human trafficking in the heart of Europe. He loved the opportunity to run for a cause to offer light and hope to people trapped in a dark corner of our world.
Last spring, he qualified for and ran the Boston Marathon, alongside over 28,000 other runners from across the world.
Today, David is the manager for a running shoe store in Pennsylvania. He invests in his community by coordinating running clubs and fitting people for shoes.
But he always sees past the pair of shoes and sees the image-bearer in front of him. God has given him countless opportunities to be a listening ear and an encourager, both in English and in Spanish.
“On the trail… before a race… during a race… after a race– I’ve had the unique privilege to be there for people in different seasons,” David recounted. Even though God didn’t place him on a foreign field, David knows that there are hurting people here in the United States who need to hear the Gospel.
“Literally, I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus…” David said. Just like Jesus, he wants to share the Good News of the Gospel wherever he goes, wherever his running shoes take him.
