Alumnus and former soccer captain Luke Eberle now uses shoes as a means to spread the gospel. But before he started working with Samaritan’s Feet International (SFI) in 2025, his time playing soccer at Liberty Mountain strongly shaped his faith.
“A lot of times when you come to play at the Division I level, you are one of the better players of wherever you came from, and all of the sudden you are put into a pool where previously you are a big fish in a small pond and now you are a small fish in a big pond,” Eberle said.
Before graduating in 2024, Eberle met the organization’s founder Manny Ohonme while volunteering with his teammates in Charlotte at the Samaritan’s Feet warehouse. When he heard Ohonme’s story about getting his first pair of shoes at age 7, Eberle found himself inspired by his testimony.
Since he began work with Samaritan’s Feet, he has been able to help people across the world receive shoes and hear about the hope of Jesus.
According to its website, the work of SFI consists of providing shoes to those in need around the world to promote confidence, healthy feet and educational opportunities.
One of Eberle’s most impactful experiences since working with SFI was assisting with shoe distribution in Haiti amid political instability. Despite multiple obstacles, the organization was able to deliver shoes to the children living there and share the hope of Jesus with them. To Eberle, these types of experiences represent God’s faithfulness through his work.
Another experience that stuck with him was when he went to the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, to deliver shoes. The testimonies he heard during the trip were a testament to joy amidst hardships all over the world.
“We sat across from people that … the level of suffering is so much greater than what we face here, yet their joy and their commitment to their faith is like 100 times what we have,” Eberle said.
Today, Eberle is the regional program manager at SFI and uses his skills to work with partners to help continue the work of the organization. However, his work ethic can be traced back to his time as the captain of the soccer team.
Through this role at Liberty, he said he learned the importance of teamwork and diligence in any role the Lord asks him to step into. He directly credits Liberty for preparing him for the work he is doing now at SFI.
Through his faith-filled work at SFI, he now uses his experience to encourage others to pursue meaningful work that expands outside of just their immediate passions and sphere of influence.
He carries this piece of advice with him as he looks to the future, as the Lord continues to open doors and illuminate the path before him. To learn more about the work of SFI visit https://samaritansfeet.org.
Edwards is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion.