Using Every Opportunity
“Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
– Psalm 82:4
Screams, cheers, joy, and pride fill the voices of the kids as they see Matt Boyd enter the room. However, the screams aren’t from fans sitting in bleachers. They come from kids in Uganda who have been rescued from the risk of child sex trafficking. Matt Boyd and his wife Ashley formed their foundation, Kingdom Home, to protect kids from dangerous situations and guide them to being just kids again.
On the field, Matt Boyd has become one of the most revered southpaws in baseball, but Boyd’s actions off the field have made him one of the most respected and admired athletes in the sport. 
Early on in his career, Boyd and his wife both knew they had a calling to something much greater than baseball alone. Soon, they felt led to a certain topic to address, fighting child sex trafficking. “Honestly, we were led to it. We knew we always wanted to start a non-profit. We were unsure in what capacity but knew God would do that. Ashley out of college got a job with an organization called Remember Nhu. Their mission is to end child sex trafficking through prevention. This is where I was exposed to the darkness of the sex trade. After working for them for 4 years, we had the opportunity through Remember Nhu to start our own nonprofit fighting the same issue, Kingdom Home. We believe that Kingdom Home can end child sex trafficking in Uganda.” When Kingdom Home began, it was made up of one home containing 36 girls. Now, it is made up of 3 girls’ homes and 1 boys’ home. These homes have helped protect numerous children from the dangers of sex trafficking and brought to them the hope of Jesus.
For Matt Boyd, faith has always been a priority. Raised in a Christian home, Boyd has worked on keeping his focus on Christ throughout the highs and lows in a baseball season. “I was fortunate to be raised in a home with two awesome role models in Christ. 
Since my childhood God has been growing me in Him. I’m hopeful that I can do the same thing for my children.” As Boyd works through the regular season, he keeps his focus on Jesus throughout hot streaks and cold ones. In a game based on performance, letting wins and losses guide and dictate your life can become easy to do. Instead of letting the outcome control his life, Boyd focuses on keeping his faith at the center. “Everything in life comes from Him. His spirit is present in everything and He can bring good out of any situation. This rings so true in baseball, as my identity is in him! Not in the game or the results, for good or bad. Likewise, God is using every single opportunity on the field to bring me closer to Him. Every pitch is an act of worship!”
As Boyd takes the field every fifth day as the ace of the Detroit Tigers rotation, it is what he does off the field that he knows matters most. As a husband and a father, Boyd works towards keeping his priorities in order. 
His wife, Ashley, talks about how faith has guided their marriage and their decision to start Kingdom Home saying, “Faith is the foundation of our marriage. It was by faith that we got married in the first place. We had just graduated college and weren’t making any money but we went for it because we knew that was God’s plan for us. And God has been so faithful in providing and guiding us every step since we got married!”
When Matt Boyd takes the mound, it is an opportunity to bring his team to victory. But what Boyd is doing off the field and the lives he is changing at home and abroad, those relationships and experiences are what make the biggest difference. As Boyd says, “every pitch is an act of worship.”
To support Kingdom Home, visit: kingdomhome.org
