Aubrey Kingsbury served as a backup goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s national team in its 2-1 win against Nigeria in an international friendly on Tuesday. And when she’s not traveling with the USWNT, Kingsbury suits up for the Washington Spirit as one of the best goalkeepers in the National Women’s Soccer League, winning Goalkeeper of the Year in both 2019 and 2021.
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Still, her busy soccer schedule doesn’t keep Kingsbury from finding ways to help make the world a better place as she lives out her faith in Christ. Most recently, Kingsbury posted on Instagram about her involvement in the great work Compassion International is doing to combat world hunger. She even encouraged her 20,000-plus followers to join her.
“Rising food prices, the war, supply issues, weather and so much more is creating a devastating situation of world hunger,” Kingsbury’s post read in part. “Compassion is stepping up to help. Last year they supplied over 300 million meals and this year they will do more, but the need is great. Join me and let’s make a difference! For just $50 you can feed a family, like Ciku’s, for a month! Join me in feeding as many people as we can.”
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Compassion is a child sponsorship and Christian humanitarian aid organization which seeks to improve the long-term development of children around the globe who live in poverty. It includes more than 2 million participants in dozens of countries worldwide.
“Our faith in God and in His promises empowers us to be confident,” Compassion’s website states. “In the face of evil raging around us, we remain hopeful and lift one another’s spirits as we go about our mission of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.”
Kingsbury (formerly Aubrey Bledsoe before her December 2021 wedding) joined the Sports Spectrum Podcast in September 2019 to talk about her faith in Christ. She said that Jesus’s saving work in her life allows her to serve others freely.
“The Lord is calling us to a life of freedom and joy, and I was missing out on that by thinking I already had it through what the world tells you matters,” she said. “Once I learned that it’s not about my performance and I could rest in Christ’s performance on the cross, it just opened my eyes.”
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On the field, Kingsbury’s play in net has anchored the Washington Spirit defense and helped the franchise win its first NWSL Championship in November 2021. Her performances earned her a spot alongside the nation’s best as part of the USWNT, making her initial appearance with a shutout of Uzbekistan in April and providing depth during the United States’ run to win the CONCACAF championship in July.
Kingsbury, 30, is expected to compete for a roster spot on the USWNT in the 2023 World Cup as she seeks to continue to live out God’s calling on her life.
“My faith in God influences everything about my soccer career,” Kingsbury said in an interview with His Huddle in November 2020. “I’m still playing professional soccer because I believe that is what God has called me to right now. I’ve played overseas and now in D.C. and think of myself as a ‘missionary disguised as a soccer player.’ My faith in Christ allows me to play freely and not be as motivated by fear.”
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