July 11, 2009
The past couple of weeks have been pretty busy. The week before last I was trying to get one of the curriculums edited so that it could be sent to the publisher. I had started it a little before I went to Johannesburg, but didn’t get a good look at it until Tuesday and it had to be done on Friday, including a graphic for the cover, so my time wasn’t spent doing much else other than coaching and going to practice in the evenings. But I got it done.
This past week we held a soccer camp at our home field for 3 days for kids within a 2K radius of our field. So we spent Monday and Tuesday finishing preparations and finding kids and then Wednesday to Friday held the camps in the morning. We had about 60 kids a day, a little less than we had hoped, but all of the kids enjoyed it I think. We led Bible Study each day and did a skit at the end of the day to present the gospel. We had a local church very involved with working with the kids and helping out and they are committed to continuing a partnership with us to plug any kids in to the church who desire to do so. All of the kids and families have been invited to their service on Sunday morning, where we will also present the kids a certificate for the camp.
My leg is starting to feel a bit better. I have been able to job and was able to do a little over 3 miles Thursday night, which is the farthest I’ve gone since I pulled my muscle. I’ve also been able to kick the ball around a little bit with kids and have more range of movement. I can’t do anything major, but I think I might be playing goal keeper again on Sunday. We don’t have enough players and without me, we can’t even put out a full team, but I think I can do enough with my left foot to be able to play in goal, I hope. We shall see.
I had some crazy evenings the last couple of days. I have a friend coming to visit before I come home in August and we wanted to go to Kruger National Park, the largest game reserve in South Africa, while she is here. I went online Thursday to book reservations and found out that all accommodations in the park and in all of the game reserves around the park were booked. I was in a bit of a panic and quite disappointed. I called asap Friday morning and was told I could get accommodations, but not exactly what I wanted, but I didn’t care at that point, I took them. Then, I went online later Friday to pay and found I couldn’t do it without doing a bank transfer, which is very difficult from the US to Africa, and only had yesterday afternoon to do it. So, I searched for accommodations online again, and was thankfully able to get everything I wanted, when I wanted it, and after 5 attempts with a credit card, got it all paid for and confirmed. I think there are so many websites that allow provisional booking for accommodations and hold them for 48 hours, that it appeared as if there were no accommodations left, and was able on the fourth try to find what I wanted. It was a bit crazy, but now I’m at ease and excited to be going. We are supposed to be staying at a site in the middle of the best game viewing area in the park, including lions. I hope to see lots of all kinds of animals. Speaking of which, I went for a drive along the southern coast of Africa with my friends on Monday afternoon and I was just admiring the coastline and the view and saw a whale surfacing in the bay. We pulled the car over and he surfaced a few more times for us to get a good look. Also, I think I forgot to mention before that when I was near Johannesburg we had four baboons hop a fence and run across the road in front of us and continue through the field. It’s sort of fun to see baboons here like we would see deer at home.
July 13, 2009
I spent the weekend watching soccer in the rain. I had to coach two games, played one, and just went to watch the fourth, but everything I own ended up drenched. I wasn’t planning to play yesterday, because my hip flexor is still sore and definitely not 100%, but I dressed for the game just in case there was an injury. There were no injuries but with 15 minutes to go in the game my team was down 4-1 and my coach thought we could still win, so he said he was putting me in. I didn’t think he was serious, but he was, he just wanted me to send the ball forward to our attack. I was able to run and do everything left footed, but there was no way I was going to make a tackle or stop with my right leg, even reaching for a ball too far away hurt. I’m not sure what impact I had on the game, we still lost, but the final score was 4-3, and I had one assist, a nice left-footed cross.
I had a couple of the players on the team I coach over for dinner Saturday and then they spent the night, because we had another game Sunday morning. They begged me all afternoon Saturday to buy them a chip roll, which is French fries on a hot dog bun. I find them disgusting, and I refused to let them fill themselves on junk, so after much arguing I finally convinced them to settle for homemade spaghetti bolognaise. It is quite a culture where people would pass up on a nice homemade meal for 75 cents worth of mushy fries on a white bun. Healthiness is not a priority. Sometimes it makes me laugh.
July 19, 2009
I think the team that I coach may be done with their matches. The league doubled up games the past two weekends to get the season over with (I’m not sure why) and although we had one game postponed earlier in the season and yet to be played, I’m not sure we will play it. If we don’t play again then we fittingly ended our season this morning with another no-show team, I think it was our fourth for the season, which is just ridiculous. We will practice on Tuesday, but it will be sort of a fun practice and a wrap up to the season. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the girls and hanging out with them. I know I’ve been encouraged by my relationship to them and hope they have been encouraged somehow through me.
The team I play for still has two more weeks left, but things will wrap up there quickly as well. The coach asked me earlier this week to lead devotions for the team twice a week for the last couple weeks of the season. Normally it is on a rotation, but he thought it would be good if I could hit them with some good solid gospel teaching. I did the first two already. I’m sort of hitting them with characteristics of God. The first was God Is There, including the fact that He is the only God, that He is at work, that He desires to be in a relationship with us, and that knowing those things should change us. The second devotion was sort of a hard hitting, God Is Holy and Just, leaving them to think about our sin and how we cannot stand before a holy God, but are deserving of punishment. I’ll do at least two more, God Is Merciful and God Is Our Hope, and possibly a fifth. I’ll lead the last devotion with my other team on Tuesday as well, the final 2 fruits of the Spirit, so I really need prayer that I will have the time and diligence to put in to preparation and guidance from God to speak the right things. It will be 5 devotions in 10 days, which is a great opportunity, I’m really thankful for the chance to share so much of my faith, but a bit of a task as well.
This past week was beautiful weather. It stopped raining midday on Monday and besides a few sprinkles on Wednesday, it has been sunny, clear, and warm. I was in shorts today and was hot in the sun. Good weather was much needed as well, because we were running a holiday club (Vacation Bible School) for about 200 kids. It was a last minute addition to our schedule, we were meant to go out of town, but thought we would be rained out and we were supposed to camp (it did get very cold at night and would have been nearly unbearable even without rain anyway). So at the last minute, someone asked us to help with this club that would have been cancelled otherwise. It was at a church just a couple of blocks from where one of my roommates grew up in a very poor area outside the city. It was a bit unorganized and I had to fight the temptation each day to want to take over and run things myself, because it wasn’t really my place. So, I dealt with a little chaos and just waited for the time each day when I was on my own with a smaller group of kids. The kids were rather unruly, mostly just loud and distracted. It was hard to keep their attention with the programs in the church unless they were actively involved. But we sang songs, did skits, taught Bible verses, etc. I somehow was left on my own to handle all of the kids 12 and up, but there were really only about 10 of us with 200 kids, so I dealt with it. I was one of only 2 people who didn’t speak Afrikaans though, so it would have been nice to have someone helping who did speak Afrikaans. The kids in general spoke English pretty well, the biggest problem was that they don’t care to speak English if they don’t have to, so it was hard to be a part of conversations. We spent about an hour to an hour and a half each day in our small group and my group tended to double as soon as we stepped outside. I literally have no idea where the kids appeared from, but they would show up out of nowhere the second we went out to play. We spent most of the time playing games, and the majority of our group wanted to play soccer most of the time (I think that’s why the kids appeared out of the woodwork, because I had a ball and they didn’t). It was a little difficult to get everyone involved, especially with a few quieter people being intimidated by a couple of rough guys, but for the most part there weren’t any major problems. I had a chance to share the gospel with them each day and I’m not sure if many of them cared, but I at least got their attention for a bit in the middle of our games.
It was definitely an area in need of Christ (not that there is anywhere not in need of Christ), but it was good to get the kids in to the church and hopefully some of the kids will continue to be involved. One thing I still find hard to believe is the number of very small children being cared for by older siblings. Everyday we had a dozen or so 1 and 2 year olds who came with their 8-12 year old siblings, who seemed to be their primary source of care. A couple of the small ones were dropped off by an adult, but for the most part, I kept seeing 2 year olds completely dependent on their 10 year old siblings, and it always seemed rough for both of them. You know that the older ones are doing their best and they often care for the younger ones, but the younger ones tend to get pushed around and dragged about as the older ones get exhausted and weary trying to find freedom. They both need love and proper discipline, but lack both.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Last Few Weeks Updated
June 10, 2009
A few observations from my day… On the way to work in the morning, there is always a vendor setting up at a busy corner a couple of blocks from my house; he sells wooden and wicker furniture, as well as plastic basket shelves, bean bag chairs, hangers, and laundry baskets. I also usually see a couple of men selling random items at street corners. They are usually dressed in steering wheel covers, phone chargers, shoe caddies, and trash bag rolls.
While I’m at work, every once in a while I will go to a “Take-Away” shop across the street. These shops can be found sometimes 2 or 3 to a block in commercial and residential areas and sell drinks, snacks, sandwiches (usually grilled or on hot dog buns with fries), other fried items, and air time for mobile phones. Some of them are small buildings no large than a one stall garage, and others are “shops” set up in a room of someone’s house, in their garage, or constructed from scraps of metal corrugate.
Today I drove to the homeless shelter along one of the major national highways. On my way there I always see people running across traffic to get to the other side of the road, jumping the 3 foot median on the way; groups of children playing soccer right next to the highway, in the largest patch of grass near their homes; or cows, horses, and goats chewing on whatever bit of grass they can find. The cows are not behind fences and I don’t know how they are protected from theft or injury; today one crossed the road right in front of me, stopping to itch at a fly or some other insect along the way.
During rush hour there are myriads of people at every street corner. There are young men selling oranges, nectarines, avocados, tomatoes, pineapples, butternut squash, and many other seasonal fruits and vegetables, usually for about 50 cents an item or bag. There are often men collecting trash from your car for a small donation, and women and children asking for donations of money or food. And each day, men are selling newspapers to commuters, whose headlines decorate every street sign and lamp post, hung diligently each morning along every block.
Around the corner from our office, there was a tent set up today solely for the purpose of selling ear muffs; all sorts of children’s animal ear muffs. It doesn’t get below 40 at night and gets up to at least 60 if not 70 during the day, so ear muffs don’t seem a necessary commodity and not a highly profitable business, but none the less, they are there.
I encounter taxi vans daily, a dozen to a block, picking up any passerby who might need a ride in their direction. You often hear them before you see them, either their incessant horn honking or their deafening bass. Signs in the windshield advertise which area of town they are traveling to and passengers pile in to overcrowded seats to get a lift home. Today there was a taxi full of passengers refueling at the “petrol” station en route. Many times taxis will pull over to solicit passengers and wait for customers, while paying customers wait on board.
Kids can almost always be seen walking to or from school in their corresponding uniform, consisting of a pair of trousers, collared shirt, sweater, and black shoes. If children aren’t walking to and fro, then you are sure to see dozens, if not hundreds of young adults making their way between home and work.
When you pull in to the parking area at a grocery store (only referred to as a supermarket here) there are attendants to guide you in to and out of your space and secure your car while you are shopping. In the major shopping areas, they are working legitimately and often very friendly. But, particularly on nights and weekends, when you park along the street to go to a restaurant, you may very well have a group of drunken men “attending” your car while they stand around chewing the fat with their buddies. At the first sign that you may be returning to your car, they will follow you there to receive their payment; but to their credit, I’ve always found my car just as I left it.
I guess I went longer than I intended, but hopefully it painted a picture of the things I encounter each day in the bustling and energetic city.
June 16, 2009
I have been in Joburg for 2 days now, we are actually staying quite a way outside of the city where it is quiet and safe. We are in a small Christian camp staying in round thatched-roof buildings. The condition and level of facilities are about what I imagine Seneca would have been about 40 years ago. There are 2 horses and 2 geese roaming the grounds, literally unfenced. Yesterday, one of the horses walked right in to the dining hall and they had to chase it out. It was a little scary, because there is a narrow blind turn corridor in to the building and it charged around the corner at 3 of us who were entering and couldn’t see it coming. I wonder what the US health department would say about a horse in a dining facility?
We have a team of 12, including our coach, so a few people from the local AIS office will join us for games. There are 3 other Americans, including one guy who is a senior at Grove City College, although we’ve never met before. The coach and one player are from Italy, 2 guys are from Australia, 3 guys are from England (including the tour director who works for AIS in Pretoria) and 1 guy who works for AIS in Zambia.
Everyone arrived Sunday and we played a late scrimmage to train in the rec hall. We finished at about 11:30, so it took me a few hours to settle and sleep.
Monday we did some orientation and training and then went to watch the US play Italy. It started out as a great game and the U was playing well. Then, we got an undeserved red card and a player was sent off and we had to play over an hour with one less man. The US scored first, but laying down proved to be too much and we ended up losing. We got home from the game at 1:30AM and had to be at breakfast at 6:30, so we pushed through today on very little sleep.
We did a clinic this morning at a church for about 200 kids. It was a church AIS has never worked with before and they were impressed with how things were run, so hopefully it will create a partnership with the church in the future, which is the goal. Most people are knapping now, but I don’t like to knap and needed to spend some time in devotions, so that’s what I will do now. The dynamics of the team are fun and it seems like a really solid group, so hopefully the next 2 weeks will be fruitful.
June 18, 2009
Yesterday morning we did another soccer clinic. It was at a pretty well-off school, which meant all of the kids were white and not as skilled at soccer as most blacks and coloreds. (That’s stereotypical, but true, most whites tend towards rugby and cricket). I shared my testimony with 4 of the 6 groups that I coached and asked 2 other coaches to share during the other times. I pray that the kids might have heard something. It was really good for Ambassadors regardless, because the clinic went well and the school is literally across the street from the Pretoria office, and it is a great opportunity for long-term relationships.
Last night we played against the U19 Women’s SA National Team. I wasn’t sure what to expect playing with a co-ed team against women. I’ve played co-ed against all men and women against women, but never co-ed against women. We won 5-3, but it was a good match. They were very skilled, but our height and strength played to our advantage. I played the entire game and was pretty tired after, but felt good about the way I played.
One of the girls on our team gave her testimony and I think it was a great opportunity to share the grace of God. I think it met the girls where a lot of them are and was relevant to their struggles. I think it resounded with what South African girls struggle with, what they desire, and what they need. Two girls from AIS work with the team everyday and they are excited about the opportunities it would allow them in future conversations.
This morning we played again, this time against the AIS prison team in Leeukwop. It was a hard fought game and we tied 2-2. I played all but about 20 minutes and I’m a bit bruised and beaten, but all of the guys were impressed with how I played. Afterwards, one of the Italians on our team shared his testimony, and again it was really relevant to the prisoners. They also sang for us and it was amazing to hear 25 guys singing praise songs, even though I couldn’t understand the language.
Three of their players gave their testimonies as well and God is definitely working in their lives. Not only have they experienced God’s grace, but they want to change their friends and communities now and when they get out. The AIS staff who work with them regularly said the 3 guys who shared were very hard when they entered the program. They only wanted to be there to play soccer and then were broken and changed.
This afternoon we were able to go to another game, US v Brazil, but unfortunately, the US lost 3-0. Our chances of moving on in the tournament are now pretty much over, but I guess that’s life.
We’ve had very lat nights and very early mornings and 2 hard games back-to-back, so I’m feeling pretty tired. We get to sleep in an extra 2 hours tomorrow and have breakfast at 8:30 instead of 6:30 and I need it at this point, so I am looking forward to it.
June 22, 2009
Friday we worked with a township football club and ran a small clinic for them. Afterwards, we played a game against their U17 or U19 guys team, and most of us took it easy to catch a break, but our team still won. There were about 200 kids just running around the field playing and looking for attention at the same time, so a drama group we have been working with took the kids inside for worship and skits, which I heard went really well.
On Saturday, we went to Soweto, the largest township in SA. It actually was not as impoverished as I expected (some people had block homes, although much smaller than even a 2-stall garage). I am sure there were very impoverished areas, just not where we drove. My guess is that there are over 2 million people living there. We easily found 150 kids to come to the clinic. We rotated them through 6 coaching stations and shared a message or testimony after each station. Most of the kids only understood very little English, but we had local coaches translate (some of the time). The kids all got juice, water, fruit, and chips afterwards for lunch and it was the first time I saw kids not pushing and shoving for food, but they were all appreciative. They all got a shirt as well and 2 US girls hd brought about 65 pairs of donated soccer shoes also, and they were all passed out with much appreciation. There was a gospel message presented in one of the local languages and about 90% of the kids stood to accept Christ, so hopefully even among peer influence, some were at least sincere.
After we finished the clinic, we ate KFC at the field. About 30 of us split 3 buckets of chicken and fries. When we were done eating, the garbage was left outside of our van, while we had devotions and played a game. When I got back to the van later, it was evident that some kids had eaten our scraps, all of the skin, fat, and cartilage off of the bones, as well as the ketchup and vinegar packets. It is sad that either those kids were so desperate for food that they ate our garbage or that it is their normal way of life and they don’t know otherwise.
During the game, I unfortunately pulled a muscle while taking a shot; I think my hip flexor. It hurt so much I went immediately to the ground in tears. It is 2 days later now and it feels a little better, but I’m not sure how long I will be out.
Sunday was a bit more relaxing. We moved out of the camp where we were staying, went to church, and had lunch in a host home. In the afternoon we went to a popular square in Pretoria where people would be gathering to watch the games that night and did street evangelism. It is not my area of giftedness and my hip was hurting waling around, so I was sort of content to sit and talk. I think some people had some decent conversations and a lot of soccer-based tracts were passed out.
After that, we went to watch the Italy v Brazil game at a church near the stadium. There were close to 200 people there and about half had just wandered in or had been invited in from the street. An ex-pro player who works for AIS shared his testimony and some 1 to 1 conversations took place as well. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to watch the US game that was played at the same time, but the US won by enough that it put them through to the semifinals.
This morning, we went back to the prison to play the guys again, it was my first game out with injury and our team’s first loss. (They played the ex-professional and former Nigerian national team player in my place, but he apparently couldn’t make up for my absence). Just after 2 days with the prisoners, I love being with them. If I didn’t meet them in jail, I never would have guessed they were criminals. God has gripped so many of them by His grace that they are a delight to be with. I pray that God really uses those guys to reach and change their communities, and that He continues to work in them to grow them and bring more and more to Himself.
For the next 3 days, we will be attending a conference designed to get people and churches equipped to do sports ministry, specifically focusing on the SA 2010 World Cup. Some of our staff came over from Cape Town, so hopefully it will be good.
June 25, 2009
I have spent the last few days at a conference; it has been a pretty good conference and most of the devotionals and talked are applicable to any ministry. Last night, the church hosting the conference also hosted a big screen showing of the semi-final game. About 400 men came from a squatter camp next door, even when it was a game between the US and Spain. SA plays against Brazil tonight, and they are by far the 2 most popular teams in the country. (By the way, the US upset Spain, who was expected to win by a wide margin, and the US shattered their 35 game winning streak). Before the match there were some games, entertainment, and face painting. There were also 2 professional players who talked about the competition and shared their testimonies. It was a good opportunity to introduce people ot the church, as well as to bridge the church to the community. Jus one of the opportunities the soccer tournament offers to allow ministry.
I though my hip was getting better and I was walking okay, but not able to run or kick; then, when the US scored their first goal against Spain, I jumped up from the floor to cheer and somehow reinjured myself. It hurt a lot and I didn’t want to move for the next half hour and my whole body was shaking, so I think it may be worse than I hoped and I am going to try to see a doctor when I get back to CT.
June 29, 2009
Well, the US lost in the final, but played well enough in the tournament that hopefully our country has gained some respect in the European and South American dominated soccer world.
I got back to Cape Town this morning to some bad news. I had loaned my car to one of the Ambassadors staff on Saturday and Sunday to drive girls to soccer games. She unfortunately rear ended one of the other players on our team on the highway on the way to the game on Sunday. The damage isn’t bad, but the car definitely needs repaired. I hope the insurance isn’t a hassle (it doesn’t seem to be so far) and I hope I’m not without my car for too long while it is being repaired. My friend who was driving the car is going to pay the deductible, and I’m not mad, things happen, but I’m hoping it isn’t too much of an inconvenience and that it doesn’t affect the resell is August.
I’m tired now, but I’m going to run to the internet café to hopefully get this posted before it closes at 5.
A few observations from my day… On the way to work in the morning, there is always a vendor setting up at a busy corner a couple of blocks from my house; he sells wooden and wicker furniture, as well as plastic basket shelves, bean bag chairs, hangers, and laundry baskets. I also usually see a couple of men selling random items at street corners. They are usually dressed in steering wheel covers, phone chargers, shoe caddies, and trash bag rolls.
While I’m at work, every once in a while I will go to a “Take-Away” shop across the street. These shops can be found sometimes 2 or 3 to a block in commercial and residential areas and sell drinks, snacks, sandwiches (usually grilled or on hot dog buns with fries), other fried items, and air time for mobile phones. Some of them are small buildings no large than a one stall garage, and others are “shops” set up in a room of someone’s house, in their garage, or constructed from scraps of metal corrugate.
Today I drove to the homeless shelter along one of the major national highways. On my way there I always see people running across traffic to get to the other side of the road, jumping the 3 foot median on the way; groups of children playing soccer right next to the highway, in the largest patch of grass near their homes; or cows, horses, and goats chewing on whatever bit of grass they can find. The cows are not behind fences and I don’t know how they are protected from theft or injury; today one crossed the road right in front of me, stopping to itch at a fly or some other insect along the way.
During rush hour there are myriads of people at every street corner. There are young men selling oranges, nectarines, avocados, tomatoes, pineapples, butternut squash, and many other seasonal fruits and vegetables, usually for about 50 cents an item or bag. There are often men collecting trash from your car for a small donation, and women and children asking for donations of money or food. And each day, men are selling newspapers to commuters, whose headlines decorate every street sign and lamp post, hung diligently each morning along every block.
Around the corner from our office, there was a tent set up today solely for the purpose of selling ear muffs; all sorts of children’s animal ear muffs. It doesn’t get below 40 at night and gets up to at least 60 if not 70 during the day, so ear muffs don’t seem a necessary commodity and not a highly profitable business, but none the less, they are there.
I encounter taxi vans daily, a dozen to a block, picking up any passerby who might need a ride in their direction. You often hear them before you see them, either their incessant horn honking or their deafening bass. Signs in the windshield advertise which area of town they are traveling to and passengers pile in to overcrowded seats to get a lift home. Today there was a taxi full of passengers refueling at the “petrol” station en route. Many times taxis will pull over to solicit passengers and wait for customers, while paying customers wait on board.
Kids can almost always be seen walking to or from school in their corresponding uniform, consisting of a pair of trousers, collared shirt, sweater, and black shoes. If children aren’t walking to and fro, then you are sure to see dozens, if not hundreds of young adults making their way between home and work.
When you pull in to the parking area at a grocery store (only referred to as a supermarket here) there are attendants to guide you in to and out of your space and secure your car while you are shopping. In the major shopping areas, they are working legitimately and often very friendly. But, particularly on nights and weekends, when you park along the street to go to a restaurant, you may very well have a group of drunken men “attending” your car while they stand around chewing the fat with their buddies. At the first sign that you may be returning to your car, they will follow you there to receive their payment; but to their credit, I’ve always found my car just as I left it.
I guess I went longer than I intended, but hopefully it painted a picture of the things I encounter each day in the bustling and energetic city.
June 16, 2009
I have been in Joburg for 2 days now, we are actually staying quite a way outside of the city where it is quiet and safe. We are in a small Christian camp staying in round thatched-roof buildings. The condition and level of facilities are about what I imagine Seneca would have been about 40 years ago. There are 2 horses and 2 geese roaming the grounds, literally unfenced. Yesterday, one of the horses walked right in to the dining hall and they had to chase it out. It was a little scary, because there is a narrow blind turn corridor in to the building and it charged around the corner at 3 of us who were entering and couldn’t see it coming. I wonder what the US health department would say about a horse in a dining facility?
We have a team of 12, including our coach, so a few people from the local AIS office will join us for games. There are 3 other Americans, including one guy who is a senior at Grove City College, although we’ve never met before. The coach and one player are from Italy, 2 guys are from Australia, 3 guys are from England (including the tour director who works for AIS in Pretoria) and 1 guy who works for AIS in Zambia.
Everyone arrived Sunday and we played a late scrimmage to train in the rec hall. We finished at about 11:30, so it took me a few hours to settle and sleep.
Monday we did some orientation and training and then went to watch the US play Italy. It started out as a great game and the U was playing well. Then, we got an undeserved red card and a player was sent off and we had to play over an hour with one less man. The US scored first, but laying down proved to be too much and we ended up losing. We got home from the game at 1:30AM and had to be at breakfast at 6:30, so we pushed through today on very little sleep.
We did a clinic this morning at a church for about 200 kids. It was a church AIS has never worked with before and they were impressed with how things were run, so hopefully it will create a partnership with the church in the future, which is the goal. Most people are knapping now, but I don’t like to knap and needed to spend some time in devotions, so that’s what I will do now. The dynamics of the team are fun and it seems like a really solid group, so hopefully the next 2 weeks will be fruitful.
June 18, 2009
Yesterday morning we did another soccer clinic. It was at a pretty well-off school, which meant all of the kids were white and not as skilled at soccer as most blacks and coloreds. (That’s stereotypical, but true, most whites tend towards rugby and cricket). I shared my testimony with 4 of the 6 groups that I coached and asked 2 other coaches to share during the other times. I pray that the kids might have heard something. It was really good for Ambassadors regardless, because the clinic went well and the school is literally across the street from the Pretoria office, and it is a great opportunity for long-term relationships.
Last night we played against the U19 Women’s SA National Team. I wasn’t sure what to expect playing with a co-ed team against women. I’ve played co-ed against all men and women against women, but never co-ed against women. We won 5-3, but it was a good match. They were very skilled, but our height and strength played to our advantage. I played the entire game and was pretty tired after, but felt good about the way I played.
One of the girls on our team gave her testimony and I think it was a great opportunity to share the grace of God. I think it met the girls where a lot of them are and was relevant to their struggles. I think it resounded with what South African girls struggle with, what they desire, and what they need. Two girls from AIS work with the team everyday and they are excited about the opportunities it would allow them in future conversations.
This morning we played again, this time against the AIS prison team in Leeukwop. It was a hard fought game and we tied 2-2. I played all but about 20 minutes and I’m a bit bruised and beaten, but all of the guys were impressed with how I played. Afterwards, one of the Italians on our team shared his testimony, and again it was really relevant to the prisoners. They also sang for us and it was amazing to hear 25 guys singing praise songs, even though I couldn’t understand the language.
Three of their players gave their testimonies as well and God is definitely working in their lives. Not only have they experienced God’s grace, but they want to change their friends and communities now and when they get out. The AIS staff who work with them regularly said the 3 guys who shared were very hard when they entered the program. They only wanted to be there to play soccer and then were broken and changed.
This afternoon we were able to go to another game, US v Brazil, but unfortunately, the US lost 3-0. Our chances of moving on in the tournament are now pretty much over, but I guess that’s life.
We’ve had very lat nights and very early mornings and 2 hard games back-to-back, so I’m feeling pretty tired. We get to sleep in an extra 2 hours tomorrow and have breakfast at 8:30 instead of 6:30 and I need it at this point, so I am looking forward to it.
June 22, 2009
Friday we worked with a township football club and ran a small clinic for them. Afterwards, we played a game against their U17 or U19 guys team, and most of us took it easy to catch a break, but our team still won. There were about 200 kids just running around the field playing and looking for attention at the same time, so a drama group we have been working with took the kids inside for worship and skits, which I heard went really well.
On Saturday, we went to Soweto, the largest township in SA. It actually was not as impoverished as I expected (some people had block homes, although much smaller than even a 2-stall garage). I am sure there were very impoverished areas, just not where we drove. My guess is that there are over 2 million people living there. We easily found 150 kids to come to the clinic. We rotated them through 6 coaching stations and shared a message or testimony after each station. Most of the kids only understood very little English, but we had local coaches translate (some of the time). The kids all got juice, water, fruit, and chips afterwards for lunch and it was the first time I saw kids not pushing and shoving for food, but they were all appreciative. They all got a shirt as well and 2 US girls hd brought about 65 pairs of donated soccer shoes also, and they were all passed out with much appreciation. There was a gospel message presented in one of the local languages and about 90% of the kids stood to accept Christ, so hopefully even among peer influence, some were at least sincere.
After we finished the clinic, we ate KFC at the field. About 30 of us split 3 buckets of chicken and fries. When we were done eating, the garbage was left outside of our van, while we had devotions and played a game. When I got back to the van later, it was evident that some kids had eaten our scraps, all of the skin, fat, and cartilage off of the bones, as well as the ketchup and vinegar packets. It is sad that either those kids were so desperate for food that they ate our garbage or that it is their normal way of life and they don’t know otherwise.
During the game, I unfortunately pulled a muscle while taking a shot; I think my hip flexor. It hurt so much I went immediately to the ground in tears. It is 2 days later now and it feels a little better, but I’m not sure how long I will be out.
Sunday was a bit more relaxing. We moved out of the camp where we were staying, went to church, and had lunch in a host home. In the afternoon we went to a popular square in Pretoria where people would be gathering to watch the games that night and did street evangelism. It is not my area of giftedness and my hip was hurting waling around, so I was sort of content to sit and talk. I think some people had some decent conversations and a lot of soccer-based tracts were passed out.
After that, we went to watch the Italy v Brazil game at a church near the stadium. There were close to 200 people there and about half had just wandered in or had been invited in from the street. An ex-pro player who works for AIS shared his testimony and some 1 to 1 conversations took place as well. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to watch the US game that was played at the same time, but the US won by enough that it put them through to the semifinals.
This morning, we went back to the prison to play the guys again, it was my first game out with injury and our team’s first loss. (They played the ex-professional and former Nigerian national team player in my place, but he apparently couldn’t make up for my absence). Just after 2 days with the prisoners, I love being with them. If I didn’t meet them in jail, I never would have guessed they were criminals. God has gripped so many of them by His grace that they are a delight to be with. I pray that God really uses those guys to reach and change their communities, and that He continues to work in them to grow them and bring more and more to Himself.
For the next 3 days, we will be attending a conference designed to get people and churches equipped to do sports ministry, specifically focusing on the SA 2010 World Cup. Some of our staff came over from Cape Town, so hopefully it will be good.
June 25, 2009
I have spent the last few days at a conference; it has been a pretty good conference and most of the devotionals and talked are applicable to any ministry. Last night, the church hosting the conference also hosted a big screen showing of the semi-final game. About 400 men came from a squatter camp next door, even when it was a game between the US and Spain. SA plays against Brazil tonight, and they are by far the 2 most popular teams in the country. (By the way, the US upset Spain, who was expected to win by a wide margin, and the US shattered their 35 game winning streak). Before the match there were some games, entertainment, and face painting. There were also 2 professional players who talked about the competition and shared their testimonies. It was a good opportunity to introduce people ot the church, as well as to bridge the church to the community. Jus one of the opportunities the soccer tournament offers to allow ministry.
I though my hip was getting better and I was walking okay, but not able to run or kick; then, when the US scored their first goal against Spain, I jumped up from the floor to cheer and somehow reinjured myself. It hurt a lot and I didn’t want to move for the next half hour and my whole body was shaking, so I think it may be worse than I hoped and I am going to try to see a doctor when I get back to CT.
June 29, 2009
Well, the US lost in the final, but played well enough in the tournament that hopefully our country has gained some respect in the European and South American dominated soccer world.
I got back to Cape Town this morning to some bad news. I had loaned my car to one of the Ambassadors staff on Saturday and Sunday to drive girls to soccer games. She unfortunately rear ended one of the other players on our team on the highway on the way to the game on Sunday. The damage isn’t bad, but the car definitely needs repaired. I hope the insurance isn’t a hassle (it doesn’t seem to be so far) and I hope I’m not without my car for too long while it is being repaired. My friend who was driving the car is going to pay the deductible, and I’m not mad, things happen, but I’m hoping it isn’t too much of an inconvenience and that it doesn’t affect the resell is August.
I’m tired now, but I’m going to run to the internet café to hopefully get this posted before it closes at 5.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
June 4, 2009
Yesterday was my 30th Birthday and I feel pretty much the same as I did before, only the whole morale of being 30 may be a little ominous. I didn’t really do anything for my birthday, because I had to work all day and then had Bible study in the evening, but I plan to go to dinner with friends on Saturday. My plan is to go to a Mexican restaurant in town and then for milkshakes.
I continue to work on the Bible Study material, I’m on the second of four booklets. I’ve been searching for examples from professional soccer players to illustrate the lessons. Quite frankly, I think I may be the worst person for that job. I’m limited to searching for stories by key words on the internet. As much as I like soccer, I don’t follow European soccer at all, which is where it is easiest to find relevant stories. I’d be way better off using NFL or NHL athletes, rather than European “football”. The sessions start with an illustration, then have an introduction to the value being presented, followed by sports discussion questions, life discussion questions, and a Bible focus. Most of the material is already written, but I’m doing my best to make it relevant and clear.
I’m enjoying working at the homeless shelter, and the girls who come seem to enjoy our time together, but lately attendance has been sporadic. I think a couple of months ago there were closer to 16 girls and today we were lucky to have 9, yesterday was closer to 3 or 4. Some girls who don’t live on the property can’t arrange for their transportation to come later and a couple of the girls are constrained to their quarters for discipline reasons, but I don’t know what excuse the others have. We’ve been talking about the fruits of the Spirit (which is what I’ve been leading for devotions with my reserve team), and I think it is something valuable for them to hear. So, I pray they come and listen. I know they get Bible teaching where they live, but today I asked the girls who wrote most of the NT letters and none of them could tell me Paul, even after much prompting, so I’m not sure how much they hear and care to retain.
The girls who I coach need some prayer for encouragement as well. Two weeks in a row our opponent has not shown up for our match and that’s after a rained out weekend prior, so they are discouraged. Some of them say they want to give up, but I told them that at least we still get together and practice and play small-sided games when the other teams don’t show, which is better than being on one of the no-show teams. I also arranged a scrimmage this past Tuesday with the team I play on and they did pretty well. Hopefully that gave them a bit of a boost and I really hope the team shows up this Saturday. If they don’t, I’m going to have to find another competitor very quickly. Winning by forfeit is not fun.
June 8, 2009
Well, the opponent for the team I coach did not show up again on Saturday. That’s three teams, three weeks in a row. I think the league tried to add a bunch of new teams from townships where they aren’t taking the league seriously and don’t make provisions to transport players. Needless to say, there was discouragement all around. We ended up scrimmaging a group of U15 boys, but it’s not quite the same as playing a league game. The girls had to pay to be in the league and it really isn’t fair to them to keep missing out on their games.
Other than that, not much else is new. It rained for about 2 weeks straight and finally stopped on Saturday morning. It was sunny yesterday and today, so I’m taking advantage and doing some laundry while I can hang it to dry. It took so long for my clothes to dry last week that some of them started to smell and I’m rewashing them this morning.
I leave on Sunday to go to Johannesburg for the Confederations Cup, so I’m sure that I will write more about that later.
Yesterday was my 30th Birthday and I feel pretty much the same as I did before, only the whole morale of being 30 may be a little ominous. I didn’t really do anything for my birthday, because I had to work all day and then had Bible study in the evening, but I plan to go to dinner with friends on Saturday. My plan is to go to a Mexican restaurant in town and then for milkshakes.
I continue to work on the Bible Study material, I’m on the second of four booklets. I’ve been searching for examples from professional soccer players to illustrate the lessons. Quite frankly, I think I may be the worst person for that job. I’m limited to searching for stories by key words on the internet. As much as I like soccer, I don’t follow European soccer at all, which is where it is easiest to find relevant stories. I’d be way better off using NFL or NHL athletes, rather than European “football”. The sessions start with an illustration, then have an introduction to the value being presented, followed by sports discussion questions, life discussion questions, and a Bible focus. Most of the material is already written, but I’m doing my best to make it relevant and clear.
I’m enjoying working at the homeless shelter, and the girls who come seem to enjoy our time together, but lately attendance has been sporadic. I think a couple of months ago there were closer to 16 girls and today we were lucky to have 9, yesterday was closer to 3 or 4. Some girls who don’t live on the property can’t arrange for their transportation to come later and a couple of the girls are constrained to their quarters for discipline reasons, but I don’t know what excuse the others have. We’ve been talking about the fruits of the Spirit (which is what I’ve been leading for devotions with my reserve team), and I think it is something valuable for them to hear. So, I pray they come and listen. I know they get Bible teaching where they live, but today I asked the girls who wrote most of the NT letters and none of them could tell me Paul, even after much prompting, so I’m not sure how much they hear and care to retain.
The girls who I coach need some prayer for encouragement as well. Two weeks in a row our opponent has not shown up for our match and that’s after a rained out weekend prior, so they are discouraged. Some of them say they want to give up, but I told them that at least we still get together and practice and play small-sided games when the other teams don’t show, which is better than being on one of the no-show teams. I also arranged a scrimmage this past Tuesday with the team I play on and they did pretty well. Hopefully that gave them a bit of a boost and I really hope the team shows up this Saturday. If they don’t, I’m going to have to find another competitor very quickly. Winning by forfeit is not fun.
June 8, 2009
Well, the opponent for the team I coach did not show up again on Saturday. That’s three teams, three weeks in a row. I think the league tried to add a bunch of new teams from townships where they aren’t taking the league seriously and don’t make provisions to transport players. Needless to say, there was discouragement all around. We ended up scrimmaging a group of U15 boys, but it’s not quite the same as playing a league game. The girls had to pay to be in the league and it really isn’t fair to them to keep missing out on their games.
Other than that, not much else is new. It rained for about 2 weeks straight and finally stopped on Saturday morning. It was sunny yesterday and today, so I’m taking advantage and doing some laundry while I can hang it to dry. It took so long for my clothes to dry last week that some of them started to smell and I’m rewashing them this morning.
I leave on Sunday to go to Johannesburg for the Confederations Cup, so I’m sure that I will write more about that later.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
I have no good title
May 25, 2009
So again, another typical week, I think the month of May can be labeled as fairly routine. I did hear an interesting talk on Monday night though. I met an MTW missionary from St. Louis last week who has been in Cape Town with his family for the last 10 years. He is organizing an MTW team to do ministry for the 2010 World Cup under The Ultimate Goal, which I talked about a couple of weeks ago. So, he has been working some with Ambassadors on the preparation and plans and came to do our staff devotions last Thursday. While he was there he invited me to come hear a guest lecturer at a class he teaches at a nearby Bible college. The guest happened to be the bishop of the church I attend, but who has been on sabbatical since I’ve been here. He spoke about a massacre that occurred at the church in July of 1993. It was just at the time when there was great unrest in South Africa and apartheid was coming to an end, with the new South Africa being established in 1994. No one knows why, it was most likely a random act of violence, although the church was diversified in a time when separation was the norm, but 3 gunmen came in to the Sunday evening service, attended by several hundred people and opened fire with 3 automatic weapons and hand grenades. 11 people were killed and over 50 were wounded, many very seriously. While it was a tragedy, it was also a great witness to the community and the nation, because through all the media coverage and turmoil, the people remained faithful, humble, and forgiving. He spoke about what the church learned through this experience of suffering. After this bishop spoke, 5 of the students from the class shared briefly their past and what God has taught them in suffering as well. One student lived through the genocides in Rwanda, another had family near last year’s earthquakes in China, one guy talked about the witness of a man he saw die from a brain tumor, one girl talked about her abusive stepfather, and the last woman was also a part of the church massacre. It was sobering and saddening, but comforting to see that each of them had hope in God. I have been studying 1 Peter lately, and he speaks a lot about our suffering and how it is a gracious thing and brings glory to God and how those who suffer for righteousness will be blessed.
Since last Saturday’s rain kept most of the team I coach from being able to come for dinner, I had them over again this Saturday. There were 14 of us total, 10 from the team, and it was a really good time. They were more social than I have seen them be yet and they talked for a long time and then we played games and had several good laughs. I think it was good for the unity of the team, but also hopefully a good leap in my relationship with them to let them see that I care about them and want to know them and minister to them.
I ended up in goal again on Saturday, my second time there. Our goal keeper got a red card and was thrown out of the game and I was put in goal in her place. That meant we were playing down a player and when the other team saw me coming in, I think it gave them a go sign to shoot as much as they could. I had to make a handful of saves and thankfully held my ground. We ended up winning 3-0. I’m not sure yet if her penalty carries over until next week, but there is a possibility I could be playing in goal again, but this time it would be against a very strong team, which makes me a bit nervous.
Yesterday, I started experiencing car troubles and had to take my car to the shop today and I think just in time, because it actually stalled out on the way to the garage. I was able to get it there, thankfully, but I am really praying that the repairs aren’t too expensive. Since I was afraid to drive anywhere yesterday, I had my roommate drop me off at church on her way to her church, which put me there about 30 minutes early. So I explored the church a bit and found that there was a restaurant and book shop on the second floor. I had heard about the restaurant, but it was much bigger and busier than I expected. I bought a couple of books as well, and after walking home from church (it was only 1 ½ miles) I spent the afternoon reading. I got about 200 pages through a biography about John Newton and had trouble putting it down. My roommate came with me to the evening service last night so I didn’t have to take my car. I also found a friend to take me to the garage this afternoon to drop my car off. I had asked her dad to recommend a place to take it, so hopefully the place is trustworthy. It is frustrating being in a new place and just not knowing what places are good and where to go, so I was thankful to find someone to help out. Please pray that I won’t be without my car for too long and that the repairs won’t be too hefty.
May 26, 2009
I found out today that our goal keeper received a two game suspension for her red card on Saturday, which was for a handball outside the goal area. That means for the next two games I’ve been elected by our coach to play goalie. We are facing two of the top teams in our league, we lost to won and beat the other so far this season. But that means the pressure is on. I’ll be training as a goalie for the first time ever tonight.
May 27, 2009
I’ve been working in the office a lot lately. I’ve been asked to edit and format a lot of the Bible Study material that Ambassadors uses for soccer schools and with teams. It isn’t very exciting work, but it is definitely a need I can fill. Unfortunately, the office has been without internet a lot lately, due I believe to a bad networking system. It doesn’t help that internet service in South Africa is very poor and often shady as it is.
My car has also been in the shop since Monday. They told me they looked at it yesterday and that the problem is more complicated than something clear cut with a simple solution. I really hope I’m not getting the run around and I really hope this doesn’t end up being something of great expense. I’m a little fearful of that, but I really don’t know if there is anything I can do about it. I feel pretty stranded without a car and while I’ve found rides where I need to go, I can’t find rides where I want to go, when I want to go, particularly to an internet café.
I’m also feeling a tiny bit flu-ish with a sore throat and trouble sleeping, so any prayers for grace and sustenance would be appreciated at this point.
So again, another typical week, I think the month of May can be labeled as fairly routine. I did hear an interesting talk on Monday night though. I met an MTW missionary from St. Louis last week who has been in Cape Town with his family for the last 10 years. He is organizing an MTW team to do ministry for the 2010 World Cup under The Ultimate Goal, which I talked about a couple of weeks ago. So, he has been working some with Ambassadors on the preparation and plans and came to do our staff devotions last Thursday. While he was there he invited me to come hear a guest lecturer at a class he teaches at a nearby Bible college. The guest happened to be the bishop of the church I attend, but who has been on sabbatical since I’ve been here. He spoke about a massacre that occurred at the church in July of 1993. It was just at the time when there was great unrest in South Africa and apartheid was coming to an end, with the new South Africa being established in 1994. No one knows why, it was most likely a random act of violence, although the church was diversified in a time when separation was the norm, but 3 gunmen came in to the Sunday evening service, attended by several hundred people and opened fire with 3 automatic weapons and hand grenades. 11 people were killed and over 50 were wounded, many very seriously. While it was a tragedy, it was also a great witness to the community and the nation, because through all the media coverage and turmoil, the people remained faithful, humble, and forgiving. He spoke about what the church learned through this experience of suffering. After this bishop spoke, 5 of the students from the class shared briefly their past and what God has taught them in suffering as well. One student lived through the genocides in Rwanda, another had family near last year’s earthquakes in China, one guy talked about the witness of a man he saw die from a brain tumor, one girl talked about her abusive stepfather, and the last woman was also a part of the church massacre. It was sobering and saddening, but comforting to see that each of them had hope in God. I have been studying 1 Peter lately, and he speaks a lot about our suffering and how it is a gracious thing and brings glory to God and how those who suffer for righteousness will be blessed.
Since last Saturday’s rain kept most of the team I coach from being able to come for dinner, I had them over again this Saturday. There were 14 of us total, 10 from the team, and it was a really good time. They were more social than I have seen them be yet and they talked for a long time and then we played games and had several good laughs. I think it was good for the unity of the team, but also hopefully a good leap in my relationship with them to let them see that I care about them and want to know them and minister to them.
I ended up in goal again on Saturday, my second time there. Our goal keeper got a red card and was thrown out of the game and I was put in goal in her place. That meant we were playing down a player and when the other team saw me coming in, I think it gave them a go sign to shoot as much as they could. I had to make a handful of saves and thankfully held my ground. We ended up winning 3-0. I’m not sure yet if her penalty carries over until next week, but there is a possibility I could be playing in goal again, but this time it would be against a very strong team, which makes me a bit nervous.
Yesterday, I started experiencing car troubles and had to take my car to the shop today and I think just in time, because it actually stalled out on the way to the garage. I was able to get it there, thankfully, but I am really praying that the repairs aren’t too expensive. Since I was afraid to drive anywhere yesterday, I had my roommate drop me off at church on her way to her church, which put me there about 30 minutes early. So I explored the church a bit and found that there was a restaurant and book shop on the second floor. I had heard about the restaurant, but it was much bigger and busier than I expected. I bought a couple of books as well, and after walking home from church (it was only 1 ½ miles) I spent the afternoon reading. I got about 200 pages through a biography about John Newton and had trouble putting it down. My roommate came with me to the evening service last night so I didn’t have to take my car. I also found a friend to take me to the garage this afternoon to drop my car off. I had asked her dad to recommend a place to take it, so hopefully the place is trustworthy. It is frustrating being in a new place and just not knowing what places are good and where to go, so I was thankful to find someone to help out. Please pray that I won’t be without my car for too long and that the repairs won’t be too hefty.
May 26, 2009
I found out today that our goal keeper received a two game suspension for her red card on Saturday, which was for a handball outside the goal area. That means for the next two games I’ve been elected by our coach to play goalie. We are facing two of the top teams in our league, we lost to won and beat the other so far this season. But that means the pressure is on. I’ll be training as a goalie for the first time ever tonight.
May 27, 2009
I’ve been working in the office a lot lately. I’ve been asked to edit and format a lot of the Bible Study material that Ambassadors uses for soccer schools and with teams. It isn’t very exciting work, but it is definitely a need I can fill. Unfortunately, the office has been without internet a lot lately, due I believe to a bad networking system. It doesn’t help that internet service in South Africa is very poor and often shady as it is.
My car has also been in the shop since Monday. They told me they looked at it yesterday and that the problem is more complicated than something clear cut with a simple solution. I really hope I’m not getting the run around and I really hope this doesn’t end up being something of great expense. I’m a little fearful of that, but I really don’t know if there is anything I can do about it. I feel pretty stranded without a car and while I’ve found rides where I need to go, I can’t find rides where I want to go, when I want to go, particularly to an internet café.
I’m also feeling a tiny bit flu-ish with a sore throat and trouble sleeping, so any prayers for grace and sustenance would be appreciated at this point.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Contest Question
Here's a question for you: This past Friday I purchased a large bag of nectarines from a road side vendor for 5 Rand, which is roughly about 60 cents. Can you guess how many nectarines were in the bag? Post a comment with your guess, the person who guesses closest wins (I'll bring something back from South Africa as a prize). You can only guess once and the cut off date for the contest is May 31st.
This week's blog post follows...
This week's blog post follows...
May 17, 2009
Once again, this was a typical week for the most part. It was nice weather for most of the week, but started raining late on Thursday and didn’t stop until this morning. The team I coach started to play our game (even though most games in the area were cancelled because of field conditions, ours was not) and played about 15 minutes before the refs called the game because they couldn’t see through the rain. Luckily, we had had once chance to score at that point and did, so it counted as a win. The team I was supposed to play against decided they didn’t want to travel in the rain, but in order for us to win the forfeit, we had to wait until game time. We normally meet 2 and half hours before game time to eat a light meal and get ready, so we had to sit around that entire time, even knowing that the other team wasn’t coming. The refs checked our registrations, made us get completely dressed in our uniforms, and even walk out of the locker room together at game time, before they told us we could go. At that point I had been sitting in wet clothes for a couple of hours and was ready to go home.
I had invited the team I coach over for dinner though, and they had already been waiting at my house for a couple of hours, because there was no game for them to watch, (they were going to watch the game I was playing in), so I didn’t really have time to do anything other than get home, change clothes, and start cooking. Because of the rain, only a handful of girls were able to make it, so I’m going to have them over again soon.
I’m going to try to post a picture soon, but in the meantime, be praying for a girl here named Ode (pronounced like Oddie). She plays on the soccer team I play on, but she is also the foster daughter of Joelle, a woman who works for Ambassadors. She has been in South Africa for 15 years (she is 19 now), but she does not have any identity or documents, like a birth certificate, for citizenship in any country. She came from the Congo and her father is in Angola, but she has no links to either country and no proof of her past. Joelle has been working for 2 years to get her citizenship in any of those countries (although South African would be best for her) and has been unsuccessful. Right now she just continues to renew her refugee status in South Africa every few months, which isn’t the best solution, but has no other choice. Without any identity she can’t get a driver’s license, vote, or get a passport to leave the country to visit Joelle’s family in England. She is also a very good player and could play for the South African national team, but can’t do so without citizenship. Her dream is to come to the US to play college soccer and she is studying hard to take her SATs in June (I tutor her in Math once a week), but she won’t be able to see that dream through without citizenship. That’s a long story made not so short, but please be praying for Ode’s citizenship, for the right contacts to be made to move the process forward, and for encouragement in the meantime. One other thing, the refugee office where all of this takes place is not very safe. I went there on Wednesday with Joelle so she didn’t have to go alone after someone attempted to rob her there on Monday. There are hundreds of refugees trying to force their way in through the gates outside and a couple hundred more waiting inside each day, just hoping to be seen. Many of them have been waiting for several months and are desperately seeking refugee status in South Africa. Most of them are told that life in South Africa will be so much better than their home countries, but after months of waiting, just want to return home. It was very sad to see them all there and a little scary to see their desperate state. One man saw that we were given special treatment (Joelle and I couldn’t decide if it was because she called the right person ahead of time to let us in the building or if it was because we were white, and the only 2 white people anywhere around; maybe it was both, which made us feel bad), but this man was pleading with us to take his papers in and just give them to someone inside to look at. He said he was a chess coach and had left Malawi to come to Cape Town to play and coach, but had been there for 6 months waiting for refugee status and was ready to give up. There wasn’t anything we could do for him though. We didn’t get anywhere that day either. Joelle just wanted to get Ode’s refugee status renewed, which has expired again, and after almost 3 hours and 3 meetings, she was told to come back later with Ode, because the process was being changed and she had to be there. She should have an ID instead of needing to renew her refugee status, but after two applications and several follow-ups, it still hasn’t come through. In one office, we watched 2 men flip through about 200 IDs looking for hers, but of course it wasn’t there. I just wonder where those 200 Angolans are whose IDs were sitting in that drawer. It has been frustrating for both Ode and Joelle, and Ode will graduate from high school in December, so for her to start college in August 2010, things need to move through more quickly than they are now.
Once again, this was a typical week for the most part. It was nice weather for most of the week, but started raining late on Thursday and didn’t stop until this morning. The team I coach started to play our game (even though most games in the area were cancelled because of field conditions, ours was not) and played about 15 minutes before the refs called the game because they couldn’t see through the rain. Luckily, we had had once chance to score at that point and did, so it counted as a win. The team I was supposed to play against decided they didn’t want to travel in the rain, but in order for us to win the forfeit, we had to wait until game time. We normally meet 2 and half hours before game time to eat a light meal and get ready, so we had to sit around that entire time, even knowing that the other team wasn’t coming. The refs checked our registrations, made us get completely dressed in our uniforms, and even walk out of the locker room together at game time, before they told us we could go. At that point I had been sitting in wet clothes for a couple of hours and was ready to go home.
I had invited the team I coach over for dinner though, and they had already been waiting at my house for a couple of hours, because there was no game for them to watch, (they were going to watch the game I was playing in), so I didn’t really have time to do anything other than get home, change clothes, and start cooking. Because of the rain, only a handful of girls were able to make it, so I’m going to have them over again soon.
I’m going to try to post a picture soon, but in the meantime, be praying for a girl here named Ode (pronounced like Oddie). She plays on the soccer team I play on, but she is also the foster daughter of Joelle, a woman who works for Ambassadors. She has been in South Africa for 15 years (she is 19 now), but she does not have any identity or documents, like a birth certificate, for citizenship in any country. She came from the Congo and her father is in Angola, but she has no links to either country and no proof of her past. Joelle has been working for 2 years to get her citizenship in any of those countries (although South African would be best for her) and has been unsuccessful. Right now she just continues to renew her refugee status in South Africa every few months, which isn’t the best solution, but has no other choice. Without any identity she can’t get a driver’s license, vote, or get a passport to leave the country to visit Joelle’s family in England. She is also a very good player and could play for the South African national team, but can’t do so without citizenship. Her dream is to come to the US to play college soccer and she is studying hard to take her SATs in June (I tutor her in Math once a week), but she won’t be able to see that dream through without citizenship. That’s a long story made not so short, but please be praying for Ode’s citizenship, for the right contacts to be made to move the process forward, and for encouragement in the meantime. One other thing, the refugee office where all of this takes place is not very safe. I went there on Wednesday with Joelle so she didn’t have to go alone after someone attempted to rob her there on Monday. There are hundreds of refugees trying to force their way in through the gates outside and a couple hundred more waiting inside each day, just hoping to be seen. Many of them have been waiting for several months and are desperately seeking refugee status in South Africa. Most of them are told that life in South Africa will be so much better than their home countries, but after months of waiting, just want to return home. It was very sad to see them all there and a little scary to see their desperate state. One man saw that we were given special treatment (Joelle and I couldn’t decide if it was because she called the right person ahead of time to let us in the building or if it was because we were white, and the only 2 white people anywhere around; maybe it was both, which made us feel bad), but this man was pleading with us to take his papers in and just give them to someone inside to look at. He said he was a chess coach and had left Malawi to come to Cape Town to play and coach, but had been there for 6 months waiting for refugee status and was ready to give up. There wasn’t anything we could do for him though. We didn’t get anywhere that day either. Joelle just wanted to get Ode’s refugee status renewed, which has expired again, and after almost 3 hours and 3 meetings, she was told to come back later with Ode, because the process was being changed and she had to be there. She should have an ID instead of needing to renew her refugee status, but after two applications and several follow-ups, it still hasn’t come through. In one office, we watched 2 men flip through about 200 IDs looking for hers, but of course it wasn’t there. I just wonder where those 200 Angolans are whose IDs were sitting in that drawer. It has been frustrating for both Ode and Joelle, and Ode will graduate from high school in December, so for her to start college in August 2010, things need to move through more quickly than they are now.
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