Field Day

As I’ve shared elsewhere in this blog, I’m not much of a soccer fan. But God has a sense of humor, so I’ve found myself in the position of “soccer coach” as one of my job duties. Despite my disinterest in the game and my complete ignorance of the rules, I still have a competitive streak, and it came alive on Friday.

Living Hope hosted a tournament for some 200 children and youth from the various communities that we serve. The photo above shows me with some of the Red Hill “Red Giants,” prior to a game in the 7-and-under age division. As pre-game talks go, this one won’t rank up there with “Win One for the Gipper;” it was more like, “You’re on the same team, so don’t fight with each other; when the whistle blows, stop kicking the ball; and don’t touch the ball with your hands.”

After a slow start, the Red Giants ended up making the championship game. We led 1-0 at halftime, but our opponent, Ocean View, tied it in the second half and sent the game to a tiebreaker on free kicks. With Red Hill players from the other age divisions excitedly looking on, our goalkeeper, Aviwe, stopped the final kick, and the older boys carried him off the field on their shoulders, just like on TV. And I jumped about as high as my aching legs would take me after an 11-hour workday.

Each championship team from the four age groups got a team trophy, and every player got either a gold medal for first place, silver for second, or a certificate for third and fourth. But winning was certainly not the event’s main focus. Most importantly, every child heard the message of eternal life through Jesus Christ (by a representative of Upward Sports, the sponsoring organization). Fittingly, a brief rain shower during the Gospel presentation left a stunning rainbow over the mountains behind the field.

It was a great day for the kids, and for Living Hope. For more images, see below.