Daniel wrote a bit below about his experience with soccer camp.   He has done a fabulous job bringing his 7-12 year old kids into a world where sportsmanship and working together as a team matter, and it has been fun watching the teams come together.   They also learned Bible memory verses about salvation, and were able to recite them by the time camp was over.  Soccer camp ended a few weeks ago, but the memories and lessons will endure.

Daniel and Cakito (a local 17 year old Haitian boy associated with Makarios) led 5 teams of boys for practices and scrimmages for 4 weeks, and then we had a final tournament!

Game 1 of the Quarterfinals:

Game #1: Red vs Green

The game started out with bright blue skies, and a relatively green field.  It has been raining every night that week, so the field was deceptively muddy.  Game #1 was Montellano vs Pancho Mateo, Green vs Red.  The teams played well, and ended up tied requiring a shoot-out at the end.

Red vs Green shoot out

Pancho's goalie isn't going to let anything get by him

Daniel and Cakito The red team ended up winning with the only goal during the shoot out.

On to the Semifinals!

Semifinal Game #1: Red/Blue vs Black  (Montellano vs Pancho Mateo)

At this point, the kids were playing more of mud soccer.  Always fun!

The Austin Stone group was here cheering the players on to victory.

There was some intense concentration going on, before finally the blue team won.  To celebrate?  Why, jump in a mud puddle of course!

This week we have a group from Austin Stone doing a VBS with our old Bible students from Tamarindo. Before this school year, we had a Bible class every Friday so in order to involve them once more a year later, Erika and Chris decided to use the groups to create a VBS. They have been more than successful, most kids coming and thoroughly enjoying every part of it.They arrive at nine for breakfast, have a Bible story read to them, memorize a verse for a prize, and then do an activity about the story. If we have some free time, we have been taking them to the Play in Montellano to play soccer and other various games with the girls and after the group provides a fun snack. I was here the year before when we had Bible class and saw how much the kids enjoyed it…all that to say, thank you groups for your wonderful work in bringing the kids around once more to hear the word of God and play in a loving environment :).

Fishers of men activity.

We hope to see you Austin people at Dominican Joe tomorrow night, Thursday, the 29th!  7-11pm

Special guests include Jonathan and Lauren Ramirez (straight from Sudan!), singer Jimmy McNeal, Paul Banks and the Carousels, Rachel Wood photography, Ritz Valle (games on the patio) and MC’s Scott Frazier and Tepera Holman.

BEST LINEUP EVER!

20% of the evening’s food and drink purchases go to Makarios – shirts and art for sale – Sudanese kids’ sponsorship – bring old cell phones and laptops to donate!

Come and help these kids!