We began the morning visiting a small kindergarten that Life Spring Church supports. We were all very touched by the humble conditions of the 2 tiny classrooms & the kids themselves: most of them did not have shoes, many had skin problems or fungal in their little scalps & the majority also had bloated bellies from parasites. They showed us their classrooms & sang us a Christian song. We weren't there very long, but we were able to give out stickers & make figurines from balloons. We also left a soccer ball for them to enjoy & some snacks. When we left they were smiling, but we were rather distraught at how poor the condition of the school was.
Next we went back to Milo Academy school. Monday, there was a grand reception awaiting us. 3 schools had come that day to participate from nearby & we were able to address & evangelize over 500 kids that day. We began by presenting & then teaching one of the team's choreographies. Then the team presented the 'Everything' drama that tells the story of salvation & the kids really ate it up & I think were really able to relate to it, as told through the young people on our team in a very non-religious way.
Next it was time for teaching & Larry shared a bit about how God had used our team to do something no one thought possible (or wise for that matter : ) & also the need to encourage one another & work together effectively as a team to achieve more both on the field & off. Then Susan brought the main course on 'Significance.' She used the story of when Jesus, the disciples & one boy trusted God to feed over 5,000 & how God chose to use the faith of a child to perform one of Jesus' greatest miracles. She affirmed the kids that God had created each one to play a significant part both in the competitions & in life - even now as children. The teaching was effective & many seeds were sown into their young lives.
Next we began the competition portion of the event. Their was great anticipation & excitement for the games to begin. This sort of event had never been held or even heard of in Webuye & the teachers & principals could not thank us enough. The sun was REALLY STRONG that day, but the kids seemed unphased. We began with 100 m heats, boys & girls between the 3 schools. The schools represented on Monday were, Milo Primary, Milo Academy Boarding, & Nambalaya. Roberto, Karen & Carla got to practice their English (sign language & grunt skills as well) in setting up the races. We were all blown away at the speed of the Kenyans, both guys & girls. It was unbelievable. We were sure some sort of world records were being brought down as we watched!
Both the boys football & girls volleyball were also hotly contested. Edwin, Luis, & Juan Manuel officiated the matches. Several of the early round football/soccer matches were decided on extra-time, penalty shoot-outs. The guys played extremely tough. There was certainly no Argentina/Spanish-style flopping to get a foul called in Kenya. Anyone who did get knocked got right back up & many of the boys played w/o shoes let alone cleats!
The volleyball, only 2 schools presented teams, so a best of 3 match format was set up, Larry refereed & Yovana kept score.
Quarter & Semi-final matches were decided & would be played on Tuesday. Everyone had a good time & there was very little bickering or bad sportsmanship. Good time had by all in general. We were able to bring snacks for the kids & Patty, Karen, Shirley, Cinthia & Susan did face painting and had a good time with the boys & girls who weren't competing. We wrapped up in the afternoon & by that time were famished, so we went back to Bishop's & had a wonderful meal prepared by Chief Chef & Maggie
(So yeah Kenyan food ... didn't really know what to expect & a bit concerned honestly...um Bishop Alex... he arranged for one of the brothers WHO'S A CHEF at a local hotel to come & help cook for the team several meals during the week. The food was fantastic! It was basically the same meal at lunch & dinner but no one had any complaints 'cause it was GOOD. We ate well. Thank you LoRD!) (Another aside is that they referred to the brother who cooked, who must have been in his 60's and was about 6'4'' - CHIEF CHEF. We loved this man.)
The evening belonged to Sergio. Sergio was turning 32 on Monday & he had actually hung back to attend to some of the patients he hadn't gotten to see, in his make shift dental office at the church on Saturday. The host families purposely didn't bring their families on Saturday & Sergio agreed to attend to them on Monday. Anyway, while he was away, we decorated Bishop Alex's pad for a surprise b-day, Kenyan/Bolivian style. It was grand. Balloons, a banner, a Kenyan cake, & a pinata with sweets &....... dental supplies thanks to someone's sick humor! Sergio arrived, and while I doubt he was very surprised, played his part very well. He was asked to sit in the middle and Bishop Alex & his wife Pastor Florence, as his designated 'parents' for the night, placed a celebratory wreath around his neck. Then the Bolivian portion came next. As Sergio went to take the obligatory bite out of the cake, his face was buried into the entire cake! Maylay ensued & he immediately went for revenge, spreading the fun (& icing) onto Roberto, Edwin, & Juan Manuel. It was a blast. The Kenyan children were a bit shocked I think (but hey, who wasn't the 1st time they attended a Bolivian b-day party), but we all really had a good time. Apparently, at least in rural Kenya, they rarely celebrate b-days - so mabye Sergio's 'fiesta' might encourage them to celebrate, at least for the kids, a bit more. We hope so at least.
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