A Soccer Ball and 40 Young Men
This afternoon Darron and Andrew took off to Bandung to purchase a rice cooker, for we learned that with certain models we can bake bread, cakes, scalloped potatoes, soups, etc. So hungry for some home made bread and to keep a woman happy they were motivated....
In the meantime the Gallant children and my remaining three and I headed for a walk. Then we decided to take our soccer ball to the field. There is a cemented enclosed soccer area that is quite popular yet nobody was on it. Eagerly we began our humble game of "football" (what the Indonesian's call soccer) in the enclosed area. I do believe that a majority of boys here start young learning how to manage a ball, for even the young boys run circles around all of mine. Perhaps after 10 minutes a young man came into the enclosed area and watched us, within minutes 3 more came. Then several more. One guy was brave and joined in. However the American teens quickly became very self conscience and walked over to me. To which the university student asked if they could play with our ball. We said yes and that we would be back at 4.
How the message flew that a ball was available I do not know. Perhaps by text or maybe they could just feel it.....but within 5 minutes there were 40 young college men on that "field". Barefooted and nimble. We went and played Capture the Flag and a few other elementary games for the "siblings" and then it was 4. However, those men were clearly not done so we returned a few of the siblings home and then waited until 4:30 and returned back to the soccer area.
The next scene will stay with me for a really long time. For there were the American missionary kids on the outside of this fence, with the brave spokesman Indonesian (ball in hand, but gesturing to hand it back) and pressed against the fence peering out in abated suspense were all the other sweaty eager men. It was incredibly clear that they were not finished with their game. Were we or were we not going to end it? How could we take that ball home? There was simply no way. I knew it might mean that the ball was gone. But where does Christianity start? Certainly not with what I can "communicate" to them in their native tongue.
So they played and we went home. At 6 we returned to the field (with my knight : ) and moral support Darron). The men were gone. The game was over. My children were worried. One young man gestured a ball and signed for us to wait. He ran off and within 5 minutes was back with the ball. Did we learn anything today? You bet! 1. How to start a game of football. 2. How to have a language learning crowd around you with 5 minutes : ) 3. How to share. 4. How rich we are. 5. How much we take for granted. 6. Values put into action. Now that is so worth a soccer ball.
Warm banana bread for supper was devoured. : ) I think today was a successful day. Thanks to a soccer ball, 40 young men and a rice cooker that acts like a mini oven!
In the meantime the Gallant children and my remaining three and I headed for a walk. Then we decided to take our soccer ball to the field. There is a cemented enclosed soccer area that is quite popular yet nobody was on it. Eagerly we began our humble game of "football" (what the Indonesian's call soccer) in the enclosed area. I do believe that a majority of boys here start young learning how to manage a ball, for even the young boys run circles around all of mine. Perhaps after 10 minutes a young man came into the enclosed area and watched us, within minutes 3 more came. Then several more. One guy was brave and joined in. However the American teens quickly became very self conscience and walked over to me. To which the university student asked if they could play with our ball. We said yes and that we would be back at 4.
How the message flew that a ball was available I do not know. Perhaps by text or maybe they could just feel it.....but within 5 minutes there were 40 young college men on that "field". Barefooted and nimble. We went and played Capture the Flag and a few other elementary games for the "siblings" and then it was 4. However, those men were clearly not done so we returned a few of the siblings home and then waited until 4:30 and returned back to the soccer area.
The next scene will stay with me for a really long time. For there were the American missionary kids on the outside of this fence, with the brave spokesman Indonesian (ball in hand, but gesturing to hand it back) and pressed against the fence peering out in abated suspense were all the other sweaty eager men. It was incredibly clear that they were not finished with their game. Were we or were we not going to end it? How could we take that ball home? There was simply no way. I knew it might mean that the ball was gone. But where does Christianity start? Certainly not with what I can "communicate" to them in their native tongue.
So they played and we went home. At 6 we returned to the field (with my knight : ) and moral support Darron). The men were gone. The game was over. My children were worried. One young man gestured a ball and signed for us to wait. He ran off and within 5 minutes was back with the ball. Did we learn anything today? You bet! 1. How to start a game of football. 2. How to have a language learning crowd around you with 5 minutes : ) 3. How to share. 4. How rich we are. 5. How much we take for granted. 6. Values put into action. Now that is so worth a soccer ball.
Warm banana bread for supper was devoured. : ) I think today was a successful day. Thanks to a soccer ball, 40 young men and a rice cooker that acts like a mini oven!
Aw, Ruth! What a beautiful day! :)
ReplyDeleteCool!
ReplyDeleteCan picture the whole day in my mind... even up to the look on those boys' faces... hoping, wishing, dreaming that the ball would be allowed to stay! And then the proud feeling you gave them when you trusted them with something as precious as a soccer ball!! Loved the story!!
ReplyDeleteYour boys are already blessed beyond imagination with their mission experience! I am so happy for you. I hope you are encouraging them to journal too....it will be such a priceless book to have someday as adults...will also be a rich resource for college freshman comp class!
ReplyDelete