World Cup Inspires Africa (and you can too!)

Ah, the World Cup... I love it. The world loves it. And Africa is nuts about it! Especially this year as it's hosted on this continent for the first time.

Much has been said already about how football inspires young Africans. Desmond Tutu and friends have even made a special point of talking about it.

We know a lot of young men in the HIV/AIDS and poverty ravaged neighborhoods of our city who love the game, play it passionately and hope to find a way out of their circumstances through it. Our Wild Hope sponsored efforts through football equip for success in the WHOLE of life. We've got a lot of great things going on through our Nyota Youth Sports and Community Service Center. The heart of it is football and leadership :-)

Please take a moment and go to our Wild Hope Stories blog and hear about what we're up to and how you can help young Africans through "The Beautiful Game."

3-1

Euro 2008 is in full swing and it makes our whole family miss those passionate and crazy times on warm summer nights when we would watch the games, be they Euro Cup or World Cup.

We love Africa but we miss the way Europe felt during those days.

Portugal beat the Czech Republic 3-1 tonight.
Well done, little Portugal. Joga Bonito.

Late Nights

We've been out late too many nights in a row. Each time it was for a good reason but it was really nice to stay IN tonight. Our VCR and our DVD player are both in the shop so we just chilled together as a little fam.

Heather was properly tucked in at bedtime this evening and didn't have to fall asleep in her dad's arms. Below find a snap from Tuesday night when she snoozed at our dinner for Wild Hope's adopted soccer team. It's Ramadan right now so the dinner had to be late.

I guess you can't tell from Heather's expression how much we believe in the young men of our team! May they overcome the challenges of their oppressed community and grow into men who transform their worlds!

So This is Why We're Here...

As previously mentioned, last week was a wee bit frustrating with seemingly endless internet woes, meaning that check lists of things to get done via the net were left grumpily un-checked. There's nothing like a to-do list that doesn't bare sassy pencil marks signifying the completion of even one single task to make me grind my teeth.

Friday night's calm reprieve from all that was lovely and the weekend went on into busy this and thats.

Sunday afternoon we piled into the car and bounced down to Unga. Ltd. where our Nyota FC boys were playing in the final game of a local tournament. It was a tournament for the oldest team so Skyler Russell was on the field with the guys.

Wild Hope has adopted this team and you can read more about them here.

All of this is to say that after a kind of crummy week in some regards, Sunday evening was joy. Our team shone, winning a fine 3-0 victory over the neighborhood rivals. They were photogenic in the gorgeous African light and we didn't have any cameras with us! Two cameras were left at home and the one that was brought along was out of batteries!

So let's see... how could I help you see this?

Imagine a sloping field, rutted by rain and littered with garbage that blows off the heaps at the high end. Picture a depressed neighborhood where it's not too safe to be out at night. Picture 22 young men in smart uniforms running around the pitch, avoiding the ankle breaking ditches and holes and playing their hearts out. Picture a young bull wandering away from the dumped garbage to cross the field during the game. Picture a herd of goats doing the same!

Picture crowds of kids cheering and dancing with every goal. Picture them surging onto the pitch the moment the final whistle was blown. Picture our team dancing around with the big trophy over the heads. Picture the pride and healthy self worth in the eyes of every person on that team.

Picture us all crammed into a tiny space that they use as club house. Picture their laughter and revelry as we made plans for a party at end of the week.

We pulled away into the night, leaving them together with their Cup, their joy and their finely won pride.

I'm still smiling today as I remember it all. Honestly, if we only came here for this group of guys, it would be enough for me.

Colin's Feet

This is Colin's self-portrait that he took last week.

I think it's a cool photo and have been wanting a reason to post it. So... I finally found one.

Colin's soccer team lost today but he scored his team's one goal. It was a really nice goal too. The goalie kicked it out and it came to Colin. He chipped it up over the defenders and it sunk in behind the goalie who was still just a little out of his place.

Very nice indeed.

Just thought I'd show you the feet that scored that pretty goal :-)

Joga Bonita!

This little country is very happy tonight!
Joga bonita! Our boys went through!

Little Confession

I made a little confession to Byron the other night at dinner. We were out for curry at a nice little place. Over his shoulder, the large screen T.V. was showing one of the World Cup games that we weren't all that interested in.

But all this World Cup stuff, all the yelling we've been doing at the screen and getting very emotional about 22 men playing with a ball, brought a memory back to me. I had just been explaining the off-side rule to someone the day before when this long-ago memory floated back.

And so, at that little dinner alone with Byron, I suddenly started laughing and I had to spit my confession out.

"You probably won't remember this," I said, "but when we were first going out we got into some conversation about football and you were testing me to see if I knew what I was talking about. You asked me about the offside rule and you were so impressed because I could explain it to you."

(Here comes the confession...)

"The truth is, I couldn't really explain the offside rule but I bluffed my way through it and I must have sounded pretty good cuz you totally fell for it!"

I got to laughing so hard that my eyes filled up and tears streamed down my checks. Byron too.

26 years later and I finally come clean :-). No more seared conscience for me!

Cheering for.... Who?

When the World Cup rolls around, I begin to feel the confusion of my life. Who is it, in the end, that I'd really like to see win?

In the 2002 World Cup, I expected nothing out of the U.S. team. Then they promptly came out and beat Portugal! I was stunned and depressed at "my country's" defeat. It took me a couple of days to realize that it was nice for the fledgling U.S. team to have beaten an international power-house.

On the other hand, when England play, I find myself strongly supportive of their side. Unless they are playing Portugal, of course. I spent four years in the England as a child and I have fond feelings toward the place. Of course, I lived four years in Sweden before that so I feel fondly for them when they play as well. But if Sweden play England or Portugal, my fond feelings towards the Swedes weaken.

My passport says USA and while I thought they played badly against Czech Republic, I was very proud of the way those nine boys held off the ten Italians. They deserved to be pleased with themselves for that draw. Shame they didn't get to go on. I have no real fondness for the Italian team. (Sorry Nelly!)

So yea, I thought it was a shame the U.S. team didn't get to go on, but I was SO PUMPED for Ghana! An African nation going on! Our whole household rejoiced! Sheer delight to see Africa succeed! Go Motherland! (Wait, does 15 years in Africa make it my Motherland??)

Watching Brazil play last night was pleasurable because they do dance across the field gorgeously. And all of Portugal would be pleased if after, (God forbid,) Portugal gets knocked out, Brazil went on to another glory. That would definitely be this country's second choice. I could hear all our neighbors yelling happily with each of those four goals last night. So there is a certain happiness for them, though I do think it would be polite to spread the joy around and see someone else win!

So I feel a little confused at who I care most about... But I've finally decided it must be Portugal. It's come to the place that I have to leave the room when they play. I'm so afraid my blood pressure will bust a whole through the top of my head!

The good thing is, if they don't advance any farther, I've got several other countries to legitimately root for. Maybe being a confused international is not such a bad thing after all.

in my reality

some moments in life are so surreal that i cannot wrap my mind around them, though i try very hard. football moments that go badly wrong must be corrected so that i can cope.

and so it is that, in my world, portugal beat greece in the final game of the euro cup two summers ago in lisbon.

and arsenal beat barcelona last night in paris.

other people get to create their own realities. i think it's only fair that i get to create mine.