Today was Will's turn
Team members are asked to speak in front of large crowds with just a little notice each day. Betty selects one student to introduce the team, and generally a couple of others who need to be prepared to share personal testimonies. No one hesitates. No one questions. It just happens, beautifully.
Prior to today, Betty was the one who closed with a clear and simple explanation of what the Bible says about how to have a personal relationship with Christ, and offers an opportunity for students to pray with her to receive Christ. Today, Will stepped up with his teammates in the nearby group of students and provided a powerful closing to the testimony time, the first time for an athlete on this trip. The response to Will's invitation to pray with him was well received. This felt like a turning point for the team.
The receptiveness and attentiveness of Venezuealan students of all ages is more than any of us expected...and the large numbers were not something that we even considered in advance. By Thursday, we'll try to make sense of what all of this means in terms of numbers (besides those on the thermometer). For now, Will and the rest of the team are concentrating on our message and keeping up the pace.
(story added 5/27)
Wednesday morning's relays and basketball drills were accompanied by the percussion ensemble from the high school where we were visiting. Enthusiastic drummers surrounded by hard surfaced walls made for a little more pounding than we were accumstomed to...but all adjusted well, thanks to a little extra Tylenol. The heat (have we mentioned that it is HOT in Venezuela) and the pulse of the bass drum did not deter everyone from having a great day. Laura, Destri, Brittany, and Brooke joined the percussion session for a while... the consensus is that the pep band at Belmont has nothing to worry about. The afternoon at Christo Rey School was spent with the high school students. They were not quite sure about the tall Americans, but warmed up quickly to their smiles and the activities planned. The Belmont team connected solidly with these students and it was tough to say good-bye to new friends at the end of the day.
The busy afternoon at the high school turned into a busier evening at a park close to a Baptist mission church. The older young men playing a fast paced game of soccer when we arrived were a little intimidating...Venezuelan's take their soccer (futbol) very seriously. Darkness closed in on the basketball game. A twighlight game of soccer followed. Under the single light from mid-court there was a great time of sharing and all were amazingly attentive. There is another Betty Wiseman through the chainlink fence story to be told, you'll just have to wait and hear that from her. Around 8:00PM, the team finished playing a round of kickball and walked to a nearby home for a meal of traditional Venezuelan foods.
Remembering that high school Spanish that you thought you'd never use will only get you so far in conversation in Venezuela. There is a lot more to be said beyond, "Como estas? (How are you?)" and having someone to translate those conversations is essential to connections with individuals and groups. Spanish speaking missionaries and local translators quickly become your best friends. They are the link to questions asked by a curious child and your voice when it comes time to answer. This year's team is fortunate to have Shandra along with us...she's not one of the athletes, but is a Belmont student with ever increasing translating experience using her classroom skills in Spanish.
This morning started at 7:30 am with breakfast and orientation at Paul and Shelly Scott's house. The food was great and instruction we got was very helpful. Don't drink tap water and don't teach the kids "dirty" words in English were a couple of the rules. After that we headed to a local high school to hoop with some kids and teach them the word of God. It was a blast. All of the kids speak Spanish here so we have translators to help us. The helpers are Paul and Shelly, Shandra (she came with us from Tennessee), Samuel , and Arturo. Those guys are our age and really helpful. I have gained friendships from both of them already.
