Soccer

Good morning all,
Another week has begun and I am getting ready to head back to the BNC. The weather here has been really hot lately- temperatures right around 100 and some days I don't even see a cloud in the sky. Despite the heat, the past few days have been nice. Thursday night MaryBeth and I were invited over to the Maryknoll Sisters house for dinner. Afterwards I took a ride at night on the bike into town because the nights are so beautiful here. Many stars and the temperature dips to 70.
The rest of my weekend was hilighted by soccer. Being the miracle worker that she is, MaryBeth managed to get us time playing on the grass soccer field in Katutura. That doesn't sound like much to us Americans who take grass for granted, but here the children play on fields of dirt and stone. There is one field in Katutura which is grass, but it is gated off and for two years the city has told MB that the field is off limits because it is being "groomed" which is B.S. because almost every Saturday there is an event going on there. Finally they have let us use the field and one weekend a month it is ours to use the whole weekend and some Friday afternoons! This Friday was the first time the kids got to play and they played three games. They are all so ecstatic to be running around on the grass that not one of them complained about winning or losing. MB has an amazing ability to make things happen for these kids. From grass fields, to donated day-old bread from the supermarket, to free pool passes, she gets things done and gets people involved and inspired.
Saturday was more soccer, but back on the dirt and stone field. I referreed a few games, one of which was the BNC Boys Under-10 team. These little guys are great players who know how to pass and shoot. It didn't seem like there were that many teams there on Saturday and we were done with soccer by 2pm. Afterwards MB rode off to play tennis with her friend and I stayed in the neighborhood with the kids for a few hours just walking through the streets and hanging out under the shade of a tree. Esme was by my side the whole time... she is so precious and deserves her own blog entry! Everyime I sat down she would come and sit on my lap or lay down at my side. One time there was another girl sitting next to me and Esme tricked the girl into moving over and she slid right in next to me. At times I feel bad for the environment these kids live in and I daydream about bringing them back to the US. But at other times, like when we were walking through the streets, I realize how resiliant these kids are. It is amazing and heartwarming to see how the kids look out for each other. Older or younger, boy or girl, it doesn't matter- they are accepting of each other and are often more involved in each others' lives than the adults in their lives. They keep each other company and entertained.
Sunday was the slow day of the week because it was the only one without the kids. Sappy as it sounds, its true. MB and I did head over to UNam (University of Namibia) to play soccer. Playing with those guys is a challenge but a lot of fun- I only wish I played soccer as a kid- it really is a fun sport and great exercise.
Finally, the other day I told Salome that my auntie was coming to Windhoek for a few weeks and that my auntie reminded me a lot of her granny- by which I meant older and loving. With complete sincerity Salome asked, "Your auntie is fat and strong, too?"
The first picture is Salome and Esme at the soccer field. The second is the BNC boys team warming up before their match. Then there is the girls' Pumpkin Teams playing against each other. And again, Salome with a silly pose.