Geneva Men’s Soccer
Friday Aug.8, 2008 Geneva Men’s Soccer
Today, we had the chance to travel to a local elementary school and hold a soccer clinic for nearly 100 kids. While playing with them in the mud, and teaching them was great, what was even better was when one of our players had the chance to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the kids. That afternoon we took our bus to a facility owned by Score where we painted and varnished in preparation for the facility to be used. To end the day, we had a very nearly unreal experience. We drove into the countryside and had to walk up a steep hill because the bus couldn’t make it up. At the top we found an amazing turf facility complete with nets, lights, and stands. We were able to play futsol with some locals, and 3 of them accepted Christ after a testimony and gospel presentation was given by one of our players. Over all it was a great day of learning, service and new experiences.
Saturday
In the morning on Saturday, we got up early to drive to a local school and put on another clinic. The kids ranged from 6 years old to about 14. We put together drills, but mainly goofed around and had many good laughs with them while playing. Directly after the clinic we played our first real 11 v. 11 game against a Costa Rican team. We played sloppy at first as we got used to the field, and style of play. Our Geneva Team then got our act together and controlled the attack for the majority of the game. We tied 0 to 0 in the end, and Sam got to share his testimony with the group. From there we traveled to the market place and had some fun times. Then it was Jeremy Glovier’s birthday, so we took him out to a nice dinner. It was great day.
8-12
After an early and tasty breakfast at the Nazarene Seminary, our team headed to the Saprissa Practice. It was a beautiful morning and we were privileged to get to the go into the stadium and watch the training session. After that we got to go down and see the players up close, get a couple pictures with them. We also got some autographs and got to meet the coach. It was a lot of fun from there we hopped on the bus and headed for the beach. Score packed lunches for us and we ate those on the way. The drive was long but enjoyable and we got to see some beautiful mountain vistas and some big crocodiles. We arrived at the beach with enough time to take a swim and enjoy the view. We then had an amazing buffet style dinner. After that we went and had quite times on the beach at night. Some of the team even enjoyed a midnight swim. The evening concluded with a good night sleep had by all. Sam McCracken.
8-13
Today was our second day at Leona Beach. Breakfast was a good experience for the team. Not only the food was terrific, but there were several monkeys that joined us to eat. After breakfast, we had the opportunity to go on the beach for a few hours. Most of the team was out playing volleyball and swimming near the pool. After all that the team ate lunch, got on the bus, and began to get ready for the game. The game we played today was intense. Not because of the team we played but because of the field conditions and the heat. Regardless, we ended on the winning side of a 4-0 victory. After the game, Monty Seaman spoke to the team about Christ. He gave a brief testimony that impacted both teams. After the talk, both teams spent some time together and we ended with a group photo. Tonight we will spend time together, eat dinner, and enjoy our last night in Costa Rica.
