Good Story!

SO...the other day after class I went down to the soccer field to put on my gear and get hyped up to play with the guys from the community nearby. All of a sudden I heard a bunch of yelling, so I looked up and some guy had come onto the field and taken the soccer ball and was walking off of the field with it. He was upset that there were so many guys on the field. He said that it's impossible to actually play soccer properly when there's 30 people all playing at the same time. But that's just how we had played this whole time, we were all used to it, adn it doesn't seem to bother anyone else. SO Junior went and chased down this guy and got the soccer ball back, but the guy came back onto the soccer field and everyone at this point was yelling. I didn't really know what was going on because they were all yelling at eachother in Patois, but I understood the basics. Junior ended up giving the soccer ball to Coithia, who is a leader here on the base who is in charge of the soccer field. She opens the gate to let in the guys from the community. She was all upset about this, and was telling everyone to go home, because the conflict wasn't getting solved, and everyone was just yelling, no one was really listening to eachother (which is the usual case for any conflict in Jamaica). The man that had taken the ball wanted there to be 10 people on each team and then the gate to be closed so that no one else could play and then they could have a proper soccer game, but that wouldn't be fair. Coithia was telling the man how that wouldn't be fair to me even, because by the time that class is over there's more than 20 guys on the field so I would never get to play and that would be ridiculous. SO Coithia was still just yelling at everyone to go home and that the game was finished, so most people had left but there were a few of us who were stuck on playing. Finally after the man left and everyone had calmed down a bit, I got Coithia to give us the ball so that the few of us that were left could still play. It was pretty intense. We're thinking of organizing teams or something so taht doesn't happen again. It is pretty ridiculous to have that many people on the field at once, but we want everyone to be able to play. So hopefully we'll be able to get things organized and the guys will listen to us. Most of them come out to just have a good time, and they're just looking out for themselves, so I don't know if they would be fair about having shifts, or teams, but we'll see.

They also used to all call me white girl and they would freak out whenever I would get the ball away from one of them. But now that I've played wiht them so much, they know my name and they don't think it anything when I do really good. This one time I was defending a guy, adn they were all yelling at him to get rid of the ball or else I'll get it away from him, and surely enough I did end up getting it away, and they were all like...."see we told you!" (this is all spoken in Patois on the field, of course) I love playing SOOOOO much. I know all of the regular guys really really well. I've learned their names, and they all know my name too. I joke around with them, and talk to them a bit on the field while we're playing. I really want to be able to be a good example to them. They're pretty mean to eachother, they yell at eachother when someone missed the net adn I'm hoping that soon they will see that that doesn't help the situation. HOpefully one day they'll understand that if they don't want peopel to be yelling at them when they screw up then they shoudln't be yelling at the other guys. I'm really working on this with one guy in particular. His name is David and he seems to freak out at everybody adn anybody whenever they mess up, adn I've just been telling him that he needs to calm down. I thikn he might think that I'm joking, but maybe it'll get to his heart one of these days. I'm still usually the only girl playing, although Chelsea does come and play with me sometimes. \

I really could go on and on about stories of me playing football, but I figure this blog is quite long enough. Just know that I'm really really enjoying myself. I love that I get to play 4 times a week.

That's enough about that. I"m also REALLY excited about the fact that Jermaine is coming home in FOUR DAYS!!! AHHHHHHHH, I can't wait to see him again. I really miss him. I finally figured out how to get some money put on my skype account so I've been able to call him lately. He really loved his time in Gambia, he really saw how God is moving there, especially among the Serahule people. (I'll explain more when he gets back and can tell me more about it) Please pray that he has a safe trip home, and that everyone on his team including him will be able to evaluate their time there adn really look back and see all that God has done in each of their lives.

Also, Chandra and her sister Amber arrived safe adn sound Friday night and they've been cruising around the island ever since. I took them into MOntego Bay on Saturday and we hung out all day. Then Sunday Chandra had her first experience at a black church....which she absolutely loved. THe service was unusual, because it was Mother's day, but it was still excellent. The service was 3 and a half hourse long, but they didn't mind. Then they went to Negril and today they went to Ocho Rios. So they've been able to see alot of the island in the short time that they've been here. It's been really refreshing for me to have someone new to hang out with. It was great going into town wiht them because they thought everyhting was so interesting, whereas when I go into town wiht Chelsea or Emese (who are on staff here) they're just not thrilled by it. It was also really bizarre to have someone here who knows everyone back home and I could have convo's about places in Saskatoon and she would know where I'm talking about, which doesn't happen with anyone else here on the base. It's so GRAND!

Tonight we went out for Chelsea's birthday. She turns 20 tomorrow. A group of us went to the beach to watch the sunset and then we went out for ice cream. It was delicious. And DAD, I always think of you everytime I have ice cream!!!! I remember all of the ice cream runs each night when we were camping, it reminds me of the good old days!

I miss ya'll. Please send me e-mails! I really want to know what's happening in all of your guys' lives! You're in my prayers! I hope that life is grand! I'm sure that there's more that I could talk about, but I'll have to leave htat for another day.

Blessings, Kristen