Days 3-5,Weds, May 4, 2011 to Friday, May 6
Today is the big day of the U-13 soccer final. Before that, we have a big day planned: We will visit three sets of students at two schools. In Haiti there is such a demand for education, that the state schools (public schools) and some private schools have Morning and afternoon sessions with completely different sets of students.
So at one school we are visiting today, we are going to play with the AM section in the morning, and the PM section at 1 PM. After that is the final of the soccer tournament we have sponsored.
Yesterday I met with a reporter of one of the biggest radio stations in Cap Haitian (Radio 4VEH). He is going to advertise for the game this afternoon.
The soccer tournament final attracted the largest crowd we have had to date, outside of the Games played in 2007 in the National Stadium. We estimate there were over 1,000 people at the game. The sound system was very powerful, and as I arrived at the game late, I heard Jean Paul sharing the Gospel with the crowd. The 30-40 Evangelistic Counselors we had trained the day before were all there and they asked people to fill out response cards after the presentation. As we reviewed the cards after the game, 32 people indicated that they had trusted in Christ. In addition, many others asked if they could study the Bible with one of the three local evangelical churches represented. We gave the response cards to the representatives from the local churches to follow up with and met with them the morning after the game to give them some money to buy cell phone time so they can call and make appointments with those interested.
The Amputee soccer team also was at the final game and were introduced to the crowd, who cheered them as they shook hands with the players who were about to have a penalty-kick shoot out because the game ended in a tie: 1-1. It always breaks my heart when a young player misses a penalty shot which allows the other team to win the shoot out, but this is what happened.
After the game, we did the drawing and took advantage of the crowd that had gathered to go over the Gospel one more time.
The next day I got up early and went to help the Amputee Soccer team train the newly formed team from Cap Haitian. I then went back to the airport to get another 13 suitcases that were lost in transit (this in addition to the 16 that I had picked up the day before!).
We also sent Ronald William off to San Rafael to deliver equipment to 4 schools there that we had worked with before. It was a 2 hour trip on two motorcycles with two heavy sacks tied to the back. When he and his partner got back they were exhausted and had bloodshot eyes from all the dust.
That afternoon we played the first-ever Amputee soccer game in Cap Haitian to a crowd of over 400 people. I refereed the game and it was great to see them play again. The game ended 2-1, but most of the relationships that were made will never end, because most of the players are Christians!
We played in an interesting way so that everyone could participate. The amputee players played in the center of the regulation-size field, with 2 Canadian student players on each team playing only on the wings, and not able to enter the middle of the field. Those who played in the game said it was one of the best experiences of the trip for them.
We had practice with the amputee team the next day before we joined the Canadians to go to the Citadel. The Citadel is one of the “wonders of the New World”. It is a huge fortress built on the top of a mountain at the cost of the lives of 20,000 “free” Haitians, who were forced by Henri Christophe to build his palace and fortress.
It was a very emotional moment when the Haitian Amputee Soccer Team climbed up the stairs and entered this historic place. Ironically, Henri Christophe, who had everything – wealth, palaces, fortresses, and an Italian wife, committed suicide after he had a stroke and became handicapped. In comparison, the members of the Amputee soccer team are for the most part very poor and handicapped, but most are Christian and so they have hope in Christ and so courageously go on living.
Later in the afternoon, the Amputee Soccer team sang three Christian songs, including Amazing Grace, inside the Citadel where the acoustics were fantastic. We just started singing and then the whole Canadian team were attracted to the sound and so crowded around. Then the Canadian team started singing. It was a moment in time we all will never forget!
After the visit, I asked the Amputee soccer team if they still had energy enough to stop by the hospital in Milot to see if there were any patients who needed encouragement and prayer. The immediately said “This is what we came to do!” They found one lady who had just had her leg amputated due to cancer. She was discouraged because the cancer had spread to her upper leg and now she might have to have another operation to remove more of her leg. They surrounded her, hugged her, sang for her and prayed for her!
Thanks for letting me be your hands and feet in Haiti and “walk in the good works that God has prepared me to do” for His glory!
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