For Team B (my team) it was another good day. We had 25 kids again and they were attentive and engaged and very well behaved. We started the day in a small field about 1/4 mile from the church; which is better than yesterday when we walked very nearly a mile to a field that was very overgrown and difficult to use. Apparently the pastor had not known about the close one, but the kids did because they play soccer there. It worked out great for us. We only had to move once for a group of cows (vaca) to be driven through. We did have one little girl step in a fresh pile in the morning. And Stacey managed to get it on my shorts while we were cleaning her shoe--I still owe her one for that. After lunch we took the boys back to the field for games and while we were playing soccer one of the kids made a sweet slide tackle on one of the other kids and both of them went down in a fresh pile of poo. They were the subject of much sport after that; and they had to guard each other the rest of the game because no one else would get near them.
Team C, Bruce's team, had an interesting day. The village Orthodox priest had shown up ahead of them and told the kids who had come for the club that they had to go home because the clubs were bad and God didn't like us (Baptists). Apparently the kids didn't put too much stock in it because they just left by the front gate and circled the block and came in by the back gate. They still had about 45 kids for the day. And Pastor Vasile along with the local village pastor had a chance to talk to the priest for quite a while, which has been a challenge for them, and at least reach a reluctant truce. It's quite astonishing to see how much power the priests in the villages hold over the people. They can keep them from associating with the evangelical churches by refusing to provide any sacraments of the Orthodox Church to the entire family of someone who crosses over. And as far as the people are concerned (because it's what they've been taught since they were infants) the sacraments of the church are required to get into heaven. The priests also teach religion in the schools in the villages and they will fail a kid who angers them or whose family angers them. It's really amazing how opposite from God these types of activities are and they're being done in the name of God. How little we seem to learn from our history, we silly humans.
Bruce's team also ran into a snag when the rain started about 3:30. With a couple of hours left in the club time, they had no shelter except for a small overhang. Dan and Ken were able to spend some time with some older kids on the soccer field at the school where they were holding the club. Emmi went with them to interpret and they were able to share the gospel and a couple of the kids accepted Christ. Plus Dan then got to play soccer with them. Very cool.
Team A, Lucy's team, had a pretty good day although when the rain drove them inside they were in rather cramped quarters. But they made it work for them and the kids did great. There was, however, one incident that we may not have heard the last of--on a potentially international scale. I'm not really allowed to discuss the details, but ask Lucy or Chris about the inner tube, child dragging debacle. Perhaps they can provide the details.
Oh, and I ate 10 of the little dessert cakes that Pastor Silviu's wife made for lunch for teams A and B. Apparently that makes me some kind of dessert hero. All I know is that they were puerta bene.
We are off for another day. Please pray for us.
Mike
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