On Friday afternoon, our friends, the Larkins told us that the previous day, they met the women’s soccer team from Eastern University at House of Moses! Now, Eastern is the school where I am pursuing my PhD (yes, the dissertation will get done… eventually). But how cool is it that they are in Zambia at the same time as us?

Yesterday (Saturday) the team played an exhibition game against the Red Arrows, a professional women’s team here in Lusaka. We went to the game, me with my Eastern hoodie on. As the team was warming up right in front of us, I shouted, “Go Eastern!” Surprised does not do justice to the look we received from the girls to see people their to root for them! It was a good game with both teams earning tough goals in the second half and the game concluded with a 1-1 tie.

After the game, I asked the coach if I could address the team briefly, which he kindly permitted me. I introduced myself and Charis. I thanked them for their ministry at House of Moses, the place where we met our daughter. Who knows how their ministry of playing with the kids is even now preparing other of these kids to join their forever families in the future. Thanks again girls! On behalf of my daughter, thank you!

The Eastern girls are here for another week. They left today for Livingstone where they have another game schedule plus, I’m sure, a trip to Victoria Falls! You can follow their trip here.

PS> As a bonus to this post, here are what everyone really wants to see: a couple of pictures with Charis!

Arizona19 picturesApr 24, 2009

Hope spring is treating you all well! We have had quite a busy couple of weeks. In April, we went to Arizona for the CSRM (Christian Sports & Recreation Ministers) Conference with Paul, Dawn & Cassidy Oakes. Steve & Paul had a great time at the conference while Dawn, Cassidy, Jeremiah & I hung out at the pool and soaked up some sun! In other fun news, Steve hit the big 3-0 this month and Kim enjoyed her first trip to Baseball 101 with the Phillies for Mother’s Day. Enjoy all the pics (plus a few new ones under “Spring is Here”).

Steve’s Surprise 30th Birthday Party12 picturesMay 2, 2009

Baseball 10135 picturesMay 13, 2009

Today, October 23, Jeremiah turns 1 month old and will be celebrating by watching the Phillies in game 2 of the World Series. My hope is that Jeremiah never remembers the Phillies as anything but perennial World Series contenders! Go Phils!

The Phillies are in the World Series!!!24 picturesOct 23, 2008

Game time baby!!!

I’ve been reading the Sports Guy at espn.com for the last several years.  One of his regular columns is a mailbag in which he responds to actual emails he receives.  Anyway, the following is from the most recent mailbag…

—

Q: Brady’s injury gave me an idea for your mailbag: “If you had the power, would you take so-and-so’s injury yourself so that he could play? In this case, would you allow your knee to be blown out, have surgery and go through rehab if it meant Brady’s knee never got injured and he played the whole season? Or if you’re a Vikings fan, would you give yourself a sprained knee so Adrian Peterson could have played all 16 games? How severe would an injury have to be before you said “No way I’m taking on that so that (insert star player’s name here) could play.”
– John B., Valley Stream, N.Y.

SG: Excellent idea. I think it depends on your mindset as a sports fan in that specific time, as well as your age. For instance, I wouldn’t absorb Brady’s injury because I wouldn’t want to be on crutches for a few months when I have two young kids, and besides, they won three Super Bowls this decade. But let’s say you’re my friend Mike Tollin, a die-hard Philly fan who’s a little older than me and has older kids. If the Mets and Phillies were tied with a week to go and Ryan Howard’s wrist was broken by a pitch, would Mike do the switcheroo and take the broken wrist? Well, I called him and here was his first response:

“The left one or the right one?”

We talked it out for a few minutes and Mike ultimately decided he would sacrifice the left wrist in any scenario, but he’d sacrifice the right wrist only if he was guaranteed a World Series trip because, and I quote, “That’s my writing hand, my BlackBerry hand and my shaving hand … and I wouldn’t be able to play basketball for six weeks … although I guess I could run …” For all I know, he’s still debating it. I’m going out on a limb and saying Philly needs to win a title soon. For everyone’s sake.

Can you feel it?  That shiver running down your spine and that tingle in your fingertips?  That is because of the Phillies are tied for first place, a position they haven’t been in since the first time they heard an umpire cry out “Play ball” this year.  Now, with just 3 games to go, the Phillies are tied with those helpless, self-destructing Mets.  It’s awesome!

Kim and I are going to the game tomorrow.  Since we met, she has grown to enjoy baseball.  But she’s never experienced anything like this.  The noise will be deafening.  The energy will be buzzing.  Citizen’s Bank Park is going to be rocking!  I can’t wait!

The last several years, the Phillies has been the ultimate teases.  They get so close, everyone gets excited and then, Poof.  They vanish and disappear, so close yet so very, very far away.  Fans’ stomachs drop and their heart stop.  But this is different.  There is a confidence, a belief that they are going to come through.  I can’t remember the last time I watched the Phillies expecting them to win instead awaiting the inevitable freefall.  Here it is.  3 games.  Could the Phillies be playing October baseball for the first time since I was a sophomore in high school and only the 5th time in my lifetime, of which the first 3 were before my 5th birthday?  I can’t believe I’m writing this, but, I think so.  I think so.