January 2017 – Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe was awesome. It might be my favorite month on the race so far. There were so many things that I loved about the culture, the people, the city that we were in, and our ministry.
For the month we stayed in Mom’s house. Mom was the grandmother of one of our ministry hosts, Ronnie, but we all called her Mom. 5 out of 6 of us got a bed for the month (S/O to Katherine for showing such great sacrifice for her team) in 2 tiny (home-y) rooms. We had a living room with big couches, a kitchen to cook (we cooked all of our own food this month), and one bathroom which had a HOT shower.
Other than Mom, we lived with Ronnie, Tich, Owen, and some other guys who weren’t part of the ministry.
When it was all said and done, there were 17 of us living in this tiny house. And it was awesome.
These boys, plus a dude name Mbusi (he lived with his family elsewhere), were all part of a ministry called YFC, which is Youth For Christ. This organization originally started in the USA, but has spread to be an international organization in many countries around the world. These guys all decided to start YFC in Victoria Falls and put their own spin on it. Their ministry consists of two parts: 1. Outreach and teaching at local schools and 2. Coaching a soccer team
We got to be a part of both halves of the ministry while we were there.
Most mornings, our team would head to one of the nearby schools and go into a classroom or two and sing songs, perform bible stories, play games, teach messages, or preach. Usually the kids were elementary age so it was fun and simple and the kids were always excited and engaged with us. We would invite the kids to come play soccer in the afternoon, so both ministries connected and so the coaches would have more time with the students outside the classroom.
My favorite day with the kids was when we went to Chamobondo Primary School. First, let me mention that “white people” in the local language is said like “key-wah.” Little kids on the street like to yell KIHWAH! KIHWAH! as we walk by so we were used to hearing by then. But as we walk in to the school, hundreds, and I mean hundreds of kids come stampeded toward us yelling KIHWAH! in an alarmingly loud choir. Each team member was immediately surrounded each by upwards of 50 kids. I had kids latched onto my arms, legs, waist, so much so that they actually began to pull me to the ground (all of this was in fun). So as I tried to dinosaur walk with a kid on each foot to where we were supposed to go, I collected more and more students. Finally our team made our way back to each other and we had a great morning singing and dancing with the kids. There were so many of them and they were so enamored with us that they would follow our every move, it was hilarious. We would even scratch our head and they would copy us. This is the best part: At one point the school’s speakers started playing music. The kids immediately took their attention off us, raced toward the speakers, and started dancing. Like in a snap, they were out of their Kihwah trance and busting a move out on the field. It was incredible and hilarious for us to watch.
In the afternoons, our team would be at the soccer field. The field was actually a dirt clearing off the side of the highway. Kids from age 7 to age 21 would come play here. Mbusi and the guys had established a team called Breakaway Football Club to be a way to minister to these kids. They would sometimes have lessons, bible study, prayer time, and testimonies before or after practice. They were also an incredible source for encouragement, challenge and discipleship for these players.
These coaches are different from other coaches in the area because they encourage these kids to have fun. And that the point of playing isn’t about winning. It’s about learning to play on a team, support your team mates, celebrate the losses, and playing for Christ.
Some days we would have 10 kids show up and some days we would have 50. Either way, us kihwahs were always out on the field playing.
I am terrible at soccer. These kids are incredible at soccer. And they LOVE it.
And it really was a blast to play and to watch.
I mean you can’t not have fun with a 3 foot 8 year old is dribbling the ball around you like a mad man and roundhouse kicks the ball into the goal from across the field.
Ok that was an exaggeration but that’s what it felt like.
But the ministry these guys have set up for these kids in a great one. Many times kid’s ministry is shoved into this box of “preaching in the classroom” or “VBS” and often God is put in a place that kids don’t really like. But rarely do you put God into places that kids love. Like soccer. The connection that sports has to your walk with God is crazy similar and that makes it that much easier for the younger generation to get it.
Sports opens up so many great questions and conversations like:
“Who do you play for?”
“What is your life built on? Soccer or God?”
“Why does it hurt so much when your team looses?”
“How can we pray for your teammates?”
After this month, my eyes were really opened to how to break open that box of generic kids ministry. What other ways can we use things kids love to connect them easily back to the Lord? Art? Reading? Music? Math? There are so many possibilities, and I’m sure they have already been tapped into, to really reach kids in places they are already comfortable in, things they already attend – we don’t even have to convince them because they’re already there.
This month really opened my mind to the endless possibilities that we have not only with kids, but with everyone, to share the Word. This eureka moment is something I know I will carry with me for the rest of the race and the rest of my life.
So, what if we started using what people love and put the One who loves them into it?
Recklessly,
Haley
PS: Photos to come when I have better wifi!
