I’ve been playing basketball with a group of guys a few times a week and it has been an incredible blessing to bring the World Racers out with me. Most of the games we’ve played have been pretty close and intense, but tonight was just back and forth the whole time. This may have been the best team I’ve played since coming to this country and I’ve just missed playing this competitively. While I don’t typically go anywhere near the three point line on offense or defense, the guy that I connected with the most tonight, spent the majority of his time back there and did some damage to our team.
Allen is one of those players that you just have to look out for at all times. There were even times that I’d turn around and he’d be guarding me. We’d laugh at the mismatch (over a half foot height difference is a little bit of a mismatch…) but keep playing the game. I had a good time going back and forth with Allen most of the night and we were just able to compete against each other well. We ended up splitting two games by less than 8 combined points and had an excellent night. No fights or arguments. Just a fun time of fellowship.
After the games were all over, Allen and I were able to catch up and he asked why all the Americans were there. I told him a little about the World Race and the way the program works, but then he asked, “What about you? You seem more Filipino than them.” I got a kick out of that comment, but I was able to explain to him a little about why I felt God kept calling me back here. He asked me why if I was a Christian I wasn’t preaching to him or telling all the guys about heaven. While I expected to be extremely humbled and convicted by the question, I just asked, “Well do I need to?” He told me the guys didn’t need to be preached to anymore, they just needed to be played with. I think we can accommodate that.
I told him the team would be back Wednesday, and he said he wouldn’t miss another night if he knew we would be there. He may want the competition, but the fact that he wants it with us gives me hope some of this stuff is actually making a difference….
