So we have just finished our first week in Aninuan living with Pastor Al and his family. Adjusting to living in a community has been interesting but we are figuring things out. This town is full of life and the work Pastor Al is doing is inspiring. He facilitates the orders for bracelets and supplies the thread for the women. It has been so fun to see the community interact.
Some firsts: first time doing laundry in the river, first time showering in the river, first time sharing a room with six other people, first time flushing a toilet with a bucket, first time being in a place where girls don’t play basketball, first time coaching an all boys team, and the first time it is ok not to shower for four days.
There have been so many things that have happened so far on this trip and in this place. Our team has been so blessed to be with the Pastor and his family. We are very spoiled. One thing that has been so much fun for me has been the basketball tournament that Pastor Al is facilitating for the town. One of the interesting parts of this situation however, is that girls here don’t play basketball. So when Tricia and I walked onto the court to play in a pick-up game with all the guys we got some looks to say the least.
Pastor Al asked if I would help coach one of the teams for the tournament. I was a little skeptical because I didn’t know how the guys would respond since they are not used to girls playing basketball. They all were very welcoming. They made fun of the way I talked when I would yell at them for doing a good job. But it was so funny to here them try to imitate my accent. It was nice that they were willing to allow me to help them and actually ended up wanting me to play with them.
I have started to realized that the time and dedication that I put into playing basketball has started to become a major tool God has given me to help reach this community. When I was playing basketball in college it was hard to miss out on things but I am now realizing that God had a plan. He knew that I would use basketball for His glory and I would be able to use it as a way to minister to this community.
My time here has been such a blessing. I can’t believe we have two more weeks here but I am excited to continue building the relationships that have started to grow in this place.
