Our contact, Pastor Al, is involved in so many different ministries here in the community. Since being here, not only have we worked with him to set up a 12 team basketball tournament (31 games total), but he has built two pingpong tables and now we are creating a soccer field.
Unfortunately, creating a soccer field isn’t as simple as finding an open space and placing two goals. Rather, it means our team and several locals declare war on a section of dense forest. Using machetes, rakes, fire, and simple brute strength we have poured our blood and sweat into clearing the space. The forest has fought back with everything that it has… fire ants attacking our ankles, spiders falling on our backs, snakes racing out of holes, and I swear I had a scorpion climb on my leg. We are all a bit torn up, sore, and bruised but we continue to venture forward.
The war has gone on for two days now and we have made some serious progress. Several piles of burning trees and brush lay scattered about and light is shining through, revealing what is finally looking like a clearing. Though the war is far from over and I am sure to sweat another gallon or two as we attempt to complete this massive ordeal, slowly Pastor Al’s vision for the land is coming to fruition.
