As the team are in Boracay and relaxing for 2 days I have not required anyone to write on the blog for the rest of the trip. Everyone is well and enjoying their time on the beach. The only other information I need to give you is the flight details of the team. They will be returning on Sunday the 18th of January at 8:45 on Flight BI67 (Royal Brunei). You will probably want to check the Perth International Airport website on Sunday morning to confirm. Photos on the website have been updated if you are keen to see what we have been up to in photo form.
God Bless,
Greg Beacham.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Day 10: What do you mean three games??
The longest day of our tour is drawing to a close and we can happily say that all three games today were successful and productive events for our team. Our 9.00am game was playing in La Plaza in the centre of Pandan. The team we played yesterday had improved markedly and we had a real fight on our hands with the half-time score at 52-45 in favour of Pandan. Some tough third quarter defense by Greg ‘Tower of Power’ Beacham, Joshua ‘Deacon’ Manthe and Danny ‘The Carpenter’ Cook took the game back into the Sports Ambassadors favour with the end result 77-70 included a late appearance from the heart and soul of the Spirit team, Jai Beacham. Danny Cook gave his testimony at half-time and told the crowd of how his relationship with Jesus Christ was largely developed through his struggles after leaving high-school and how he now relies on Jesus Christ to live each day. The crowd were happy to listen to a man who has thrown down some big slam dunks and has drawn the nickname of ‘The Carpenter’ because of his ability to fix anything on the court.
A quick trip back to our flashy beachfront accommodation gave us all a chance to have a quick swim between games or relax with a quiet game of run-around-the-halls-and-shoot each-other with-pellet-guns. Sickness has caught up with David Tidy who sat the day’s play out and Michael Valenti was also not feeling up to playing after the first game so our numbers were decreased for the last two games.
We were all aboard the bus by lunchtime for our second destination, the Mayor of Libertad’s office. Libertad is a medium-sized town which we have passed through a few times on our travels but we stopped to play in a caged court which quickly filled with locals and schoolchildren who had been let out of class early. The Libertad team was made up of town officials – including employees of the Mayor’s office, teachers, policeman and local celebrities. The crowd was very excited to see prominent members of their community play basketball against Australians but when it came to the crunch they really did not have the firepower to match Sam ‘The Man’ MacDonlad’s three-point barrage and Conan ‘The Truck Driver’ Prince’s strong work under the basket and the result was a little one-sided with the Spirit winning 67-51. Greg Beacham shared his testimony and their were many contact forms filled in and returned by members of the crowd.
The night game saw us travel a considerable distance to the town of Culasi, known as the ‘Basketball Mecca’ in the province of Antique, and the crowds were out in force for this big game. The large crowd was vocal from the Spirit’s arrival and only quietened for the singing of the Australian national anthem by Giles Creelman. He gave his testimony at half-time to a listening crowd who had seen their proud team humbled by Paul Beacham’s slam dunk to begin the game and Joshua Manthe’s emphatic inside moves to put the Spirit up by 20 points going into the long break.
Excellent second-half performances by Hedley ‘Babyface’ Taylor, Sam ‘The Man’ Macdonald and Danny ‘The Carpenter’ Cook put the game away for the visiting Aussies who smiled and joked with the crowd as the night went on. The excellent rapport between the Filipinos and the Australians has been of a very high standard on this trip and Pastor Gary Visitacion has found each game to be ‘easy-to-watch, entertaining, harmonising and evangelical’ as the two nations share a love for the game of basketball and the Filipinos learn more about how God has worked in other parts of the world through the Holy Spirit.
Tomorrow sees the Sports Ambassadors final game of the tour played in the food distribution site used on Sunday, the town square of Libertad. Sunday marked a big day for Libertad and the Sports Ambassadors as the money raised by churches in Perth went towards alleviating the suffering of locals in the area when the Ambassadors handed out over 600 bags of free food to residents of the area.
Pastor Gary reminded us in this morning’s devotions of the passage in 2 Timothy Chapter 4 where Paul talks about ‘fighting the good fight’ and ‘finishing the race set out before us’. It was a source of encouragement for a day which saw tired bodies cheerfully going the extra mile for the cause of Sports Ambassadors – to win souls for Christ through sports ministry.
A quick trip back to our flashy beachfront accommodation gave us all a chance to have a quick swim between games or relax with a quiet game of run-around-the-halls-and-shoot each-other with-pellet-guns. Sickness has caught up with David Tidy who sat the day’s play out and Michael Valenti was also not feeling up to playing after the first game so our numbers were decreased for the last two games.
We were all aboard the bus by lunchtime for our second destination, the Mayor of Libertad’s office. Libertad is a medium-sized town which we have passed through a few times on our travels but we stopped to play in a caged court which quickly filled with locals and schoolchildren who had been let out of class early. The Libertad team was made up of town officials – including employees of the Mayor’s office, teachers, policeman and local celebrities. The crowd was very excited to see prominent members of their community play basketball against Australians but when it came to the crunch they really did not have the firepower to match Sam ‘The Man’ MacDonlad’s three-point barrage and Conan ‘The Truck Driver’ Prince’s strong work under the basket and the result was a little one-sided with the Spirit winning 67-51. Greg Beacham shared his testimony and their were many contact forms filled in and returned by members of the crowd.
The night game saw us travel a considerable distance to the town of Culasi, known as the ‘Basketball Mecca’ in the province of Antique, and the crowds were out in force for this big game. The large crowd was vocal from the Spirit’s arrival and only quietened for the singing of the Australian national anthem by Giles Creelman. He gave his testimony at half-time to a listening crowd who had seen their proud team humbled by Paul Beacham’s slam dunk to begin the game and Joshua Manthe’s emphatic inside moves to put the Spirit up by 20 points going into the long break.
Excellent second-half performances by Hedley ‘Babyface’ Taylor, Sam ‘The Man’ Macdonald and Danny ‘The Carpenter’ Cook put the game away for the visiting Aussies who smiled and joked with the crowd as the night went on. The excellent rapport between the Filipinos and the Australians has been of a very high standard on this trip and Pastor Gary Visitacion has found each game to be ‘easy-to-watch, entertaining, harmonising and evangelical’ as the two nations share a love for the game of basketball and the Filipinos learn more about how God has worked in other parts of the world through the Holy Spirit.
Tomorrow sees the Sports Ambassadors final game of the tour played in the food distribution site used on Sunday, the town square of Libertad. Sunday marked a big day for Libertad and the Sports Ambassadors as the money raised by churches in Perth went towards alleviating the suffering of locals in the area when the Ambassadors handed out over 600 bags of free food to residents of the area.
Pastor Gary reminded us in this morning’s devotions of the passage in 2 Timothy Chapter 4 where Paul talks about ‘fighting the good fight’ and ‘finishing the race set out before us’. It was a source of encouragement for a day which saw tired bodies cheerfully going the extra mile for the cause of Sports Ambassadors – to win souls for Christ through sports ministry.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Day 9: Back To Basketball
After a busy day yesterday it was back into the basketball schedule today – this time in the small towns of Idio and Pandan. The small community of Idio was the scene of our first game with a few visiting Aussies in the crowd to cheer us on against a group of locals largely made up of rural workers and a crowd of 100 gathering from the local shops and schools. It was a reasonably easy game which the Sports Ambassadors won 48-39 but, more importantly, we managed to talk to almost everyone who was there about the gospel tracts we have been handing out on a regular basis.
With the trip now into the endurance phase, we are dealing with some fatigue although no one has any serious injuries yet. The trip to the neighbouring town of Pandan saw us arrive before lunchtime with our tip-off at 3.00pm. This gave us plenty of time to see the town and meet some of the locals before the game took place in the centre of the town.
Some of the boys supported the local economy by buying some pellet guns at the convenience store while others browsed through the market atmosphere in their uniforms prompting photos from locals and conversations about Australia and the reasons we had come to Pandan. For many of the locals it was the first time they had met anyone from a western culture. A final trip to the Mayor’s office for a conversation and photo opportunity gave us an excellent insight into the workings of the town.
By the time 3.00pm came around we were more than ready to play the big game with a crowd of 300 gathered in expectation. The rings at each end were in good shape and slam dunks from Paul Beacham, Danny Cook and Joshua Manthe in the warm-ups firing up the crowd for the tip-off.
The team played well and led by ten points at half-time, 45-55, thanks to some excellent hustle play by Sam Macdonald and Conan Prince. Joshua Manthe shared his testimony at half-time and the crowd enjoyed listening to the big American share his words about growing up in America and the choices he made which led him into a life of service in the Philippines with his wife and three children.
Excellent shooting in the third quarter from Paul Beacham and Hedley Taylor put the game out of reach for the local team with the eventual score finishing 72-51. The crowd left very happy and the team were in good spirits despite feeling a little more tired than usual today.
Tomorrow sees us play three games (9.00am, 3.00pm and 7.00pm) and we are gathering our enthusiasm tonight for what should prove to be the hardest day of our tour. The local pastors are very supportive of the work we have done so far and we are meeting with Pastor Gary Visitacion each morning for daily devotions to keep us focussed on the day’s proceedings.
Please keep praying for us as we enter the survival stage of our tour.
With the trip now into the endurance phase, we are dealing with some fatigue although no one has any serious injuries yet. The trip to the neighbouring town of Pandan saw us arrive before lunchtime with our tip-off at 3.00pm. This gave us plenty of time to see the town and meet some of the locals before the game took place in the centre of the town.
Some of the boys supported the local economy by buying some pellet guns at the convenience store while others browsed through the market atmosphere in their uniforms prompting photos from locals and conversations about Australia and the reasons we had come to Pandan. For many of the locals it was the first time they had met anyone from a western culture. A final trip to the Mayor’s office for a conversation and photo opportunity gave us an excellent insight into the workings of the town.
By the time 3.00pm came around we were more than ready to play the big game with a crowd of 300 gathered in expectation. The rings at each end were in good shape and slam dunks from Paul Beacham, Danny Cook and Joshua Manthe in the warm-ups firing up the crowd for the tip-off.
The team played well and led by ten points at half-time, 45-55, thanks to some excellent hustle play by Sam Macdonald and Conan Prince. Joshua Manthe shared his testimony at half-time and the crowd enjoyed listening to the big American share his words about growing up in America and the choices he made which led him into a life of service in the Philippines with his wife and three children.
Excellent shooting in the third quarter from Paul Beacham and Hedley Taylor put the game out of reach for the local team with the eventual score finishing 72-51. The crowd left very happy and the team were in good spirits despite feeling a little more tired than usual today.
Tomorrow sees us play three games (9.00am, 3.00pm and 7.00pm) and we are gathering our enthusiasm tonight for what should prove to be the hardest day of our tour. The local pastors are very supportive of the work we have done so far and we are meeting with Pastor Gary Visitacion each morning for daily devotions to keep us focussed on the day’s proceedings.
Please keep praying for us as we enter the survival stage of our tour.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Day 8: Rice, Rice, Baby.
Today we started off being spoilt again with a continental breakfast with number of the team enjoying a coffee which for some was much needed to get them moving. We had to prepare for ourselves for a big day of church and food distribution. The weather threatened to affect our plans for the day. Our rice which was generously paid for by many people in Perth was separated into bags, we had the boxes of sardines and noodles ready to go. However it became clear that our 15 man jeepney would not hold all our food supplies and all our team in wet weather. As always Pastor Gary (aka “The Weapon”) had a solution, which meant we hired another jeepney to get us to our first destination.
Needless to say it was an interesting drive with a “couple” of rough patches. We shared our newly acquired ride with some surprised locals and a bench seat in between our legs. After dropping off the locals to their stops, we arrived at Pastor Jerome’s church. We were warmly welcomed even though we were a little late and all given shell necklaces which was very generous of the small church. The congregation were ready to get started and we were soon all praising to a 6 string guitar with only 5 strings. Giles “Mr Excitement” Creelman was the most impressed with Pastor Jerome’s efforts who was guitarist, singer and leader. The pastor then became translator extraordinaire as the Tower of Power shared a short message of encouragement to the congregation. After meeting some of the congregation and playing with the kids of the church we were blessed with another massive meal of rice and chicken.
After lunch started the real work for the day, distributing 603 packs of rice, sardines and noodles started. We walked to the main part of town where we set ourselves up and with some assistance from the congregation again we were ready to give. Before we started The Greek Adonis was able to share with the locals and got such a massive response we didn’t have enough “The Answer” booklets to hand back. The Adonis definitely made an impression there, but that’s another story. The food distribution went relatively smoothly considering the number of people that turned up. Micko “Braveheart” Valenti proved his worth with his many years of experience and worked. Everyone pitched in and did a great job. There were a lot of smiling faces by the time we were done at both places.
Even though we haven’t played a game today I think it would be fair to say we are still fairly worn out. It was a really worthwhile time of ministry though and I hope many of the people that get followed up will have seen Jesus love as we shared this food with them because of all those who donated money. We have our American import back Josh “The Deacon” Manthe back as we hit the courts again tomorrow, so stay tuned.
Needless to say it was an interesting drive with a “couple” of rough patches. We shared our newly acquired ride with some surprised locals and a bench seat in between our legs. After dropping off the locals to their stops, we arrived at Pastor Jerome’s church. We were warmly welcomed even though we were a little late and all given shell necklaces which was very generous of the small church. The congregation were ready to get started and we were soon all praising to a 6 string guitar with only 5 strings. Giles “Mr Excitement” Creelman was the most impressed with Pastor Jerome’s efforts who was guitarist, singer and leader. The pastor then became translator extraordinaire as the Tower of Power shared a short message of encouragement to the congregation. After meeting some of the congregation and playing with the kids of the church we were blessed with another massive meal of rice and chicken.
After lunch started the real work for the day, distributing 603 packs of rice, sardines and noodles started. We walked to the main part of town where we set ourselves up and with some assistance from the congregation again we were ready to give. Before we started The Greek Adonis was able to share with the locals and got such a massive response we didn’t have enough “The Answer” booklets to hand back. The Adonis definitely made an impression there, but that’s another story. The food distribution went relatively smoothly considering the number of people that turned up. Micko “Braveheart” Valenti proved his worth with his many years of experience and worked. Everyone pitched in and did a great job. There were a lot of smiling faces by the time we were done at both places.
Even though we haven’t played a game today I think it would be fair to say we are still fairly worn out. It was a really worthwhile time of ministry though and I hope many of the people that get followed up will have seen Jesus love as we shared this food with them because of all those who donated money. We have our American import back Josh “The Deacon” Manthe back as we hit the courts again tomorrow, so stay tuned.
Day 7: The Longest Day
A 6.30 wake-up call prompted the beginning of a very long day. An early morning flurry of packing and breakfast saw us on the road just after 7am with the first game many miles away with a 9.30 tip-off time scheduled.
We have now acclimatised to the driving styles of the Filipinos and some of us are happy to ride on top of the 15-seater Jeepney we have been using. The countryside of mountains rising into the mist with rows of palm trees lining the road made the dawn travel something to behold. Old men harvesting their rice fields with caribou (water bison) waved happily as we passed them by on our way to Barbasa.
We arrived on time but the visiting team was a little late which gave us time to interact a little with the crowd of young children and working families who had come out for the Saturday morning game. The team was made up of a selection of the Barangay (district) players and they made a positive start for the locals who cheered them on. Once again, it was Paul ‘Wingman’ Beacham who shot the ball well from outside the arc to take us into the lead. Strenuous year-round physical training by Paul has transformed his body into something resembling a Greek Adonis and some of the team have remarked that he has now become ‘more of a machine than a man’. Needless to say we won the game 38-34 and the Mayor of the town was warm in her praise for us. Sam Macdonald gave his testimony at half-time to a responsive crowd.
The game concluded and we jumped back in the Jeepney and continued to travel north on the main road until we reached a coastal roadhouse for lunch. It was a welcome rest for the team as the lunch location overlooked the sea and the karaoke machine began to crank out the hits. ‘Moon River’, ‘Smooth Operator’ and other sing-a-long favourites preceded Pastor Gary’s version of the theme song from ‘The Love Boat’ which received high scores and applause from the local crowd. A swim in the island waters was refreshing for those that braved the pebble beaches while others relaxed in the beach huts for an hour.
The long day continued as we rolled into Tibiao for our 3.00pm game again the Police selection. The Chief of Police played point guard for the opposing team and we were under strict instructions not to give him a hard time for fear of being locked up! The game was very a friendly affair though, with the bright sunshine bringing out the crowds for a close game which saw David ‘Top Gun’ Tidy share his testimony and play a strong game to give us the win 72-68.
More driving took us to our final destination for the next three nights – some idyllic beach shacks which the lads have taken to in style. It’s not all easy though – the night was spent shelling out rice from large sacks for our food distribution tomorrow in a nearby town. The idea is to give out rice, sardines and noodles to the needy locals after their Sunday morning service. Financial support for the distribution program has been received from numerous groups in Perth and we will be happy when these plans come to fruition on Sunday.
Needless to say we were all ready for bed once work concluded around 10pm.
Tomorrow is the Sabbath so hopefully Pastor Gary will give us some rest! Here’s hoping!
We have now acclimatised to the driving styles of the Filipinos and some of us are happy to ride on top of the 15-seater Jeepney we have been using. The countryside of mountains rising into the mist with rows of palm trees lining the road made the dawn travel something to behold. Old men harvesting their rice fields with caribou (water bison) waved happily as we passed them by on our way to Barbasa.
We arrived on time but the visiting team was a little late which gave us time to interact a little with the crowd of young children and working families who had come out for the Saturday morning game. The team was made up of a selection of the Barangay (district) players and they made a positive start for the locals who cheered them on. Once again, it was Paul ‘Wingman’ Beacham who shot the ball well from outside the arc to take us into the lead. Strenuous year-round physical training by Paul has transformed his body into something resembling a Greek Adonis and some of the team have remarked that he has now become ‘more of a machine than a man’. Needless to say we won the game 38-34 and the Mayor of the town was warm in her praise for us. Sam Macdonald gave his testimony at half-time to a responsive crowd.
The game concluded and we jumped back in the Jeepney and continued to travel north on the main road until we reached a coastal roadhouse for lunch. It was a welcome rest for the team as the lunch location overlooked the sea and the karaoke machine began to crank out the hits. ‘Moon River’, ‘Smooth Operator’ and other sing-a-long favourites preceded Pastor Gary’s version of the theme song from ‘The Love Boat’ which received high scores and applause from the local crowd. A swim in the island waters was refreshing for those that braved the pebble beaches while others relaxed in the beach huts for an hour.
The long day continued as we rolled into Tibiao for our 3.00pm game again the Police selection. The Chief of Police played point guard for the opposing team and we were under strict instructions not to give him a hard time for fear of being locked up! The game was very a friendly affair though, with the bright sunshine bringing out the crowds for a close game which saw David ‘Top Gun’ Tidy share his testimony and play a strong game to give us the win 72-68.
More driving took us to our final destination for the next three nights – some idyllic beach shacks which the lads have taken to in style. It’s not all easy though – the night was spent shelling out rice from large sacks for our food distribution tomorrow in a nearby town. The idea is to give out rice, sardines and noodles to the needy locals after their Sunday morning service. Financial support for the distribution program has been received from numerous groups in Perth and we will be happy when these plans come to fruition on Sunday.
Needless to say we were all ready for bed once work concluded around 10pm.
Tomorrow is the Sabbath so hopefully Pastor Gary will give us some rest! Here’s hoping!
Greetings from the Philippines
I'm sorry we haven't updated for a while, we are all okay, we just haven't had internet access. Internet has slowed to dial up speed so there will be no pictures for a while and phone reception is quite bad so don’t expect any phone calls for a while. I am hoping that Boracay will have some higher speed internet but I can’t promise anything. Some of the guys wanted to say hello to their loved ones, keep in mind this was written quite a few days ago.
Greg Beacham.
Hi all,
Things are going well for me over here at the moment. No injuries yet so please keep praying that there wont be any and that I will continue to stay healthy. Its been great to come to a new place and get some good crowds which haven’t had a team like us for many years. Anyway I am loving it so far so thanks for your partnership and I will see many of you soon as time is flying.
Hedley
Curently travelling crammed in the back of our jeepney inbetween towns.In another 1 and 1 half hours will have to straighten out our legs for our first game today-.Can’t complain ,the scenary is great and so is the company(??) Oh ,Pastor Garry just spotted a Caraboo - were all hoping out for ride: you’ll see the Photo’s later.
I’m loving it – God Bless
Danny
Hi everyone,
Things are going well so far, although I just fell off the Caraboo : ) I am enjoying the trip and the company of everyone here. Please pray that the team stays healthy and that there are no injuries. The crowds have been quite big can you also pray that they will be receptive of the tracks and of us that the message will get through.
Love you beautiful.x
Bye all.
Hello Hello from Iloilo
Just wanted to let all know that things are going well, apart from 1 player suffering from a stomach bug for a couple of days and some unfortunate sleeping arrangements that is. We have been well received in many of the towns that we have travelled to with rather larger than expected crowds turning up to watch us play. Even though I have been on many trips, it is so humbling how awesome the philippino people are. So far no injuries to report and I pray that remains the case. Please keep praying as we journey on new a new area and continue our ministry there.
God bless
Michael
Hey all,
The trip has been great fun so far. It’s awesome to be able to use sport to reach so many people and tell them about the lord. So far my cast iron stomach has not fallen victim to any nasty bugs, even though we’ve all been eating like horses! Hope all is well back home and we appreciate your prayers. The people over here are so friendly and always wanting photos or even just a hand shake. Have fun in Melbourne precious!!
God Bless
Conan
Hello from the Philippines
Lots of tracts have been filled in and given to the local pastor in San Jose. Pray that this may result in many people being saved. Philippines is a naturally beautiful place, very scenic with friendly people.
God Bless
Sam
Greg Beacham.
Hi all,
Things are going well for me over here at the moment. No injuries yet so please keep praying that there wont be any and that I will continue to stay healthy. Its been great to come to a new place and get some good crowds which haven’t had a team like us for many years. Anyway I am loving it so far so thanks for your partnership and I will see many of you soon as time is flying.
Hedley
Curently travelling crammed in the back of our jeepney inbetween towns.In another 1 and 1 half hours will have to straighten out our legs for our first game today-.Can’t complain ,the scenary is great and so is the company(??) Oh ,Pastor Garry just spotted a Caraboo - were all hoping out for ride: you’ll see the Photo’s later.
I’m loving it – God Bless
Danny
Hi everyone,
Things are going well so far, although I just fell off the Caraboo : ) I am enjoying the trip and the company of everyone here. Please pray that the team stays healthy and that there are no injuries. The crowds have been quite big can you also pray that they will be receptive of the tracks and of us that the message will get through.
Love you beautiful.x
Bye all.
Hello Hello from Iloilo
Just wanted to let all know that things are going well, apart from 1 player suffering from a stomach bug for a couple of days and some unfortunate sleeping arrangements that is. We have been well received in many of the towns that we have travelled to with rather larger than expected crowds turning up to watch us play. Even though I have been on many trips, it is so humbling how awesome the philippino people are. So far no injuries to report and I pray that remains the case. Please keep praying as we journey on new a new area and continue our ministry there.
God bless
Michael
Hey all,
The trip has been great fun so far. It’s awesome to be able to use sport to reach so many people and tell them about the lord. So far my cast iron stomach has not fallen victim to any nasty bugs, even though we’ve all been eating like horses! Hope all is well back home and we appreciate your prayers. The people over here are so friendly and always wanting photos or even just a hand shake. Have fun in Melbourne precious!!
God Bless
Conan
Hello from the Philippines
Lots of tracts have been filled in and given to the local pastor in San Jose. Pray that this may result in many people being saved. Philippines is a naturally beautiful place, very scenic with friendly people.
God Bless
Sam
Friday, January 9, 2009
Day 6: Last day of our Antiki tour
Day 6 we travelled to Dao for Game number 6 our second last game in Antiki. This game looked liked being more competitive as we were facing a taller team with 16 players. The game started in a competitive but friendly way. The first quarter score was 18-11. Starting off slow was becoming a habit but coach Paul Beacham tried to keep the team focused determined to make a strong start.
At halftime Paul gave his testimony, sharing about his life and the reason that he became saved. The game ended 56-52 with two last minute free-throws by Mike Valenti to seal the win. A crowd of about 200 - 300 came along to watch.
The second game of the day saw us travel to Belison. The game was split into two halves because of concern for the weather. Mike Valenti shared his testimony before the game.
Ps Gary officiated this game. This game was the best umpired game that we had played to date. The umpire was so relaxed that he sat down in a chair in the middle of the court drinking Gatorade, moving his chair only for changes in possession.
This was also the first loss for the team, the final score being 25 – 24. However the game was played in a fun spirit. The team also said goodbye to the local pastor. We prayed together and he was given 75 Bibles as a gift for his ministry work.
Sam Macdonald
At halftime Paul gave his testimony, sharing about his life and the reason that he became saved. The game ended 56-52 with two last minute free-throws by Mike Valenti to seal the win. A crowd of about 200 - 300 came along to watch.
The second game of the day saw us travel to Belison. The game was split into two halves because of concern for the weather. Mike Valenti shared his testimony before the game.
Ps Gary officiated this game. This game was the best umpired game that we had played to date. The umpire was so relaxed that he sat down in a chair in the middle of the court drinking Gatorade, moving his chair only for changes in possession.
This was also the first loss for the team, the final score being 25 – 24. However the game was played in a fun spirit. The team also said goodbye to the local pastor. We prayed together and he was given 75 Bibles as a gift for his ministry work.
Sam Macdonald
Day 5:Cook Brings Down the House – And The Ring!
Our day began at 8am with breakfast (Weet-Bix and milk) and a devotion from Pastor Gary Visitacion. We then took off for our fast game which tipped off at 9.30am in the blistering sunshine of Sibalom.
A large crowd came out to support the local team who fielded a strong team determined to compete with us. A pre-game meeting with the local Mayor included Pastor Gary’s words ‘….the Sports Ambassadors have not been beaten – maybe today is the day for it..’
The Mayor took our token of friendship (a koala keychain) and wished her team all the best.
Hedley ‘Babyface’ Taylor proceeded to go on a scoring frenzy before giving his testimony at half-time to crowd of 300. During the third quarter we handed out pamphlets and information slips for the local people to fill in. We then took the slips for the local pastor. This crowd was quite responsive and we had a swag of responses for the pastor to work with. The game climaxed with Danny ‘Larry Bird’ Cook throwing down a two-handed dunk which bent the ring down and rendered the game unfinishable until some maintenance work was done to fix it. The Sports Ambassadors Spirit team won the match 47-52.
After a quick lunch at Jolibee (a Philippines chain store like MacDonalds) we headed back to our accommodation for a siesta before our long trip to Patnongan for our second match of the day.
The regional province of Patnongan brought a large crowd of over 500 people to the outdoor court near the centre of town for our 3.30pm game. Giles ‘Mr Excitement’ Creelman presented his testimony after hitting his first two shots and leading the team to a handy half-time lead. The rain then threatened but the jubilant crowd sent the rain away and brought the home team back into the game with the scores level during the final quarter. Some excellent work from Paul ‘The Wingman’ Beeacham and David ‘Top Gun’ Tidy gave the win to our team and keep the winning streak alive with 72-65 win.
We are all in good spirits and rallying around our fallen leader Greg ‘Tower of Power’ Beacham who has a touch of the flu at the moment and had a day off after speaking at the church service we attended last night. We trust he will be spearheading our team again soon.
Tomorrow: Two More Games!
By Giles Creelman
A large crowd came out to support the local team who fielded a strong team determined to compete with us. A pre-game meeting with the local Mayor included Pastor Gary’s words ‘….the Sports Ambassadors have not been beaten – maybe today is the day for it..’
The Mayor took our token of friendship (a koala keychain) and wished her team all the best.
Hedley ‘Babyface’ Taylor proceeded to go on a scoring frenzy before giving his testimony at half-time to crowd of 300. During the third quarter we handed out pamphlets and information slips for the local people to fill in. We then took the slips for the local pastor. This crowd was quite responsive and we had a swag of responses for the pastor to work with. The game climaxed with Danny ‘Larry Bird’ Cook throwing down a two-handed dunk which bent the ring down and rendered the game unfinishable until some maintenance work was done to fix it. The Sports Ambassadors Spirit team won the match 47-52.
After a quick lunch at Jolibee (a Philippines chain store like MacDonalds) we headed back to our accommodation for a siesta before our long trip to Patnongan for our second match of the day.
The regional province of Patnongan brought a large crowd of over 500 people to the outdoor court near the centre of town for our 3.30pm game. Giles ‘Mr Excitement’ Creelman presented his testimony after hitting his first two shots and leading the team to a handy half-time lead. The rain then threatened but the jubilant crowd sent the rain away and brought the home team back into the game with the scores level during the final quarter. Some excellent work from Paul ‘The Wingman’ Beeacham and David ‘Top Gun’ Tidy gave the win to our team and keep the winning streak alive with 72-65 win.
We are all in good spirits and rallying around our fallen leader Greg ‘Tower of Power’ Beacham who has a touch of the flu at the moment and had a day off after speaking at the church service we attended last night. We trust he will be spearheading our team again soon.
Tomorrow: Two More Games!
By Giles Creelman
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Day 4: What a full day.
2 games, 1 church service and 3 restaurant meals. A positive vibe in the camp and pastor Gary congratulates us for a good attitude and successful ministry.
So far were still getting our game together and have had 3close games, which have really kept the crowd excited as their local team nearly upset the visiting “international team.” Full credit to the locals as they have shot very well and move the ball quickly. Crowds have been large and excitable particularly the morning game as a lot of kids were let out of school to watch the game. We seemed to have worked out a good rotation between our 10 players. Weather has been cold but games are so exhausting in the humid environment, so we need our subs.
Conan Prince shared his testimony in the mornings game and I shared mine in the afternoon. The gospel was clear and well received, however a lot of people are more interested in watching the game. It’s hard to know how effective the responses to the tracts are. Please pray for people as they digest the message they heard and the local church as they follow up the responses. Speaking of the local church , we were invited to share with there church service this evening. It was only small but typical AOG service, loud and charismatic. We were very welcome and Greg gave a message encouraging everyone to play their part in the ministry. We were also privileged to pay a visit to the mayor and the local cable TV crew interviewed us.
By Danny Cook
Photos have been updated and I am in the process of putting a video up on the website so it should be up soon (Just click on the link to the right).
So far were still getting our game together and have had 3close games, which have really kept the crowd excited as their local team nearly upset the visiting “international team.” Full credit to the locals as they have shot very well and move the ball quickly. Crowds have been large and excitable particularly the morning game as a lot of kids were let out of school to watch the game. We seemed to have worked out a good rotation between our 10 players. Weather has been cold but games are so exhausting in the humid environment, so we need our subs.
Conan Prince shared his testimony in the mornings game and I shared mine in the afternoon. The gospel was clear and well received, however a lot of people are more interested in watching the game. It’s hard to know how effective the responses to the tracts are. Please pray for people as they digest the message they heard and the local church as they follow up the responses. Speaking of the local church , we were invited to share with there church service this evening. It was only small but typical AOG service, loud and charismatic. We were very welcome and Greg gave a message encouraging everyone to play their part in the ministry. We were also privileged to pay a visit to the mayor and the local cable TV crew interviewed us.
By Danny Cook
Photos have been updated and I am in the process of putting a video up on the website so it should be up soon (Just click on the link to the right).
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Day 3: Fly, drive, eat, walk, play!
A very busy day for the team with a lot of ground to cover before the first game was due to be played.
The morning saw us take off from Manila for the middle-island city of Iloilo. A giant bus known as a jeepney took all of our gear and the team on the two hour journey to our destination for the night game, Hantic.
Set high in the mountains, Hantic is a township of friendly people who had prepared well for our 7 o’clock tip-off. The crowd of 300 people were excitedly cheering as they greeted us on a balmy evening made for rural basketball.
After the formal proceedings were concluded and the Mayor wished us the best for the match, we proceeded to trade baskets with the local team. They had brought their best team and were determined to beat us – but we had Paul Beacham.
Shooting a dazzling array of three-pointers and leading the team by example, he kept the team in contention when the going got close in the fourth quarter. We finished by winning the game in the final few minutes 124-115 but we were amazed at how well the opposition played to take it up to us.
Other notable performances came from Hedley ‘Babyface’ Taylor, who ran the point with energy the entire game, and Greg ‘Tower of Power’ Beacham who towered above the Filipinos to win the battle of the boards and prove to the critics he is still the most solid man in the southern hemisphere.
Tomorrow we play a morning game and an afternoon game and our leader Pastor Gary Visitacion has organised some excellent teams for us to play. We are all feeling upbeat about the tour and the impact in will have on the lives of the Filipino people in the area.
Tomorrow : One day, two games!
Giles Creelman.
The morning saw us take off from Manila for the middle-island city of Iloilo. A giant bus known as a jeepney took all of our gear and the team on the two hour journey to our destination for the night game, Hantic.
Set high in the mountains, Hantic is a township of friendly people who had prepared well for our 7 o’clock tip-off. The crowd of 300 people were excitedly cheering as they greeted us on a balmy evening made for rural basketball.
After the formal proceedings were concluded and the Mayor wished us the best for the match, we proceeded to trade baskets with the local team. They had brought their best team and were determined to beat us – but we had Paul Beacham.
Shooting a dazzling array of three-pointers and leading the team by example, he kept the team in contention when the going got close in the fourth quarter. We finished by winning the game in the final few minutes 124-115 but we were amazed at how well the opposition played to take it up to us.
Other notable performances came from Hedley ‘Babyface’ Taylor, who ran the point with energy the entire game, and Greg ‘Tower of Power’ Beacham who towered above the Filipinos to win the battle of the boards and prove to the critics he is still the most solid man in the southern hemisphere.
Tomorrow we play a morning game and an afternoon game and our leader Pastor Gary Visitacion has organised some excellent teams for us to play. We are all feeling upbeat about the tour and the impact in will have on the lives of the Filipino people in the area.
Tomorrow : One day, two games!
Giles Creelman.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Day 2: Shopping is not for the faint hearted.
The start of our first week began with a tour of the streets surrounding the Guest House (located in the slums of Manila just 10kms from the centre of the city) where much of the social and urban development has been undertaken by Jeff Long and his team.
A four-storey school building, a church and a children’s home are just some of the recent building projects undertaken by international volunteers which have transformed the area into a refuge for the locals who are now provided with free education, running water and an orphanage for children in need.
A twenty minute drive away saw us arrive at the Greenhills Mall in the centre of Manila where all manner of shops, multinational chain stores and eateries greeted us. The contrast between the environments we had seen during the morning was obvious for all of us.
After seeing the local sights (including a visit to the manicure spa for some of the boys) and dinner from American fast food stores we all felt the need for some light training at Faith Academy before the night was through.
With our uniforms delivered by our American team member Josh Manthe we settled into some drills with Kirk Long, now famous in Manila for his role with the Ateneo Blue Eagles college team.
The team flies out to meet Pastor Gary Visitacion in Ilioilio tomorrow morning and plays its first match tomorrow night.
Tomorrow : Our First Result.
A four-storey school building, a church and a children’s home are just some of the recent building projects undertaken by international volunteers which have transformed the area into a refuge for the locals who are now provided with free education, running water and an orphanage for children in need.
A twenty minute drive away saw us arrive at the Greenhills Mall in the centre of Manila where all manner of shops, multinational chain stores and eateries greeted us. The contrast between the environments we had seen during the morning was obvious for all of us.
After seeing the local sights (including a visit to the manicure spa for some of the boys) and dinner from American fast food stores we all felt the need for some light training at Faith Academy before the night was through.
With our uniforms delivered by our American team member Josh Manthe we settled into some drills with Kirk Long, now famous in Manila for his role with the Ateneo Blue Eagles college team.
The team flies out to meet Pastor Gary Visitacion in Ilioilio tomorrow morning and plays its first match tomorrow night.
Tomorrow : Our First Result.
Giles Creelman.
Manila Arrival
The team arrived in Manila at 9.30pm and after a short wait for Customs, Foreign Exchange and Baggage Reclaim we were on our way to our accommodation for the next two nights – the Guest House.
The next day will see us settling into Filipino life with a tour of Faith Academy, the school which is a base for missionaries and their children in South East Asia. There is a lot of building work being done in the area to improve the local infrastructure.
Missionary Jeff Long updates us on the latest improvements and convinces us that “if you ever want to take a year off and help with a worthwhile project” then he will happily provide us with accommodation and give us plenty of work.
The Lord’s work is done around the globe – and we are seeing His work done in Manila.
Tomorrow : Our First Match
The next day will see us settling into Filipino life with a tour of Faith Academy, the school which is a base for missionaries and their children in South East Asia. There is a lot of building work being done in the area to improve the local infrastructure.
Missionary Jeff Long updates us on the latest improvements and convinces us that “if you ever want to take a year off and help with a worthwhile project” then he will happily provide us with accommodation and give us plenty of work.
The Lord’s work is done around the globe – and we are seeing His work done in Manila.
Tomorrow : Our First Match
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Brunei Airport
We have all arrived safely in Brunei and are currently enjoying (maybe enjoying is too strong a word) a three and a half our wait for our next flight. Most of the guys are playing hacki sack to pass the time. I on the other hand found a nice cafe with internet access to update the website. Everyone is travelling well and have coped with the first and longer leg of our flight. I just took a tour around the airport, it took me about three and half minutes. I thought Perth airport was small but this has to take the cake.
Greg Beacham.
Greg Beacham.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Trip Itinerary
SPORTS AMBASSADORS AUSTRALIA
Trip Schedule
San Jose, Antique Tour
January 04-17, 2009
(Keep in mind this is subject to change)
JANUARY 04 SUNDAY
9:30 am Arrive at Perth International Airport
11:40 am Fly to Brunei
4:00 pm Arrive in Brunei
7:40 pm Fly to Manila
9:45 pm Arrive at Manila
11:15 pm Arrive at accommodation
JANUARY 05, MONDAY
7:30 am Devotions
8:00 am Breakfast
8:30 am Tour of Faith Academy the Cuatro Community Center
10:30 am Rest of the day shopping (to be confirmed)
9:30 pm Pack for flight to Iloilo
Ptr. Gary arrives in Iloilo City
JANUARY 06, TUESDAY
6:00 am Devotions, breakfast and head to airport
11:10 am Fly to Iloilo City (via Cebu Pacific)
12:10 pm Arrive in Iloilo City/Meet Ptr. Gary V.
1:00 pm Lunch @ Australian Embassy
2:00 pm Travel to San Jose, Antique
4:00 pm Arrive in San Jose, Antique/Check-in Hotel
4:30 pm Briefing & Orientation with Ptr. Gary V.
6:00 pm Game @ San Jose
7:30 pm Dinner
JANUARY 07, WEDNESDAY
7:30 am Devotions
8:00 am Breakfast
9:30 am Game @ San Jose
12:00 pm Lunch
3:30 pm Game @ Hamtic
6:00 pm Attend Church Service/Dinner
JANUARY 08, THURSDAY
7:00 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:00 am Travel to Sibalom
8:30 am Courtesy call to Sibalom Mayor
9:30 am Game @ Sibalom
12:00 pm Lunch/Travel to Patnongan
3:00 pm Courtesy call to Patnongan Mayor
4:00 pm Game @ Patnongan
6:00 pm Travel back to San Jose
7:00 pm Dinner
JANUARY 09, FRIDAY
7:30 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:00 am Travel to Dao
9:00 am Courtesy call to Dao Mayor
9:30 am Game @ Dao
12:00 pm Lunch
3:00 pm Game @ Belison
5:00 pm Travel back to San Jose
6:30 pm Dinner
JANUARY 10, SATURDAY
6:30 am Devotions
7:00 am Breakfast
8:00 am Travel to Bugasong
9:30 am Game @ Bugasong
12:00 pm Lunch
2:00 pm Game @ Culasi
4:00 pm Travel to Pandan/Check-in at local hotel
6:30 pm Dinner
JANUARY 11, SUNDAY
7:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am Attend/Minister @ a local church
12:00 pm Lunch
4:00 pm Game @ Pandan
6:00 pm Dinner
JANUARY 12, MONDAY
7:00 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am Courtesy Call to Pandan Mayor
9:30 am Game @ Pandan
12:00 pm Lunch
5:00 pm Game @ Sebaste
6:30 pm Dinner
JANUARY 13, TUESDAY
7:00 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am Travel to Sebaste
9:30 am Courtesy call to Sebaste Mayor
10:00 am Game @ Sebaste
12:00 pm Lunch
3:00 pm Game @ Libertad
5:00 pm Travel back to Pandan
6:30 pm Dinner
(NB: Feeding program will happen in Libertad)
JANUARY 14, WEDNESDAY
7:00 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am Travel to Libertad
9:30 am Courtesy Call to Libertad Mayor
10:00 am Game @ Libertad
12:00 pm Aussie team travel to Boracay
Ptr. Gary travel to Kalibo, Aklan
JANUARY 15, THURSDAY
Relax in Boracay
Team Discussion on what was accomplished and what we could do better next time.
JANUARY 16, FRIDAY
Relax in Boracay
JANUARY 17, SATURDAY
1:45 pm Travel from Caticlan to Manila
2:45 pm Arrive in Manila
3:45 pm Late lunch and last minute shopping
8:35 pm Arrive at Manila International Airport
10:35 pm Travel back to Perth, WA
JANUARY 18, SUNDAY
12:40 am Arrive in Brunei
2:20 am Leave for Perth
8:45 am Arrive in Perth, WA
Trip Schedule
San Jose, Antique Tour
January 04-17, 2009
(Keep in mind this is subject to change)
JANUARY 04 SUNDAY
9:30 am Arrive at Perth International Airport
11:40 am Fly to Brunei
4:00 pm Arrive in Brunei
7:40 pm Fly to Manila
9:45 pm Arrive at Manila
11:15 pm Arrive at accommodation
JANUARY 05, MONDAY
7:30 am Devotions
8:00 am Breakfast
8:30 am Tour of Faith Academy the Cuatro Community Center
10:30 am Rest of the day shopping (to be confirmed)
9:30 pm Pack for flight to Iloilo
Ptr. Gary arrives in Iloilo City
JANUARY 06, TUESDAY
6:00 am Devotions, breakfast and head to airport
11:10 am Fly to Iloilo City (via Cebu Pacific)
12:10 pm Arrive in Iloilo City/Meet Ptr. Gary V.
1:00 pm Lunch @ Australian Embassy
2:00 pm Travel to San Jose, Antique
4:00 pm Arrive in San Jose, Antique/Check-in Hotel
4:30 pm Briefing & Orientation with Ptr. Gary V.
6:00 pm Game @ San Jose
7:30 pm Dinner
JANUARY 07, WEDNESDAY
7:30 am Devotions
8:00 am Breakfast
9:30 am Game @ San Jose
12:00 pm Lunch
3:30 pm Game @ Hamtic
6:00 pm Attend Church Service/Dinner
JANUARY 08, THURSDAY
7:00 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:00 am Travel to Sibalom
8:30 am Courtesy call to Sibalom Mayor
9:30 am Game @ Sibalom
12:00 pm Lunch/Travel to Patnongan
3:00 pm Courtesy call to Patnongan Mayor
4:00 pm Game @ Patnongan
6:00 pm Travel back to San Jose
7:00 pm Dinner
JANUARY 09, FRIDAY
7:30 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:00 am Travel to Dao
9:00 am Courtesy call to Dao Mayor
9:30 am Game @ Dao
12:00 pm Lunch
3:00 pm Game @ Belison
5:00 pm Travel back to San Jose
6:30 pm Dinner
JANUARY 10, SATURDAY
6:30 am Devotions
7:00 am Breakfast
8:00 am Travel to Bugasong
9:30 am Game @ Bugasong
12:00 pm Lunch
2:00 pm Game @ Culasi
4:00 pm Travel to Pandan/Check-in at local hotel
6:30 pm Dinner
JANUARY 11, SUNDAY
7:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am Attend/Minister @ a local church
12:00 pm Lunch
4:00 pm Game @ Pandan
6:00 pm Dinner
JANUARY 12, MONDAY
7:00 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am Courtesy Call to Pandan Mayor
9:30 am Game @ Pandan
12:00 pm Lunch
5:00 pm Game @ Sebaste
6:30 pm Dinner
JANUARY 13, TUESDAY
7:00 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am Travel to Sebaste
9:30 am Courtesy call to Sebaste Mayor
10:00 am Game @ Sebaste
12:00 pm Lunch
3:00 pm Game @ Libertad
5:00 pm Travel back to Pandan
6:30 pm Dinner
(NB: Feeding program will happen in Libertad)
JANUARY 14, WEDNESDAY
7:00 am Devotions
7:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am Travel to Libertad
9:30 am Courtesy Call to Libertad Mayor
10:00 am Game @ Libertad
12:00 pm Aussie team travel to Boracay
Ptr. Gary travel to Kalibo, Aklan
JANUARY 15, THURSDAY
Relax in Boracay
Team Discussion on what was accomplished and what we could do better next time.
JANUARY 16, FRIDAY
Relax in Boracay
JANUARY 17, SATURDAY
1:45 pm Travel from Caticlan to Manila
2:45 pm Arrive in Manila
3:45 pm Late lunch and last minute shopping
8:35 pm Arrive at Manila International Airport
10:35 pm Travel back to Perth, WA
JANUARY 18, SUNDAY
12:40 am Arrive in Brunei
2:20 am Leave for Perth
8:45 am Arrive in Perth, WA
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to you all. We pray that this year will be a time of blessing for you as God moves powerfully in your life.
The start of a new year also means that we are just 3 days away from embarking on another Sports Ambassadors Australia mission trip to the Philippines. This year we are sending a team 12 strong to minister to the people of the island of Panay. Panay was hit rather badly by typhoon Fengshen (Frank) in June 2008 so we are also purchasing food and basic supplies to help out the local communities. There is a link to a video news story of the effect of the typhoon below.
http://au.truveo.com/Philippines-Typhoon-Wrecks-Havoc/id/3418218401
The team will be arriving at Perth International airport at 9:30am on the 4th of January to embark on their journey. You are welcome to see us off at this time, but we understand if you have church commitments at this time. I have included a copy of the trip itinerary on this site also. Looking forward to keeping you updated.
God bless,
Greg Beacham.
The start of a new year also means that we are just 3 days away from embarking on another Sports Ambassadors Australia mission trip to the Philippines. This year we are sending a team 12 strong to minister to the people of the island of Panay. Panay was hit rather badly by typhoon Fengshen (Frank) in June 2008 so we are also purchasing food and basic supplies to help out the local communities. There is a link to a video news story of the effect of the typhoon below.
http://au.truveo.com/Philippines-Typhoon-Wrecks-Havoc/id/3418218401
The team will be arriving at Perth International airport at 9:30am on the 4th of January to embark on their journey. You are welcome to see us off at this time, but we understand if you have church commitments at this time. I have included a copy of the trip itinerary on this site also. Looking forward to keeping you updated.
God bless,
Greg Beacham.
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