Today was just a rest day for some shopping and chilling out. Nothing eventful to report really. For those of you that need to know flight details for picking up your beloved family members and friends they are as follows:
The main group will be heading back to Perth on Singapore Airlines flight SQ215 which arrives in the early hours of Sunday (17th of Jan) Morning at 12:40.
Thanks for following our trip.
Greg Beacham
Team Leader
Sports Ambassadors Australia.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Day Twelve - 14th of January 2010 (Girls)
Today was our last day of ministry type activities. We started off the morning pretty cruisy with a few of us splitting to do different things. Neph and Heather headed up to the Children's Home and looked after babies for the whole morning! Mindy and Miranda went and visited a family they had connected with who have a little girl that isn't well and has some brain damage, to say goodbye. Then Kaija, Carly, Tammy, Shannon and Flick painted the balcony which seems to be taking forever!
Then around 10, all of us except Neph and Heather, went out to a community badly effected by the flood with food for the community, some medical help and some boxes of food and supplies for families in that area, which was recently sent over from a high school in Taiwan. Its always a good challenge being reminded of how very fortunate and wealthy we are back home, and to just see what life is like for so many impoverished people around the world, very humbling. But really great to see the smiles on the kids faces as we loaded up their plates with hot food!
Then after luch we all got back into the balcony painting...almost done! And at around 3:30pm we headed out for another epic journey to our last game of the trip!! The journey involed a drive to the train station, two crowded train rides, and then a walk into the uni campus. We played at an all girls college called Scholastica. And to our delight, the boys came to watch after recently arriving back from their trip down in Mindanao!! The game started slow, we struggled to get out shots in and our minds in the game. But by the second half we started to get our game on, and came back from being down to eventually win the game quite convincingly. At half time I shared my testimony and it was pretty well recieved.
After the game we got to hang with the team a little, they provided some snacks and we all sat around and chatted for a bit. Then it was time for the epic trip back, this time with the boys so our group was more then twice the size!! Two trains, a jeepney to the restraunt, then a stop for dinner, and a car ride home. Wheeew!!!! Everyone is well tired, ready for bed. Tammy and Mindy sadly leave us tomorrow morning while the rest of us will enjoy some earned R&R!! Fun times!
Thanks for your prayers, its been an awsome trip!!
Written by Flick
Then around 10, all of us except Neph and Heather, went out to a community badly effected by the flood with food for the community, some medical help and some boxes of food and supplies for families in that area, which was recently sent over from a high school in Taiwan. Its always a good challenge being reminded of how very fortunate and wealthy we are back home, and to just see what life is like for so many impoverished people around the world, very humbling. But really great to see the smiles on the kids faces as we loaded up their plates with hot food!
Then after luch we all got back into the balcony painting...almost done! And at around 3:30pm we headed out for another epic journey to our last game of the trip!! The journey involed a drive to the train station, two crowded train rides, and then a walk into the uni campus. We played at an all girls college called Scholastica. And to our delight, the boys came to watch after recently arriving back from their trip down in Mindanao!! The game started slow, we struggled to get out shots in and our minds in the game. But by the second half we started to get our game on, and came back from being down to eventually win the game quite convincingly. At half time I shared my testimony and it was pretty well recieved.
After the game we got to hang with the team a little, they provided some snacks and we all sat around and chatted for a bit. Then it was time for the epic trip back, this time with the boys so our group was more then twice the size!! Two trains, a jeepney to the restraunt, then a stop for dinner, and a car ride home. Wheeew!!!! Everyone is well tired, ready for bed. Tammy and Mindy sadly leave us tomorrow morning while the rest of us will enjoy some earned R&R!! Fun times!
Thanks for your prayers, its been an awsome trip!!
Written by Flick
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Day Eleven - 13th of January 2010 (Boys)
· Over cast day/ cooler
· Game next to the river open court
· Wet court, 10 minute game
· Testimony: Tristan
· Buzzer beating 3 by Andre
· 3 point + free throw contest (Filipinos won both)
· Excitable crowd
· 100 toothbrush/ toothpastes for kids
· Special farewell lunch with mayor and pastors etc
· Swim
· Certificate, shirt and bracelet
· Scenic route and location for second game
· Scooba Steve gave his testimony
- good finish to the trip
· large, excited crowd
· Jai booster dunk
· Danny got a sweet dunk
· Jai scored a buzzer beater
· Swarmed after game, team gave a few shirts and shoes away
· Nice restaurant meal – Conan really appreciated it
· Andre ambushed by BB guns; swearing vengeance
All in all there was great camaraderie between the Filipinos and Australian teams, the crowds were really enthusiastic; as if they’d never seen westerners before. It was a fantastic way to wrap up our tour of Dipolog and the team heads off tomorrow for Manila in high spirits.
-Danny Cook and Andre Janssen
· Game next to the river open court
· Wet court, 10 minute game
· Testimony: Tristan
· Buzzer beating 3 by Andre
· 3 point + free throw contest (Filipinos won both)
· Excitable crowd
· 100 toothbrush/ toothpastes for kids
· Special farewell lunch with mayor and pastors etc
· Swim
· Certificate, shirt and bracelet
· Scenic route and location for second game
· Scooba Steve gave his testimony
- good finish to the trip
· large, excited crowd
· Jai booster dunk
· Danny got a sweet dunk
· Jai scored a buzzer beater
· Swarmed after game, team gave a few shirts and shoes away
· Nice restaurant meal – Conan really appreciated it
· Andre ambushed by BB guns; swearing vengeance
All in all there was great camaraderie between the Filipinos and Australian teams, the crowds were really enthusiastic; as if they’d never seen westerners before. It was a fantastic way to wrap up our tour of Dipolog and the team heads off tomorrow for Manila in high spirits.
-Danny Cook and Andre Janssen
Day Ten - 12th of January 2010 (boys)
Well hello hello,
So as the day started, we were treated to a sleep in. Being able to sleep in til 8, was a most welcomed change, except for the unexpected visit to some of our rooms by our fearless leader Greg, looking for his laptop.
9 o’clock quickly comes around and we meet in the lobby to head off to our first game. We headed off to Barra elementary school to play the year 5 squad. After a hard fought battle we managed to come away with a much needed win. Ha ha ha, just joking. We spent about a ½ hour or so with the kiddies, breaking them into smaller groups and running them through some drills and stretches. The other team turned up and we were ready to commence play.
By half time, we seem to have a comfortable lead. So we brought out the big guns. Enter big Jai Beacham. He was welcomed to huge cheers from the crowd and making an immediate impact. We get the ball down the court and into the safe hands of Big Jai hands. Jai takes a dribble and a few steps, pulls up for the jumper and the hits it. The crowd goes wild and we go on to win the game. Jai finds instant stardom straight away with the crowd flocking to him after the final whistle to have the first opportunity for an autograph.
We say our sad goodbyes to the kiddies and head off for some lunch at the local Chinese restaurant. Much to everyone’s delight, the meal was awesome. Then comes some more news that received some mixed emotions. Pastor Gary informs us that our next game has been cancelled. As much as that sadden us all, we realised that it would be a much needed rest. So we head back to the hotel and do some relaxing until our next game.
4:45 rolls around quickly and we all meet in the lobby to listen to pastor Gary’s devotion. About 5:20, we hop in the jeepney and go to our next game. We rock up to our next game and to the surprise of many, there was really no one around, which was quite a different scene than we have experienced this trip. The people slowly started to fill the arena as we prepared for our next contest. The other team arrives and the game gets under way. The team we are playing against are pretty good. But thanks to some consistent strong defence from players such as Mark “The Spark” Beacham and Hedley “The Thickness” Taylor, we were able to keep them contained and have a nice lead by half time.
At half time, Mark “The Spark” Beacham shared his testimony. Although the crowd wasn’t that big, they were very responsive to us and we had an excellent response.
The second half gets under way. About 2 minutes before the end of the game something happens that you’ll see as often as Hayley’s comet. The Australian Sports Ambassadors team court team consists of only Beachams. Yes, you heard me right. Enter Greg, Mark, Bek, Cassie and Jai. This combination takes to the court with high expectations. And after some very nice plays, both offensively and defensively, by all, we hold on for another hard fought victory.
We pack up and head off to get some dinner. Then make our way back to the hotel. All are ready for a shower and bed.
Thanks to all for your prayers. The guy’s team has been quite protected so far on the trip, with no one suffering any real injuries or sickness. Unfortunately the same doesn’t seem to be the case for the girl’s team, with most fallen to sickness or injury. Girls, our prayers are with you all.
Time to get some shut eye
God Bless
Micko
So as the day started, we were treated to a sleep in. Being able to sleep in til 8, was a most welcomed change, except for the unexpected visit to some of our rooms by our fearless leader Greg, looking for his laptop.
9 o’clock quickly comes around and we meet in the lobby to head off to our first game. We headed off to Barra elementary school to play the year 5 squad. After a hard fought battle we managed to come away with a much needed win. Ha ha ha, just joking. We spent about a ½ hour or so with the kiddies, breaking them into smaller groups and running them through some drills and stretches. The other team turned up and we were ready to commence play.
By half time, we seem to have a comfortable lead. So we brought out the big guns. Enter big Jai Beacham. He was welcomed to huge cheers from the crowd and making an immediate impact. We get the ball down the court and into the safe hands of Big Jai hands. Jai takes a dribble and a few steps, pulls up for the jumper and the hits it. The crowd goes wild and we go on to win the game. Jai finds instant stardom straight away with the crowd flocking to him after the final whistle to have the first opportunity for an autograph.
We say our sad goodbyes to the kiddies and head off for some lunch at the local Chinese restaurant. Much to everyone’s delight, the meal was awesome. Then comes some more news that received some mixed emotions. Pastor Gary informs us that our next game has been cancelled. As much as that sadden us all, we realised that it would be a much needed rest. So we head back to the hotel and do some relaxing until our next game.
4:45 rolls around quickly and we all meet in the lobby to listen to pastor Gary’s devotion. About 5:20, we hop in the jeepney and go to our next game. We rock up to our next game and to the surprise of many, there was really no one around, which was quite a different scene than we have experienced this trip. The people slowly started to fill the arena as we prepared for our next contest. The other team arrives and the game gets under way. The team we are playing against are pretty good. But thanks to some consistent strong defence from players such as Mark “The Spark” Beacham and Hedley “The Thickness” Taylor, we were able to keep them contained and have a nice lead by half time.
At half time, Mark “The Spark” Beacham shared his testimony. Although the crowd wasn’t that big, they were very responsive to us and we had an excellent response.
The second half gets under way. About 2 minutes before the end of the game something happens that you’ll see as often as Hayley’s comet. The Australian Sports Ambassadors team court team consists of only Beachams. Yes, you heard me right. Enter Greg, Mark, Bek, Cassie and Jai. This combination takes to the court with high expectations. And after some very nice plays, both offensively and defensively, by all, we hold on for another hard fought victory.
We pack up and head off to get some dinner. Then make our way back to the hotel. All are ready for a shower and bed.
Thanks to all for your prayers. The guy’s team has been quite protected so far on the trip, with no one suffering any real injuries or sickness. Unfortunately the same doesn’t seem to be the case for the girl’s team, with most fallen to sickness or injury. Girls, our prayers are with you all.
Time to get some shut eye
God Bless
Micko
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Day Nine - 11th of January 2010 (Girls)
Very tired & its late, so sorry to all you die-hard blog readers out there - this'll be nice 'n short 'n sweet ok! the morning was spent doing jeff's orders, we packed boxes with clothes to be distributed out to the community & shipped off to Mindinao, others painted the house railings throughout the morning & early afternoon.. we helped unload all kinds of goods to the schools around, and some other girls did shifts in the nursery at the orphanage. we were all pretty knackered though, so there were many naps slipped in here 'n there..
The main event was the biggest game of the trip - versus Ateneo, the college where our star american recruit attends over here (Janellll the Desert Fox). Of course we had inside information from playing with her for 4 games but the key was her little sister betraying the family blood, and being our bench guard :) not to mention her dad still agreeing to coach, even on his birthday!!
It was a brilliant, close game the whole way through - we had an early lead in the first, but basically it was goal for goal, with the lead never exceeding 5 pts either way. there were a few early casualties - tammy rolled her ankle in a nasty collision off the ball, and flick had a very painful rib jab that took her out before half time (xray tomorrow will confirm if broken or not. so please pray for a speedy recovery, bcoz she would be highly disappointed to sit out for our last 3 remaining games)
Anyway long story short, we lost. by 1 pt. dont really wanna talk about it.
but! we had an awesome time afterwards, having dinner together, ironically for flick, at a rib house called Buffalo Wings. followed by ridiculously unhealthy dessert at the Old Spaghetti House but amazing.. sorry to be a tad boring but we're out!
sweet dreams Australia! we miss you xo
Love shan & mirands.
The main event was the biggest game of the trip - versus Ateneo, the college where our star american recruit attends over here (Janellll the Desert Fox). Of course we had inside information from playing with her for 4 games but the key was her little sister betraying the family blood, and being our bench guard :) not to mention her dad still agreeing to coach, even on his birthday!!
It was a brilliant, close game the whole way through - we had an early lead in the first, but basically it was goal for goal, with the lead never exceeding 5 pts either way. there were a few early casualties - tammy rolled her ankle in a nasty collision off the ball, and flick had a very painful rib jab that took her out before half time (xray tomorrow will confirm if broken or not. so please pray for a speedy recovery, bcoz she would be highly disappointed to sit out for our last 3 remaining games)
Anyway long story short, we lost. by 1 pt. dont really wanna talk about it.
but! we had an awesome time afterwards, having dinner together, ironically for flick, at a rib house called Buffalo Wings. followed by ridiculously unhealthy dessert at the Old Spaghetti House but amazing.. sorry to be a tad boring but we're out!
sweet dreams Australia! we miss you xo
Love shan & mirands.
Day Nine - 11th of January 2010 (Boys)
Well we’ve made it through another day down here in Mindanao, but boy oh boy was it a tough one! 3 games, a flag raising ceremony, tour of the mayors office and a viewing of Dipolog city on top of their newest building. First off was the flag raising ceremony that team SA was invited to attend by the mayor. Unfortunately this required a 7:00am wake up after a 12:00pm night so we were a little bit reluctant to attend, but this is the mayor we’re talking about so of course we showed up on time; only to wait a further 15 minutes for the mayor to show up! After the ceremony we had a tour of the mayor’s office; we could only wish that the chairs in her office could be transferred to our Jeepney!
After the tour we made our way to AB College, starting our warm up on Andre’s basketball court (not Andre Janssen!) and were soon facing up against a hardened college team. Before the match started the schools cheer squad came out and preformed a rather long routine and straight after we were lining up for jump ball. At half time team SA was down by around 10 pts but this didn’t dampen our spirits at all! It was my turn to give my testimony, which I think was well received by a rather enthusiastic student crowd. Afterwards we commenced our ministry and simultaneously started the second half. Despite closing the gap and even getting 1 point up during the 3rd quarter, team SA went down by 6 points. Nevertheless the crowd was one of the best I’ve experience and I believe we witnessed the Lord at work.
Next stop: the local Mexican joint for tacos (the only Mexican food they had in stock) and pizza (Italian I know, but we take what we can get out here!). The food went down well after a hard morning, and we sculped it down hungrily so we could hurry back to the hotel (Tim, Micko, Mark, Conan, Pete and another bunch were motivated by the lure of a massage!). We rested up for 2 hours before our jam packed evening!
At 3 oclock the Autobots rolled out for the second college of the day. Once again team SA was well received and a pre game performance by 3 college girls entertained us while the wet court was wiped down. The game started on the uneven court and what was meant to be a basketball game quickly turned into a skating match, with players skittering all over the court; praise God we had no major injuries! Time Sobey gave his testimony at half time, after which team SA went on to win by a comfortable 14 point margin.
The final stop of the day, at a barangay court was arguably the hardest game we played today. The local team played well, but were rather physical; getting into foul penalties in every quarter and having 2 of their players fouled off. Team SA came out strong, lead by Pete Grundy dominating the back boards and Conan sniping 13 free throws from 15 attempts! At half time we were up by 10 as Hedley gave his testimony to the smaller but very excited crowd. In the second half the Filipino team brought the game to even but team SA showed determination and tenacity (ooooh yeah) and brought the lead out to around 5 points, where it stayed for the rest of the game.
All that was left for the day was a trip to the Filipino embassy to end our long and tiring day. Please continue to keep the team in your prayers as the sheer number of games and niggling injuries starts to wear us down a little, but don’t get too worried, we’re still going strong! L8r sk8rs! –Andre Janssen
After the tour we made our way to AB College, starting our warm up on Andre’s basketball court (not Andre Janssen!) and were soon facing up against a hardened college team. Before the match started the schools cheer squad came out and preformed a rather long routine and straight after we were lining up for jump ball. At half time team SA was down by around 10 pts but this didn’t dampen our spirits at all! It was my turn to give my testimony, which I think was well received by a rather enthusiastic student crowd. Afterwards we commenced our ministry and simultaneously started the second half. Despite closing the gap and even getting 1 point up during the 3rd quarter, team SA went down by 6 points. Nevertheless the crowd was one of the best I’ve experience and I believe we witnessed the Lord at work.
Next stop: the local Mexican joint for tacos (the only Mexican food they had in stock) and pizza (Italian I know, but we take what we can get out here!). The food went down well after a hard morning, and we sculped it down hungrily so we could hurry back to the hotel (Tim, Micko, Mark, Conan, Pete and another bunch were motivated by the lure of a massage!). We rested up for 2 hours before our jam packed evening!
At 3 oclock the Autobots rolled out for the second college of the day. Once again team SA was well received and a pre game performance by 3 college girls entertained us while the wet court was wiped down. The game started on the uneven court and what was meant to be a basketball game quickly turned into a skating match, with players skittering all over the court; praise God we had no major injuries! Time Sobey gave his testimony at half time, after which team SA went on to win by a comfortable 14 point margin.
The final stop of the day, at a barangay court was arguably the hardest game we played today. The local team played well, but were rather physical; getting into foul penalties in every quarter and having 2 of their players fouled off. Team SA came out strong, lead by Pete Grundy dominating the back boards and Conan sniping 13 free throws from 15 attempts! At half time we were up by 10 as Hedley gave his testimony to the smaller but very excited crowd. In the second half the Filipino team brought the game to even but team SA showed determination and tenacity (ooooh yeah) and brought the lead out to around 5 points, where it stayed for the rest of the game.
All that was left for the day was a trip to the Filipino embassy to end our long and tiring day. Please continue to keep the team in your prayers as the sheer number of games and niggling injuries starts to wear us down a little, but don’t get too worried, we’re still going strong! L8r sk8rs! –Andre Janssen
Monday, January 11, 2010
Day Eight - 10th of January (Girls)
Oh Sundays. A day of such things as a 1000 plus rocking curch service, a full on mexican lunch (immense regret from the majority of the team as the choice of pre game food), a win on the court, full body massages and sweet sweet Starbucks to finish it all off.
A combination of sickness and injuries have hit the team hard, with Flick, Kaija and Carly (the Basketball originals) being the only ones unaffected so far.
A win against the National team by 12 points (they were the Junior National team, and the youngest player that was 13 years old pretty much owned all over us) boosted spirits and team morale, with Heather, Mindy and Tammy getting lots of court time and bringing the game home. The desert fox, otherwise know as Janel Long our American Filipino import, deserves an hounourable mention for her countless three pointers.
\
Another day over, another singalong on the car ride home. Love to you all, Caly Raye xx
A combination of sickness and injuries have hit the team hard, with Flick, Kaija and Carly (the Basketball originals) being the only ones unaffected so far.
A win against the National team by 12 points (they were the Junior National team, and the youngest player that was 13 years old pretty much owned all over us) boosted spirits and team morale, with Heather, Mindy and Tammy getting lots of court time and bringing the game home. The desert fox, otherwise know as Janel Long our American Filipino import, deserves an hounourable mention for her countless three pointers.
\
Another day over, another singalong on the car ride home. Love to you all, Caly Raye xx
Day Seven - 9th of January 2010 (girls)
Well well, here we are...day 8. and it was officially the day we had all been waiting for...cinnamon scrolls for breakfast. Unfortunately not all could be as happy as some as this was also the first day of one of our team members getting sick. We headed off to Faith Acadamy to play a game against Haven - a team of ex-college players. However there was no 'ex'-ness to their skills. It was a nail bitter the whole way through and unfortunately we were just edged out by 1 pt in the dying seconds of the game. Miranda gave her fully sick testimony and once again the loss provided an awesome opportunity to talk with the girls of the other team, with 3 of them taking us out to lunch to Jollibee - Mindi's favourite. Starbucks for coffee and desert, another cinnamon scroll for some aka kaija. Back at the house, with very full stomachs we divided off into 3 groups, helping out in the orphanage and nursery. Dinner tonight was a well deserved trip out to a mall for pizza - absolutely awesome. another starbucks stop and we were back home for bed time.
Challenges continue to come our way. We are starting to develop some great relationships with some of the people in the community. Today we had an intense chat with a young man who was originally a part of the volleyball tournament we had been running the last two nights. He came and watched our bball game this morning and out for lunch with us. He had some very tough questions for us about God and we are continually praying asking God for wisdom to be able to answer some of the questions we are facing daily. He has asked to come with us to church tomorrow - whoo!! and for those of you who are wondering, 'who is the young lady that he fancies?' dont ask!
We ask you to pray for us, that hearts would be opened to those who hear the message of Jesus Christ through our ministry. Please also pray for Shannon as she is very unwell, and some of the other team members are feeling a bit under the weather and taking a few more than usual visits to the toilet.
Peace out
written by -kaihito
supported by - mindhito
Challenges continue to come our way. We are starting to develop some great relationships with some of the people in the community. Today we had an intense chat with a young man who was originally a part of the volleyball tournament we had been running the last two nights. He came and watched our bball game this morning and out for lunch with us. He had some very tough questions for us about God and we are continually praying asking God for wisdom to be able to answer some of the questions we are facing daily. He has asked to come with us to church tomorrow - whoo!! and for those of you who are wondering, 'who is the young lady that he fancies?' dont ask!
We ask you to pray for us, that hearts would be opened to those who hear the message of Jesus Christ through our ministry. Please also pray for Shannon as she is very unwell, and some of the other team members are feeling a bit under the weather and taking a few more than usual visits to the toilet.
Peace out
written by -kaihito
supported by - mindhito
Day Eight - 10th of January (Boys)
Yeahew! What a day! Today’s been a long but productive one; we’ve played 2 games and attended 2 church services. The Sunday started off with team SA splitting up into 3 groups and attending 3 different services. The groups were headed up by “The Weapon” - Pastor Gary, “The Tower of Power”- Greg and “The Prince” – Conan; each of whom were giving a sermon. I can’t speak for the groups with Greg and Conan but the service we attended was very energetic and deafeningly loud! The Sermon Pastor Gary gave was both interesting and relevant; focusing on the need for unity in the church.
After the service team SA headed out to the mall to get some lunch at the Filipino embassy – a.k.a. Jollibee. After lunch we mucked around the mall for another 45 minutes before heading back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes before our next stop – The mayor’s church.
The second service of the day was at the mayor’s church on the 3rd story of a different hotel. Once again the music was super loud and the people just as enthusiastic. Tim and I visited the youth section of the church and found a room packed with at least 50 teenagers. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to stay for the sermon and soon enough team SA rolled out for our first game versus the Filipino 101st army corp.
After a 50 minute drive we arrived outside of the army base and started our game on their undercover court. The Army team was good, but team SA managed to lead for most of the match in what was a fast paced, reasonably high scoring game. At half time Greg gave his testimony to the packed out crowd and our tracts ministry was well received. Team SA went on to win by a comfortable margin of around 10 points and quickly rolled out to our last game; the second show down on the boulevard against the Mega Bulls.
A tired team SA reached the boulevard at around 8:00pm and started our game with a Danny – Hedley combo at tip off for a quick 2 points. Team SA managed to hold the lead for the whole game, but it was close at points of the game. At half time Danny shared his testimony and once again the crowd was very receptive. The second half was hard fought, with special mention to Tristan for his seemingly kamikaze drives to the basket which he pulled off with excellent results. Also a mention for Tim who managed a bit of a scrape when hustling for a rebound. Team SA won by a comfortable ten or so points and we all piled off for a dinner at a local restaurant, ending a long day with a Filipino meal.
So that was the Sunday, and it’s time for us to crash for the night and rest up for a big Monday. Please keep us in your prayers, especially as the team gets a bit tired. So until next time - Andre out!
After the service team SA headed out to the mall to get some lunch at the Filipino embassy – a.k.a. Jollibee. After lunch we mucked around the mall for another 45 minutes before heading back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes before our next stop – The mayor’s church.
The second service of the day was at the mayor’s church on the 3rd story of a different hotel. Once again the music was super loud and the people just as enthusiastic. Tim and I visited the youth section of the church and found a room packed with at least 50 teenagers. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to stay for the sermon and soon enough team SA rolled out for our first game versus the Filipino 101st army corp.
After a 50 minute drive we arrived outside of the army base and started our game on their undercover court. The Army team was good, but team SA managed to lead for most of the match in what was a fast paced, reasonably high scoring game. At half time Greg gave his testimony to the packed out crowd and our tracts ministry was well received. Team SA went on to win by a comfortable margin of around 10 points and quickly rolled out to our last game; the second show down on the boulevard against the Mega Bulls.
A tired team SA reached the boulevard at around 8:00pm and started our game with a Danny – Hedley combo at tip off for a quick 2 points. Team SA managed to hold the lead for the whole game, but it was close at points of the game. At half time Danny shared his testimony and once again the crowd was very receptive. The second half was hard fought, with special mention to Tristan for his seemingly kamikaze drives to the basket which he pulled off with excellent results. Also a mention for Tim who managed a bit of a scrape when hustling for a rebound. Team SA won by a comfortable ten or so points and we all piled off for a dinner at a local restaurant, ending a long day with a Filipino meal.
So that was the Sunday, and it’s time for us to crash for the night and rest up for a big Monday. Please keep us in your prayers, especially as the team gets a bit tired. So until next time - Andre out!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Day Six - 8th of January 2010 (girls)
So today started very abruptly for us girls, we had to be out the door by 7am to head to the train station! After a quick drive there we were introduced to the joys of public transport in the Philippines. Our train arrived and we were swiftly jammed into the train by our faithful coach Jeff Long. It was an "up close and personal" expereince which we all could have done without at that time of the morning but it was all to get to our game against Lycium University so we sucked it up an got on with it. We get to the end of the line, left our train and headed into very busy Manila streets to endevour to finds a jeepney. It was very chaotic and somewhat stressful but all part of the Filipino expereince. We were crammed into a jeepney, literally, we were sitting on the floor and hanging off the back. Then we walked a few blocks to the University stadium. All this before 9am and before our big game! So naturally we were a little weary. But we got into it and while we were thouroughly defeated, a few girls pulled out some sweet shots and we grew stronger from the expereince. Best of all though was Shannon sharing her testimony at the game during half time to the team and the stadium of college students watching the game, was definately a highlight.
After our epic loss, we wandered our weary feet thought the old walled city, soaking in some historic sites. Back to a much less crowded jeepney, luckily, since I am sure the other passengers would not have enjoyed such close quarters with us, now rather sweaty, smelly girls! The train home was emptier and we were stoked to get back to an amazing home cooked meal.
We had a little rest up, and then most of us headed to a pool close by with a few kids from the Children's Home for some fun! It was very refreshing on our ever increasingly weary bodies. And just palin fun to splash and play with some kids. Neph headed out to buy a prize for the end of our volleyball tournament tonight.
Around 4 we pilled into our green machine which has been getting us around, and headed to an impoverished community that was badly affected by the floods, with food, medical assistance, and bags full of toys and donations from lovely people back home! It was very cool and humbling to see the smiles on kids faces when they came to get plates, or bowls or cups of steaming food.
Then to top off the day at dinner there was a resounding "this is the best meal we have had yet! To a delicious potato bake with bacon bits, bread rolls, salad or veggies and amazing carrot cake. Which was followed by the last half of our volleyball tournament! Somewhat unsurprisingly, that Aussie team quickly was out of the running...despite enthusiasic effort. The local talent was just too good. Neph shared her testimony with the crowd and it was a very powerful and moving time which visibly touched the hearts of many listening. We hope and pray God continues to work in their hearts. And after a longer night then expected, a 5 set championship match, the winners were declared and given a brand new volleball for their efforts! And low and behold a few Aussie girls had worked their way onto that team and were able to claim some of the glory!
And so this ends another eventful, long, but satisfying and fun filled day here in Manila. Please keep us in your prayers! There is still lots ahead and we need your prayers to help keep us going, enthused, and healthy!! Thanks
By Felicity.
After our epic loss, we wandered our weary feet thought the old walled city, soaking in some historic sites. Back to a much less crowded jeepney, luckily, since I am sure the other passengers would not have enjoyed such close quarters with us, now rather sweaty, smelly girls! The train home was emptier and we were stoked to get back to an amazing home cooked meal.
We had a little rest up, and then most of us headed to a pool close by with a few kids from the Children's Home for some fun! It was very refreshing on our ever increasingly weary bodies. And just palin fun to splash and play with some kids. Neph headed out to buy a prize for the end of our volleyball tournament tonight.
Around 4 we pilled into our green machine which has been getting us around, and headed to an impoverished community that was badly affected by the floods, with food, medical assistance, and bags full of toys and donations from lovely people back home! It was very cool and humbling to see the smiles on kids faces when they came to get plates, or bowls or cups of steaming food.
Then to top off the day at dinner there was a resounding "this is the best meal we have had yet! To a delicious potato bake with bacon bits, bread rolls, salad or veggies and amazing carrot cake. Which was followed by the last half of our volleyball tournament! Somewhat unsurprisingly, that Aussie team quickly was out of the running...despite enthusiasic effort. The local talent was just too good. Neph shared her testimony with the crowd and it was a very powerful and moving time which visibly touched the hearts of many listening. We hope and pray God continues to work in their hearts. And after a longer night then expected, a 5 set championship match, the winners were declared and given a brand new volleball for their efforts! And low and behold a few Aussie girls had worked their way onto that team and were able to claim some of the glory!
And so this ends another eventful, long, but satisfying and fun filled day here in Manila. Please keep us in your prayers! There is still lots ahead and we need your prayers to help keep us going, enthused, and healthy!! Thanks
By Felicity.
Day Seven - 9th of January 2010 (boys)
Captains log: Day 7
We had big expectations for the Saturday night game as pastor Gary had informed us the night before and that morning in devotions to expect a big turnout , so with the gravity of the big foreshore game looming ahead of us we pushed on to our first trip of the morning, packing the remaining food sacks for the for the provinces we would visit for the (as pastor Gary put it) 3rd leg of our journey.
Inspired by Pastor Gary to stay strong and focused in the face of distractions we headed on the familiar road again to the packing factory, but not before announcing the jester hat wearing MVP for the previous day, Tim for his hustle plays and rugged good looks all the last points could be debated.
We got our sweaty man packing on as everyone furiously packed the last of the noodles, rice and sardines and with the promise of an early lunch we finished in a record breaking time, striding out of the doors after only an hour of lighting paced packing we headed for the plaza mall for lunch. Some of the new faces on the trip were tempted/ challenged into sampling one of the popular Filipino deserts the “Halo Halo” an intriguing combination of beans, ice cream and some other questionable Ingredients… but if nothing else it was an ‘experience’ for the rookies.
We then headed out for a pizza lunch downtown, the oily cheesy goodness was appreciated by all involved, a little more due to the fact we had an extensive three hour break to chill out. So everyone took it down a notch to prepare for our evening affair with as quoted by pastor Gazza “the Mayors Team”, when 5 o clock rolled around, the foyer was filled with an air of anticipation and we listened to the wise words of pastor Gary which had everyone leaving the hotel in quiet confidence that we would be good representatives of Christ to the Filipino people. We headed out to the street court for our before the game warm up and there to greet us were possibly the friendliest and (for some) the most dunk-able basketball rings we had encountered thus far.
We were surprised by the pre-game blackout leaving the courts in darkness but normality was restored just in time as the lights lit up the court just in time for the bout. The game was filled with a fast paced up and down style played by both teams with a few half court lobs and some silky skills from Andre and a crowd pleasing dunk from Danny ‘the Carpenter’ the Aussies kept a small lead into the half. Although there was no sound system for the first three quarters, the half time testimony from Pete was received well by the crowd and as we gathered many tracks and gave out booklets the Australian spirit hung on for a tight, four point win as the clock wound down.
We headed out for dinner after the game and lovely milk shakes were consumed as a rousing rendition of ‘Kiss Steve’ (sung to the song of Kiss Me by sixpence none the richer) took the team camaraderie to another level and with team moral high after another successful day, doing the Lords work we headed back to base for some shuteye.
This is Sobey
Signing out.
We had big expectations for the Saturday night game as pastor Gary had informed us the night before and that morning in devotions to expect a big turnout , so with the gravity of the big foreshore game looming ahead of us we pushed on to our first trip of the morning, packing the remaining food sacks for the for the provinces we would visit for the (as pastor Gary put it) 3rd leg of our journey.
Inspired by Pastor Gary to stay strong and focused in the face of distractions we headed on the familiar road again to the packing factory, but not before announcing the jester hat wearing MVP for the previous day, Tim for his hustle plays and rugged good looks all the last points could be debated.
We got our sweaty man packing on as everyone furiously packed the last of the noodles, rice and sardines and with the promise of an early lunch we finished in a record breaking time, striding out of the doors after only an hour of lighting paced packing we headed for the plaza mall for lunch. Some of the new faces on the trip were tempted/ challenged into sampling one of the popular Filipino deserts the “Halo Halo” an intriguing combination of beans, ice cream and some other questionable Ingredients… but if nothing else it was an ‘experience’ for the rookies.
We then headed out for a pizza lunch downtown, the oily cheesy goodness was appreciated by all involved, a little more due to the fact we had an extensive three hour break to chill out. So everyone took it down a notch to prepare for our evening affair with as quoted by pastor Gazza “the Mayors Team”, when 5 o clock rolled around, the foyer was filled with an air of anticipation and we listened to the wise words of pastor Gary which had everyone leaving the hotel in quiet confidence that we would be good representatives of Christ to the Filipino people. We headed out to the street court for our before the game warm up and there to greet us were possibly the friendliest and (for some) the most dunk-able basketball rings we had encountered thus far.
We were surprised by the pre-game blackout leaving the courts in darkness but normality was restored just in time as the lights lit up the court just in time for the bout. The game was filled with a fast paced up and down style played by both teams with a few half court lobs and some silky skills from Andre and a crowd pleasing dunk from Danny ‘the Carpenter’ the Aussies kept a small lead into the half. Although there was no sound system for the first three quarters, the half time testimony from Pete was received well by the crowd and as we gathered many tracks and gave out booklets the Australian spirit hung on for a tight, four point win as the clock wound down.
We headed out for dinner after the game and lovely milk shakes were consumed as a rousing rendition of ‘Kiss Steve’ (sung to the song of Kiss Me by sixpence none the richer) took the team camaraderie to another level and with team moral high after another successful day, doing the Lords work we headed back to base for some shuteye.
This is Sobey
Signing out.
Day Six - 8th of January 2010 (Boys)
I think everyone woke up a little sore and tired after a late night of playing and travelling. We started the day with a game, about 20 minutes out of Dipolog. The representative of the game was known as “Indiana Jones” because of his hat, but with a gift of an Australian cap he was renamed to “Steve Irwin”.
For the game we placed nets on the rings for the local players to keep; the game started off slow with the home team out scoring us in the first quarter. Fortunately as in other games the brother connection of Mark and Greg take over and we are able to take the lead back and win the game. It was a small crowd but we had a good response with people signing up for more information and Conan gave a great Testimony.
It was then time to pack more food; we needed 200 packages. Mark helped set up a better production line and we flew through the packing. Maybe the encouragement that lunch was next also helped.
Lunch was at the mall and then we then had some time to rest. Some of the guys went and had a 1 hour massage to recover those aching muscles. There was some snoring so it must have been relaxing.
Our next game was about 40 minutes out of Dipolog. A large crowd was waiting for us and the home team started out very strong; but everyone put in a great effort and we managed to push to a strong lead. Tim put in an awesome effort grabbing rebounds and a number of fast break lay-ups. Mike provided a great testimony and we again had a large number of people signing up for more information.
Tea was more fantastic chicken on a stick, followed by ice cream. Time to relax and watch some NBA on channel B!
Tristan Marlow
P.S. A special thank you to everyone who has been reading and leaving comments on this blog site, it really encourages everyone.
For the game we placed nets on the rings for the local players to keep; the game started off slow with the home team out scoring us in the first quarter. Fortunately as in other games the brother connection of Mark and Greg take over and we are able to take the lead back and win the game. It was a small crowd but we had a good response with people signing up for more information and Conan gave a great Testimony.
It was then time to pack more food; we needed 200 packages. Mark helped set up a better production line and we flew through the packing. Maybe the encouragement that lunch was next also helped.
Lunch was at the mall and then we then had some time to rest. Some of the guys went and had a 1 hour massage to recover those aching muscles. There was some snoring so it must have been relaxing.
Our next game was about 40 minutes out of Dipolog. A large crowd was waiting for us and the home team started out very strong; but everyone put in a great effort and we managed to push to a strong lead. Tim put in an awesome effort grabbing rebounds and a number of fast break lay-ups. Mike provided a great testimony and we again had a large number of people signing up for more information.
Tea was more fantastic chicken on a stick, followed by ice cream. Time to relax and watch some NBA on channel B!
Tristan Marlow
P.S. A special thank you to everyone who has been reading and leaving comments on this blog site, it really encourages everyone.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Day Five - 7th of January 2010 (Girls)
Hello all you great supporters who are currently reading our blog for today! We started today bright and early with our basket ball game starting at 9:30am. It dosent seem like much of an early start but with the traffic being so crazy and unpredictable we needed to leave at 7:30. This was our second real game and it was hardand fast. We were up by a few points most of the game and managed to get the margain to about 10 points. But then towards the end they made a catchup and after roughly one million time outs called in the last 40 seconds of the game, with the help of a few fould shots and some good D, we just scrapped in by only a one point!!!
After the game we headed to a local prision containg 60 woman inmates, some had been there for up to 10 years and the oldest woman hitting the 63. The women were so amazing, really lovely and friendly it was so surprising that they had taken some time to prepare a few items of fantastic videoke and dancing for us which was quite an expirience and very funny. Deffinately a highlight for some of us. We sung shout to the lord and then Tammy shared her testimony and many of the inmates really responded to her really special story. The inmates are wanting to have a bible study once a week which can be one of you major prayer points.
This arvo we had a true philippeno expirence. We went by trike (motorbike with side car thingy) to get some refreshing ice cream from a local minimart. Great fun!!
After a quick nanna nap we went down to JCCV to play in a local voly ball comp with all the local women they were so awesome and totally wipped us up. It was absolutely awsome!!!! There was quite a crowd who were shouting, singing and dancing. We got to chat with some of the locals too which is always fun. That is all. Keep praying for us. Peace out.
After the game we headed to a local prision containg 60 woman inmates, some had been there for up to 10 years and the oldest woman hitting the 63. The women were so amazing, really lovely and friendly it was so surprising that they had taken some time to prepare a few items of fantastic videoke and dancing for us which was quite an expirience and very funny. Deffinately a highlight for some of us. We sung shout to the lord and then Tammy shared her testimony and many of the inmates really responded to her really special story. The inmates are wanting to have a bible study once a week which can be one of you major prayer points.
This arvo we had a true philippeno expirence. We went by trike (motorbike with side car thingy) to get some refreshing ice cream from a local minimart. Great fun!!
After a quick nanna nap we went down to JCCV to play in a local voly ball comp with all the local women they were so awesome and totally wipped us up. It was absolutely awsome!!!! There was quite a crowd who were shouting, singing and dancing. We got to chat with some of the locals too which is always fun. That is all. Keep praying for us. Peace out.
Day Five - 7th of January 2010 (Boys)
Today we woke up to a wonderful, humid, Filipino morning. First up on the agenda was food packaging in a warehouse owned by the mayor of the town we’re staying in so team SA hopped into our van and headed out through the busy morning traffic. The food we were packaging was for distribution to families in need of help in the disadvantaged communities of Mindanao. Grouped inside a stuffy warehouse we set about packing 2 cans of sardines, 4 packets of two minute noodles and 2 kilos of rice into plastic bags. Not that hard when you think of it, but when you have to pack 600 bags it becomes quite hard work! It took us around 1.5 hours to pack all the bags and by the time we were finished shirts had come off and we were all sweating buckets; nevertheless it was a great feeling to see all those rice sacks filled with food!
Next on the agenda was a food hand out. We were taken to a small community tucked away in the backstreets of Dipolog where we were introduced to an enthusiastic crowd. After the introductions the pastor gave a gospel message to the crowd and team SA handed out the tracts and ballpoints. The final stage of our visit was the food handout. Families were called out and we took turns giving them the packages of food. The experience was really profound as we witnessed their thanks for what was for us a really basic gift. All that was left to do was say our goodbyes and hop back in the van; although Danny couldn’t resist giving the team candy to throw out to the children, and often adults, as we drove out.
After a lunch out at the mall the team headed back to the hotel for a rest, with departure for our evening games at 3:30pm. That’s when the saga began. Our first game was supposed to be the furthest from town so that we wouldn’t have as far to drive when we were finished with our second, and final, game. Unfortunately there was a mix up with venues and by the time we were at the furthest venue we were informed our first game was at the closer venue. Arriving 1.5 hours late we started what was to be a 20 minute game. Once again the Filipinos ran away with the game at the start and team SA had to dig deep to rein them back in. At half time Tristan gave his testimony to the crowd and we started handing out tracts as the second half started. Team SA eventually got the better of the Filipinos as we came back to win by a tight 4 point margin.
We Arrived at our second venue almost 2 hours late and were about to split our team up for a scratch match in front of the large crowd when the Filipinos turned up at the last minute. What ensued was a very low scoring game as our tight defence prevented the Filipinos getting the ball to their tall centre whilst team SA struggled to find their range on the super tall rings. Special mention to “Scuba” Steve with his sharpshooting at the 3 point line. Team SA won the game comfortably with a margin of 15 points.
The return journey ended at 10:30 and team SA chowed down hungrily on some chicken on a stick and about 8 litres of soft drink. We returned to the hotel at 11:30, too late for the massage session scheduled by everyone but Danny and myself, and hit the sack almost immediately. Thus ended a long, but very fulfilling day. Thanks for tuning in and I’ll catcha l8r sk8rs!
-Andre Janssen
Next on the agenda was a food hand out. We were taken to a small community tucked away in the backstreets of Dipolog where we were introduced to an enthusiastic crowd. After the introductions the pastor gave a gospel message to the crowd and team SA handed out the tracts and ballpoints. The final stage of our visit was the food handout. Families were called out and we took turns giving them the packages of food. The experience was really profound as we witnessed their thanks for what was for us a really basic gift. All that was left to do was say our goodbyes and hop back in the van; although Danny couldn’t resist giving the team candy to throw out to the children, and often adults, as we drove out.
After a lunch out at the mall the team headed back to the hotel for a rest, with departure for our evening games at 3:30pm. That’s when the saga began. Our first game was supposed to be the furthest from town so that we wouldn’t have as far to drive when we were finished with our second, and final, game. Unfortunately there was a mix up with venues and by the time we were at the furthest venue we were informed our first game was at the closer venue. Arriving 1.5 hours late we started what was to be a 20 minute game. Once again the Filipinos ran away with the game at the start and team SA had to dig deep to rein them back in. At half time Tristan gave his testimony to the crowd and we started handing out tracts as the second half started. Team SA eventually got the better of the Filipinos as we came back to win by a tight 4 point margin.
We Arrived at our second venue almost 2 hours late and were about to split our team up for a scratch match in front of the large crowd when the Filipinos turned up at the last minute. What ensued was a very low scoring game as our tight defence prevented the Filipinos getting the ball to their tall centre whilst team SA struggled to find their range on the super tall rings. Special mention to “Scuba” Steve with his sharpshooting at the 3 point line. Team SA won the game comfortably with a margin of 15 points.
The return journey ended at 10:30 and team SA chowed down hungrily on some chicken on a stick and about 8 litres of soft drink. We returned to the hotel at 11:30, too late for the massage session scheduled by everyone but Danny and myself, and hit the sack almost immediately. Thus ended a long, but very fulfilling day. Thanks for tuning in and I’ll catcha l8r sk8rs!
-Andre Janssen
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Day Four - 6th of January 2010 (Boys)
Day 4 was the first 3 game day of the trip and the team was in for a long but exciting day. After waking up earlyish for a 7:30 departure, we made our way to a local Dipolog court for our first game. Played on a rocky court that was half road half court the team managed a solid win over the local team. Danny gave his testimony to the crowd and soon after we departed soon after for our next game.
The “Freak Show on Wheels” as I’ve dubbed our team, due to the amount of staring a bunch of westerners hanging off the back of a van attracts, rolled out for next game which would be in a more rural setting. The scenery on the way to the court was fantastic, with lots of rivers and rice paddies set against a mountain backdrop. We arrived at around 11:00 am and were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the court. It was undercover with nets on the ring and a nice surface. Despite an early surge by the Filipinos, team SA once again managed a comfortable win with Greg and Mark providing a dominating presence in the keyway. Tim Sobey gave his testimony at half time to the crowd and team SA left in high spirits.
Lunch was at around 12:30pm at Dipolog mall, and the team opted for a Jollibee meal (a Filipino version of McDonalds). Micko made the mistake of ordering a “Champ Burger” and had to stop half way after almost drowning in Mayonnaise. After lunch we spent an hour wandering around the mall buying a few groceries and searching for BB guns which, unfortunately, we didn’t find. At around 2:00pm we returned to the hotel and rested up for the big game that would be held that night in Sindangan .
At around 4:00pm we left the hotel for our big game. After about 2 hours driving along the incredibly picturesque Mindanao coast line we arrived at Sindangan. The game was to be held in the middle of the town and team SA was on edge as we warmed up for our game against the local college team. As the game commenced the crowd swelled to surround the court and Danny won the jump for what was to be a nail biting game. The local team had more height than other teams we had played thus far, and used it to good effect to pull out in an early league, until our big forwards decided to dominate in the key to bring the game under control. After leading narrowly at half time the Filipinos 3 point shooting came into its own and their lead was blown out to a max of 15 points. Once again team SA had to call on our height to get back into the game. It all came down to the last 20 seconds with the teams tied. A three pointer by the Filipinos clinched the game for them and team SA went down by 3 points, 54-57. Hedley gave his testimony at half time to a crowd of 5-6 hundred people with great effect, with at least 400 people signing up for more information. All in all it was a great night, despite the narrow loss.
At 11:30pm a very tired but satisfied team SA arrived back at our hotel for some hard earned sleep at the conclusion of a great day. Please continue to pray for us, and until next time; Peace out Girl Scouts!
-Andre Janssen
PS: The stars on the return journey that night were AMAZING!
The “Freak Show on Wheels” as I’ve dubbed our team, due to the amount of staring a bunch of westerners hanging off the back of a van attracts, rolled out for next game which would be in a more rural setting. The scenery on the way to the court was fantastic, with lots of rivers and rice paddies set against a mountain backdrop. We arrived at around 11:00 am and were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the court. It was undercover with nets on the ring and a nice surface. Despite an early surge by the Filipinos, team SA once again managed a comfortable win with Greg and Mark providing a dominating presence in the keyway. Tim Sobey gave his testimony at half time to the crowd and team SA left in high spirits.
Lunch was at around 12:30pm at Dipolog mall, and the team opted for a Jollibee meal (a Filipino version of McDonalds). Micko made the mistake of ordering a “Champ Burger” and had to stop half way after almost drowning in Mayonnaise. After lunch we spent an hour wandering around the mall buying a few groceries and searching for BB guns which, unfortunately, we didn’t find. At around 2:00pm we returned to the hotel and rested up for the big game that would be held that night in Sindangan .
At around 4:00pm we left the hotel for our big game. After about 2 hours driving along the incredibly picturesque Mindanao coast line we arrived at Sindangan. The game was to be held in the middle of the town and team SA was on edge as we warmed up for our game against the local college team. As the game commenced the crowd swelled to surround the court and Danny won the jump for what was to be a nail biting game. The local team had more height than other teams we had played thus far, and used it to good effect to pull out in an early league, until our big forwards decided to dominate in the key to bring the game under control. After leading narrowly at half time the Filipinos 3 point shooting came into its own and their lead was blown out to a max of 15 points. Once again team SA had to call on our height to get back into the game. It all came down to the last 20 seconds with the teams tied. A three pointer by the Filipinos clinched the game for them and team SA went down by 3 points, 54-57. Hedley gave his testimony at half time to a crowd of 5-6 hundred people with great effect, with at least 400 people signing up for more information. All in all it was a great night, despite the narrow loss.
At 11:30pm a very tired but satisfied team SA arrived back at our hotel for some hard earned sleep at the conclusion of a great day. Please continue to pray for us, and until next time; Peace out Girl Scouts!
-Andre Janssen
PS: The stars on the return journey that night were AMAZING!
Day Four - 6th of January 2010 (Girls)
After another tasty breakfast of eggs, toast & fruit, we split up again for various activities in the school and orphanage. shan, tammy, kaij & neph made themselves useful in the classroom - where maths, reading & writing skills were greatly enhanced by their presence. miranda and mindi helped care for the girl with MS once again, and while her mother sat alongside, neph made a guest appearance to help translate and they heard emotional stories about their family & how they came to be in this community - all thanks to the work of Kids International Ministry. sooo encouraging. carly & heather also bounded around the orphanage, playing with the children and working up an early sweat.
An opportunity came up to help lay the vinyl floors of a house built by Armadale Christian School on a previous mission trip, that Flick also happened to be involved with. so the majority of the girls worked on that before lunch; while neph, mindi & miranda went on another feeding trip to areas devastated by the recent floods.
We gulped down lunch and raced to the shops to get supplies for a visit on thursday to a local women's prison, before packing our bags to travel an hr across town to play the NATIONAL FILIPINO BBALL TEAM!!!!! Shivers we were all packing our dacks but it turned out to be an awesome experience - of sharing, giving of NT bibles, kaija giving a very relevant testimony and encouragement to get their game on in preparation for a trip to PERTH (!!!) in March '10!
the first quarter was a wonderous display of magic from inside the key (brought by shan & flick) and a few bombs from the outside (thanks to kaij & janelle), giving us only a 4 point defecit at the end of that quarter. however the rest of the game was humbling to the visitors - with might, strength, speed & ability ruling the home court. not to mention their 7 foot giant import from china providing a ridiculously unfair advantage.
No but it was such a fun, exciting, testing game, with several players stepping up & roaring with enthusiastic aggression (noteably miranda & carly) and we all happily chatted like gallahs, exchanging emails and numbers and stories once the final siren had rung!
Not that it really matters, but for you budding statistitians out there - final score 34 - 70!!!
yep so what an awesome day. especially when you finally get home & have a steaming hot plate of chicken parmigana, baked potatoes and strawberry spongecake waiting for you! God is GOOD!
An opportunity came up to help lay the vinyl floors of a house built by Armadale Christian School on a previous mission trip, that Flick also happened to be involved with. so the majority of the girls worked on that before lunch; while neph, mindi & miranda went on another feeding trip to areas devastated by the recent floods.
We gulped down lunch and raced to the shops to get supplies for a visit on thursday to a local women's prison, before packing our bags to travel an hr across town to play the NATIONAL FILIPINO BBALL TEAM!!!!! Shivers we were all packing our dacks but it turned out to be an awesome experience - of sharing, giving of NT bibles, kaija giving a very relevant testimony and encouragement to get their game on in preparation for a trip to PERTH (!!!) in March '10!
the first quarter was a wonderous display of magic from inside the key (brought by shan & flick) and a few bombs from the outside (thanks to kaij & janelle), giving us only a 4 point defecit at the end of that quarter. however the rest of the game was humbling to the visitors - with might, strength, speed & ability ruling the home court. not to mention their 7 foot giant import from china providing a ridiculously unfair advantage.
No but it was such a fun, exciting, testing game, with several players stepping up & roaring with enthusiastic aggression (noteably miranda & carly) and we all happily chatted like gallahs, exchanging emails and numbers and stories once the final siren had rung!
Not that it really matters, but for you budding statistitians out there - final score 34 - 70!!!
yep so what an awesome day. especially when you finally get home & have a steaming hot plate of chicken parmigana, baked potatoes and strawberry spongecake waiting for you! God is GOOD!
Day Three - 5th of January 2010 (girls)
What a day!! Goodbye boys, hello french toast and maple syrup! After a beauty breakie us girls were split up into three groups. Heather, Carly and Kaija off to the school, Shannon and Tammie off to the nursery, miranda and Mindi off to help a child with MS and Flick off to do some more planning.
At 10am we all went to help out at a feeding program. This was so challenging for all of us. These people were living in a basketball court, in little cubby houses because their homes were lost in the flood, they had so little. We were able to feed them lunch and give out vitamins to the children which i think they thought were lollies:)
The afternoon was spent teaching PE by Miss Carly, 4 classes of basketball in a row, full on. Miranda and Mindi went back to help out with the MS girl.
Tonight we had our first Basketball game against Assumption College, their facilities were amazing! We had the opportunity to share about why we are here and Mindi got to give her testimony about what Jesus has done in her life, was very well recieved. We also gave each player a bible and tract. We were lucky enough to win, yes thats right we won...by 27 points. Whoo! There were some sick inside moves by shannon and some good running of the floor by carly. Some krispykremes for an after game snack and life coudnt get much better.
It is also official, the 500 piece puzzle has been completed but not in the time limit originally given by Kaija. dissapointing girls, no prize for you.
Tomorrow another day, another challenge but as we say BRING IT!
Written by Kaija and Mindi
At 10am we all went to help out at a feeding program. This was so challenging for all of us. These people were living in a basketball court, in little cubby houses because their homes were lost in the flood, they had so little. We were able to feed them lunch and give out vitamins to the children which i think they thought were lollies:)
The afternoon was spent teaching PE by Miss Carly, 4 classes of basketball in a row, full on. Miranda and Mindi went back to help out with the MS girl.
Tonight we had our first Basketball game against Assumption College, their facilities were amazing! We had the opportunity to share about why we are here and Mindi got to give her testimony about what Jesus has done in her life, was very well recieved. We also gave each player a bible and tract. We were lucky enough to win, yes thats right we won...by 27 points. Whoo! There were some sick inside moves by shannon and some good running of the floor by carly. Some krispykremes for an after game snack and life coudnt get much better.
It is also official, the 500 piece puzzle has been completed but not in the time limit originally given by Kaija. dissapointing girls, no prize for you.
Tomorrow another day, another challenge but as we say BRING IT!
Written by Kaija and Mindi
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Day Three - 5th of January 2010
Day 3 was our first full taste of what is to come. The day started ahead of schedule as people were up at 6am to get brekky and be packed ready to go on the long trip to the airport at 8. We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, so much so there was a little karaoke to be had with some Filipino passengers who had a guitar. Thankfully we were able to get most of our tracts and booklets into our hand luggage with Steve Cressies being around the 20kg mark (heavier than his checked in luggage)!
The flight was nice and short and we actually arrived almost half an hour early which hasn’t happened on any trip I have been in the Philippines. Straight off the plane ready to head to the hotel will be staying at for the whole time here in Mindanao. ‘Lunch’ or should I say the buffet and a show was provided by the Mayor, and both waited for our arrival. We got to the hotel (owned by the mayor) at around 12 and headed straight to the top floor where a big dining hall was laid out for a big welcome. We were welcomed with Shout to the Lord which was great, however being right next to the speakers was not so great at the volume they were at. We were then overwhelmed with performance after performance of local dances.
At some time between 1:30 and 2pm ‘The Weapon’ (Pastor Gary) was invited to introduce us however was able to make a deal that he would speak after everyone had eaten the massive buffet which had been prepared. So after all of us had eaten far too much and tried almost everything put in front of us, we were introduced and wrapped up the welcome with another dance which we were welcomed to have a try at. I’m sure you will see some pics, but not everyone was brave enough to take on the ankle braking bamboo sticks which we had to step over. Thankfully all ankles are in tact and as a side note Andre continues to be somewhat popular with the ladies here in the Philippines.
We were then briefed by Pastor G about what to expect from the trip and what was expected of us. So after a short break we suited up and headed out for our first official game. What a game it was, as we just got up with a 1 point win. It was a tense last minute and a half in which we found ourselves down by 1 point. We have to make a big note of newbie Tim ‘not so slowbie’ Sobey. After some good movement Tim drifted into space and sliced his way into the key to calmly float one home to get us up by 1 with not much time to spare. The final passages of play included us missing 4 free throws including two from yours truly and the opposition missing a three point buzzer beater which was ever so close to getting them over the line. Another special mention goes to Conan ‘The Barbarian’ Prince who top scored with a solid performance.
Better than the win was the 165 odd responses we received from the 250ish strong crowd! That is a great start and from being on a couple of trips now, that is a great start with everyone getting stuck into what we’re really here for. Please keep praying we can be clear in our sharing of Testimonies at half time, we would have some good conversations with the crowd when not playing and that the local churches will be able to follow up well on all the responses. Please pray for Micko who was under the weather and did not play due to lack of energy and a headache.
All in all it was a great day and I am ready for some shut eye before getting up tomorrow and heading off to 3 more games. Thanks for tuning in.
Hedley Taylor
The flight was nice and short and we actually arrived almost half an hour early which hasn’t happened on any trip I have been in the Philippines. Straight off the plane ready to head to the hotel will be staying at for the whole time here in Mindanao. ‘Lunch’ or should I say the buffet and a show was provided by the Mayor, and both waited for our arrival. We got to the hotel (owned by the mayor) at around 12 and headed straight to the top floor where a big dining hall was laid out for a big welcome. We were welcomed with Shout to the Lord which was great, however being right next to the speakers was not so great at the volume they were at. We were then overwhelmed with performance after performance of local dances.
At some time between 1:30 and 2pm ‘The Weapon’ (Pastor Gary) was invited to introduce us however was able to make a deal that he would speak after everyone had eaten the massive buffet which had been prepared. So after all of us had eaten far too much and tried almost everything put in front of us, we were introduced and wrapped up the welcome with another dance which we were welcomed to have a try at. I’m sure you will see some pics, but not everyone was brave enough to take on the ankle braking bamboo sticks which we had to step over. Thankfully all ankles are in tact and as a side note Andre continues to be somewhat popular with the ladies here in the Philippines.
We were then briefed by Pastor G about what to expect from the trip and what was expected of us. So after a short break we suited up and headed out for our first official game. What a game it was, as we just got up with a 1 point win. It was a tense last minute and a half in which we found ourselves down by 1 point. We have to make a big note of newbie Tim ‘not so slowbie’ Sobey. After some good movement Tim drifted into space and sliced his way into the key to calmly float one home to get us up by 1 with not much time to spare. The final passages of play included us missing 4 free throws including two from yours truly and the opposition missing a three point buzzer beater which was ever so close to getting them over the line. Another special mention goes to Conan ‘The Barbarian’ Prince who top scored with a solid performance.
Better than the win was the 165 odd responses we received from the 250ish strong crowd! That is a great start and from being on a couple of trips now, that is a great start with everyone getting stuck into what we’re really here for. Please keep praying we can be clear in our sharing of Testimonies at half time, we would have some good conversations with the crowd when not playing and that the local churches will be able to follow up well on all the responses. Please pray for Micko who was under the weather and did not play due to lack of energy and a headache.
All in all it was a great day and I am ready for some shut eye before getting up tomorrow and heading off to 3 more games. Thanks for tuning in.
Hedley Taylor
Monday, January 4, 2010
Day two - 4th of January 2010
Our first full night in the Philippines and all the boys slept in a huge single room together pretty much side by side. Everyone got some much needed sleep, although some of us had to work hard to retain control of our mattresses from our friendly sleeping neighbours.
The day started with a brilliant breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, muffins all very appetizing. We were all fairly tired still from the plane flight so the morning thankfully didn’t have much planned except for a few meetings and a tour of a local orphanage and part of the town.
Our first basketball game wasn’t until the afternoon, running on Filipino time we had nothing more specific than that. The game took place at a local prison against some of the inmates. The court was very small, it only went out to the three point line, and this meant we only played three on three. All up 4 short games were played, our Australian team coming out victorious.
Young Jai Beacham was strutting his stuff on the court, fronting up to his man after scoring an outside shot. A quick reply to the antics of his man who was spending more of his time show boating than playing. It had the crowd in stitches and was definitely the highlight of the match, although Pottsey scoring on the buzzer was a close second.
Later on in the afternoon the boys headed to a local slum for a food handout. Some hot rice and meat was in two big tubs, the kids would come with their plates and receive two ladles of food, at the same time some medical supplies were on offer. It was really good to be amongst the people in this way, especially seeing the smiling faces of children, it might be cliché but it really is a reward in its own right. Some local girls took a liking to André; they were not backwards in coming forwards asking for his number ;-), André took it with bashful humility.
We are about to have dinner and from where I am sitting it smells really good. I have it from reliable sources that the food where we are going will not be this good where we are and to enjoy it while I can. So with that thought I will wrap it up. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us and please continue to do so. Especially as we fly to Dipolog tomorrow morning for safe travel.
Till next time
God bless,
Peter Grundy.
P.S. Photos are now available for viewing of today's events. Just click on the pictures link to the right hand side of this page or go to http://picasaweb.google.com/SportsAmbassadorsAustralia
The day started with a brilliant breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, muffins all very appetizing. We were all fairly tired still from the plane flight so the morning thankfully didn’t have much planned except for a few meetings and a tour of a local orphanage and part of the town.
Our first basketball game wasn’t until the afternoon, running on Filipino time we had nothing more specific than that. The game took place at a local prison against some of the inmates. The court was very small, it only went out to the three point line, and this meant we only played three on three. All up 4 short games were played, our Australian team coming out victorious.
Young Jai Beacham was strutting his stuff on the court, fronting up to his man after scoring an outside shot. A quick reply to the antics of his man who was spending more of his time show boating than playing. It had the crowd in stitches and was definitely the highlight of the match, although Pottsey scoring on the buzzer was a close second.
Later on in the afternoon the boys headed to a local slum for a food handout. Some hot rice and meat was in two big tubs, the kids would come with their plates and receive two ladles of food, at the same time some medical supplies were on offer. It was really good to be amongst the people in this way, especially seeing the smiling faces of children, it might be cliché but it really is a reward in its own right. Some local girls took a liking to André; they were not backwards in coming forwards asking for his number ;-), André took it with bashful humility.
We are about to have dinner and from where I am sitting it smells really good. I have it from reliable sources that the food where we are going will not be this good where we are and to enjoy it while I can. So with that thought I will wrap it up. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us and please continue to do so. Especially as we fly to Dipolog tomorrow morning for safe travel.
Till next time
God bless,
Peter Grundy.
P.S. Photos are now available for viewing of today's events. Just click on the pictures link to the right hand side of this page or go to http://picasaweb.google.com/SportsAmbassadorsAustralia
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Day One – 3rd of January 2010
Woo hoo today we got to the Philippines!!! Conan almost missed the plane thinking we weren’t leaving until the next day, but a call from Greg got him out of bed and to the airport in time. The trip was long and tiring, but the teams arrived in Manilla safe and sound about 2pm. Driving in the city highlighted what a different world we live in and the contrast of the slums next to high rise buildings was humbling. On the way to the guest house we stopped at Burger King (the equivalent to our Hungry Jacks) and they had criss cross fries which were delicious as.
The guest house is next to a church that was having a concert with kids from the orphanage when we arrived. We went to have a sing and dance and saw Renee one of our favourites that we met on a trip four years ago. Dinner was amazing and we chatted to some of the Americans, one in particular was Josie Long who has just started a beauty salon that she is training six Filipino ladies to work in – cool stuff.
After dinner we shot some hoops by ourselves and with some local kids. Now off to bed to rest up for an intense but no doubt incredible and rewarding two weeks. Thanks for all the support, prayers for our health and for open hearts for the people we are ministering to will be much appreciated.
Over and Out xx
Carly.
The guest house is next to a church that was having a concert with kids from the orphanage when we arrived. We went to have a sing and dance and saw Renee one of our favourites that we met on a trip four years ago. Dinner was amazing and we chatted to some of the Americans, one in particular was Josie Long who has just started a beauty salon that she is training six Filipino ladies to work in – cool stuff.
After dinner we shot some hoops by ourselves and with some local kids. Now off to bed to rest up for an intense but no doubt incredible and rewarding two weeks. Thanks for all the support, prayers for our health and for open hearts for the people we are ministering to will be much appreciated.
Over and Out xx
Carly.
P.S. If you would like to send someone a message or write a comment about the day, click onto the comments section below and add your 2 cents worth.
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