P-Day!

Preparation day is the real term. Here, p-day is Monday. The missionaries teach for a couple of hours in the morning then they have the rest of the day to do laundry, cleaning,  do their shopping, emailing and usually some sort of zone activity. Today they had set up a soccer match with the members of the Kauma branch at the village sports field. Here are a few pictures from our afternoon.

Here is the missionaries team - Seven elders, three branch missionaries and a branch member for goal keeper. Our eighth elder was out with an injured foot from a little match in the yard at the church.

 L-R Elder Mawawani, Elder Gonza, Yamikani-branch missionary, Elder Govindasamy-kneeling, Elder Ngobeni, Clifford Tauzie-branch missionary, James Ngolube-YM counsellor, Elder Shurtz, Elder Buckholz, Elder Graeme, Gasten Kantenkako-branch missionary

This is the branch team. They used the "Mormon Helping Hands" vests as their uniforms. Had to get one little rose among the thorns. That's Emmelita. She is being baptized in April. A very cute little girl. The branch president was the ref.

Some serious action. Notice most of the branch players play barefoot. Yikes! Can they ever kick the ball though.

Right through the middle of the field is a road (not that you can tell it's a road other than it joins up with a road on either side of the field and people, bicycles and occasionally vehicles just go right on through the game). These women with buckets of sand went through at least five times while we were there.

As they were getting ready to start the soccer game, some little girls came by dragging these two poles with rings made from bicycle rims attached to the tops. As we watched, they stuck them each in a hole at one end of the field and secured them upright. Then....

 

....they proceeded to start a net ball game (minus any nets - minor detail). If you have the ball, you can't run, you have to pass it. There is no dribbling involved. It started with little girls but ended up being a game with teenage girls and young women including a couple of the branch members who came to watch the soccer match. Notice the soccer goal in the background.

A few goats and sheep along the edge of the game. Only a couple times did they wander out on the field a little....no grass!

This is a posed picture (but only a little). Elder Shurtz and Elder Buckholz had to show how the "poor azungu" were really feeling. The elders don't get a lot of time to stay in shape so I think they were feeling it a bit.

We have the most amazing skies here.

 Elder Prete was teaching hand games to a bunch of kids during the game. Here is one little clip.

Elder Prete tried to get these little boys to do a pyramid but they didn't quite get it. Oh well. It was funny anyway.

All the happy participants. I think everyone had a great time.

Some exhausted elders. We stopped at our flat so they could pick up their regular clothes but they made it as far as the couches and collapsed. I'm pretty sure every one of them will be feeling the effects tomorrow.