team travel

Early last Wednesday morning our whole family arrived at the airport,

ready to join the school ISAC teams (International Schools Athletic Competition)

on a trip to Subic for the spring tournament.

We were excited...it was Amy and Elise's last tournament,

and our first time to go cheer them on!

 Sleepy teammates converge at the airport

The boys load all of our luggage on the bus

 In Manila we met up with our boy's basketball team;

they had taken an earlier flight that morning.

(What gentlemen.)

 And we started our 3-hour bus ride to Subic.

Much of it was through Manila traffic, 

but we also got to see some beautiful countryside (above).

Subic itself is unlike any other place we've been in the Philippines.

The strong American military presence here up until 1992

  left much reminiscent of America - 

military housing is now considered an upscale neighborhood,

and hotels and restaurants left from 20 years ago still dominate the landscape.

 Even our host school was once a DOD campus.

 Though our girls didn't place in the finals,

they played strong, and gave those teams a run for their money!

 We loved cheering our teams on,

and seeing their strong character and sportsmanship on the field and off.

Elise (center) warms up before a game

Amy warming up with a teammate.

Though Subic had a very American feel,

there were reminders that we were not in California.

The banana trees (above) right outside the soccer field fence attract monkeys.

We didn't see any during the games, but the athletic director told us that

occasionally monkeys will steal balls off the field during a game!

Michael and a friend saw some monkeys at the side of the road watching our bus go by,

and one host family told our girls to close their bedroom window,

because otherwise monkeys would come in to join the party.

Amy cools off after a game

 It was an intense three days, with three games the first day,

and the blazing sun required our girls to get lots of hydration, 

sunscreen and rest.

But it was also a fun three days filled with time sweating and laughing together,

supporting and encouraging each other, and experiencing life with host families from other cultures.

 It was a time to be built up and encouraged by our coaches,

 

all of whom helped our team remember to care for themselves
 physically, emotionally and spiritually,


and to find joy in the experience,

finding their identity not in winning, but in God.

Thank you, coaches!!

 "A life of frustration is inevitable
for any coach whose main enjoyment
is winning."
-Chuck Noll

A life of frustration is inevitable for any coach whose main enjoyment is winning.

Chuck Noll

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/coach.html#dtrqQqALWuMYgSvr.99

A life of frustration is inevitable for any coach whose main enjoyment is winning.

Chuck Noll

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/coach.html#dtrqQqALWuMYgSvr.99

A life of frustration is inevitable for any coach whose main enjoyment is winning.

Chuck Noll

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/coach.html#dtrqQqALWuMYgSvr.99

A life of frustration is inevitable for any coach whose main enjoyment is winning.

Chuck Noll

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/coach.html#dtrqQqALWuMYgSvr.9

from basketball starters to night of stars

The International School Athletic Conference gathered

from January 22nd- 25th at the British School of Manila.

There our high school girls' basketball team (including Elise and Amy) and the boys' soccer team competed with several other schools in the league.

 Top: all of the delegates from our school in Davao

Bottom Left: Sister-work - Elise picks an opponent to make room for Amy to get through

Bottom Middle: our girls' team won 3rd place - not bad for a school 1/4 the size of most of the others!

Bottom Right: Amy is named one of the All-ISAC team

 **********

Then last weekend Amy and Elise joined together musically on stage 

at the school's Night of Stars performing "Concerning Hobbits" in a beautiful piano/flute duet.

(Yes, I'm a little bit biased.)

How thankful we are for opportunities like this

in a community of believers unlike anything we could have imagined.

It's been a wonderful thing in the lives of our children.

 "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, 
for the sake of the kingdom of God,  

who will not receive many times as much at this time 

and in the age to come, eternal life."

Luke 18:29-30

And we give thanks to God for His faithfulness...

hoop-la

Amy plays guard; Elise plays forward

It's basketball season...meaning lots of practice hours on the court

and Saturday morning games with schools in the league

(yes, all in 90 degree weather!).

It's a team with a beautiful testimony - girls who serve and encourage one another,

and a coach who makes the whole experience so positive. (Thanks, Coach S!)

Meanwhile, (above, bottom) Michael and Mark enjoy the year-round 

Sunday afternoon Ultimate Frisbee games!

as good as used

Michael found a great bargain at the community garage sale last spring:

a pair of Adidas cleats for 75 pesos.
That's less than $2.

Unfortunately, the sole ripped off yesterday during after-school sports.

Fortunately, Mark knows where to take broken shoes.

In a society where labor is cheap, it's worth trying to fix almost anything.

Mark dropped the cleats off here at this counter at 11 this morning, 

and they said, 'Come back at 2.'

For just $2.50, the soles have been stitched to the uppers; not quite new,

but ready for miles more soccer action!
(And a whole lot less money than a new pair of cleats!)

let it glow

No, UFOs haven't landed;

it's just a bunch of guys who had a blast

out on a hot, dark night celebrating Michael's birthday...

with a few glow sticks for markers and team indicators,

and a very cool glowing Frisbee.

A little pizza and a lot of Mountain Dew and Gatorade 

combined with endless running and fierce competition

made for a happy group of guys.

highlights

just a few highlights of our spring break...

An intense Bananagrams competition at Starbucks...

lots of words, coffee, a quiet cool atmosphere...

what a fun way to kick-start our week off of school!

Then Amy and Elise hopped a plane and a bus for a very long trip up to Baguio

with their soccer team where they competed in ISAC,

a sports tournament for international schools in the country.

Elise in blue above

Amy, center

This beautiful group of young ladies brought home the 2nd place trophy
even though they represent by far the smallest school in the league.

 Congratulations, Faith!!

Meanwhile, we took a day trip with one of Michael's friends out to Paradise,

away from the heat and crush of the city.

What an amazingly beautiful place!

Mark, Michael and B play a game of beach Frisbee

Elise and Amy arrived home very early 

on Michael's birthday after traveling all night.

Lunchtime found us all at Army Navy, one of Michael's favorite eating spots.

And that evening we celebrated with 13 candles.

ThIrTeEn?!?!?!  

How did this boy get to be a teenager?!?!?

Happy Birthday, Michael!

May it be a year of growing in wisdom and stature,

 and in the knowledge of Christ!

having a field day

The soccer field at the local international school 

was teeming with people early Friday morning for Field Day,

the annual pre-Spring Break event for elementary and middle school students.

Michael's favorite event is always the 1k. 

He had some tough competition from the other 7th & 8th grade boys 

(you can see that Michael on the right in his red t-shirt 

wasn't exactly the longest-legged man on the track)

But he still managed to come in first. (Way to go, Michael!!)

(He wishes they'd figure out a way to do a 5k,

but a student got lost out in the neighborhood a few years ago(!), 

and the on-campus options are pretty limited.)

The three-legged race was more of a challenge,

being paired with a friend who is a little bit taller...

photo thanks to Mrs. Shiel

The morning ended in an all-school relay

and Michael carried the baton over the finish line first for his team,

with his good friend J right behind him...

Way to go, guys!!

Michael with friends of all ages...

 The morning was a gift from God,

with bright sunshine,

great friends,

and strong, healthy bodies in competition

to the glory of God!

Every time I step on the field 

I will give everything I have...

-Tim Tebow

go for the goal

It's soccer season again for the high school girls,

 and Amy and Elise are enjoying the challenge of being back on the field. 

We are so thankful for their great coaches, 

and for this opportunity, even as part-time students, to be a part of the team!

praying together before a game

Because the Filipino school year ends in March, 

the soccer season is a short one for these young ladies.  

By the end of March all of the local competing schools

are out on summer vacation.

Amy on defense

That means it's an intense time of preparation and lots of games condensed into about 9 weeks.

Elise on defence

Both Elise and Amy have had some minor injuries this season,

requiring frustrating time resting on the bench.

But even in that there are important lessons to be learned.

(Like how to make a DIY ice pack! - 

Leave it to Amy to track down a way to make one out of common household stuff!)

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. 

Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, 

ambition inspired, and success achieved.
-Helen Keller

race to the finish

It's 4:45 a.m. Saturday morning as we drive through the quiet city streets.

What was I thinking?

I'm not a runner.

But here Mark and I are on our way to a local charity run.

When Mark told me he was going to enter his second 10k race in two months,

I told him I'd come along to cheer.

Then somehow he talked me into participating.

NO! Not in the 10k. I'm not that crazy fit.

We pay our fees and get our shirts as dawn begins to break over the city

All participants gather, and the first order of business is a prayer, asking God to bless the run.

I glance over and see Manuel Vismanos,

the barefoot runner, a local legend.

Manny is a retired policeman from  Davao. He started running in the 60's and has always believed that running barefoot makes him move better and faster. 

Manny is also an avid mountaineer, and he climbs without shoes, too!

.

Mark and the other 10k runners start off without much ceremony - before we really expected they'd start.

Then a fitness instructor runs up front and leads the rest of us in a warm-up routine.  By the time the 6k runners have started, she's going strong; everyone is dancing! The warm-up gathers intensity before us 3k folks begin.  I'm feeling sorry for the 2k guys - they'll be worn out before they start!

A task force guard stands by watching the warm-up; these men with their huge weapons are just a normal sight in the community.  No one (not even I) blinks to see them here.

The 3k begins. This family made me smile.

The route takes us up a main street,

to an intersection where we stop to wait for a stream of traffic.

Then near the market, dodging chickens in the road, past fires burning in these cans 

to steam the mais, or sweet corn sold by street vendors.

As the route progresses, I realize there's a young boy keeping pace with me, walk/jogging beside me.  We begin to talk.  Jaybee is 10, and from Manila, and his mom was somewhere out in front.

We had fun sharing impressions of Davao, and he wanted a photo together at the end.

Jaybee and I.  I knew Michael should have joined us!

Manny comes in at 51 minutes

with Mark just 3 minutes behind him.

Snacks are served afterward - 

bananas, a rice porridge (with fish flakes...no thanks, but Mark likes it!) 

and hard boiled eggs.

Manny and Mark had talked at a previous race,

 and he was gracious to pose with Mark for a photo.

But Manny wasn't the only one with celebrity status.

Lots of people wanted to pose with the Americans...

Thanks for letting me join you, Mark.

Maybe next year I'll be ready for that 10k...

;)