I have been in Cape Town for almost two months. Life, Ministry, and Soccer have been unbelievable. God has been at work and it is obvious. I have not only found out a lot about myself and God, but I have grown more than I could have ever possibly imagined! So first of all, I just need to throw out a big thank you for all of you who have been praying and supporting me in ways I don't even know. Thank You! Praise God!
Alright.. getting down to the nitty and gritty. I have been on trial with this team called Ikapa Sporting for a month now. I have been playing really well and have been holding my end of the bargain as far as being able to play at this level. I continue to grow as a player in skill, technique, fitness (if it is possible), psychologically, and tactically. The African game is completely different than anything I have ever experienced in the states. Well, actually for those of you few that were able to see the APU Vs Lindsey Wilson in the finals where APU got crushed... It is very similar to that as far as the skill and the speed in concerned. However, they lack the discipline in order to play like a team. Which is a little bit disappointing but this is Afrika! The team is split demographically which is awesome! There are white guys, colored guys, and black guys. The diversity is really cool and creates quite a cool atmosphere at training because each "color" brings different aspects to the table. (I will get into that in a bit). Anyways, the guys on the team have been super supportive and so encouraging! It is awesome because I have had the opportunity to talk about God, life, and soccer, and girls with a some of them. It has been really cool! As far as soccer goes, things are either coming to a close or they are getting ready to be kicked off. They have recently let go of a couple of players and need some players to finish the season but since they cannot move up into the promotion zone, they do not want to spend any more money. The guy that got me the trial with Ikapa is representing me to the club. They are in the middle of negotiations on whether or not the club will pick me up for the rest of the year which is a little more than a month. If I get picked up, I will be able to play the last month which will include a local cup as well. So I can feel I am close thanks to God. Pray for me and that whatever is supposed to happen will happen. As far as next year is concerned depends on how I do here if I get picked up. The coach likes me but the decision is ultimately not up to him. So assuming I get picked up and do well, they will look to sign me for the whole of next year! So hopin and prayin!
The culture here in Cape Town is completely different than anywhere else in South Africa. It is honestly a "trip" half the time. Cape Town is definitely the most diverse city in the country. There are 11 national languages. Here, you have whites, blacks, and coloreds. When Cape Town was first established back in... whenever... the whites settled next to the mountain and around towards the sea with the blacks settling more north in the cape flats. The whites and blacks started makin' babies and that is where the coloreds started comin' in. They are their own culture and they are definitely the ones with the coolest accents. Anyways, pulling it all back in with the team... the whites and blacks dont always like each other however what suprised me was the blacks are the common denominator when they don't like each other. Like I have said in previous blogs, this is the most racist place I have ever been. You can learn so much about other cultures by simply listening to what they have to say. I have had the opportunity to hang out with almost all of the guys off the field and talk with them and go surfing or do flips off high dives. I can only hope and pray that God shines through me and they wonder why I am different. I can only hope and pray that I will be ready to talk to them when they ask.
The church I am going to is really cool and completely different than anything I ever went to in Polokwane. I have made some amazing relationships through this church which is awesome. If I end up coming back next year, there is a plan to start this community house where "loving your neighbor" is the main objective. It will be a house where we support people in the community, we have community meals, and just love on people around us. There is a lot more that goes into it and if you want to know more, just leave me a comment... I am super excited about it if I get to be a part of it!
Last but not least, I will end this blog with a funny little story that happened to me on Valentines Day. I didn't have a date. Grant, my friend from Ikapa, had just broken up with his girl and didnt have a date. So he and I went out to get dinner to watch soccer on tv and play backgammon because not having a date on Vday isn't that great but that's okay. We had a great talk about where he is in life and how he doesn't want to become "religious" because he needs to get some stuff out of his system. Anyways, we ran into some Brazilian folks that he had met at another point. It was a girl and a guy and we assumed that they were together. We had a really good time with them just talking and playing backgammon and getting coffee. Well at the end of the night, they needed a lift home so we gave them a ride because it was on the way. I was in the back with the Brazilian guy just finding out about his favorite soccer teams and players. When all of a sudden, the car jerks a little bit and my friend Grant yells... "NO I LOVE A WOMAN'S BODY!" Well, sitting in the back, I didn't know what that was about... until after we dropped them off... I asked and he said that the girl was asking if he was gay because he wanted to go home with Grant and I because he thought we were "together" because it was Valentines Day and we were both wearing collared shirts. At the time, it was sooooooo awkward. I mean, what do you do? We decided to do something really manly like jump in the ocean... Ha ha... Now, looking back on it, the situation was quite funny because it was only after that I realized what it might have looked like...
Peace and Love to all of you! I love you!
