First Soccer Match

Our first soccer game was a “friendly match” on Saturday night with the “jovenes” (youth group) from Iglesia Centros Biblicos in Paysandu. It was a good warm-up match (8 v. 8) on a small field that helped us prepare for the competition we will face next week. Northland was winning by a score of 6-1 after the first half which lasted 30 minutes. Northland built up a lead of 10-2 in the second half and the game just kept going and going. The second half lasted well over an hour since the teams were enjoying it so much. I don’t think anyone ever really knew what the final score was or even cared. Both teams ended up scoring a lot of goals, especially after everyone got tired. There was little daylight left when the game finally ended.

After the game, we had a light snack that consisted of bread with dulce-de-leche, some fruit and hot chocolate. Dulce de leche is a caramel-flavored spread that is put on bread. It is a staple in the Uruguayan diet. The big meal of the day is usually later in the evening. That meal tonight was pizza, made from scratch and cooked in an outdoor brick oven. Diego, a man from the church in Paysandu, made all of the pizza for over 50 people.

We enjoyed the pizza after the fellowship time. The fellowship time included games (around-the-world ping-pong and carpet ball), singing, testimonies, and preaching. William, a young man from the youth group that we met three years ago when the girls’ soccer team was here, led the singing. William is a future leader in the ministry here, but would like to get some Bible college training. He is also a very good soccer player and will play with us next week in some of the games against the men’s club teams from Paysandu. Ben Cummins shared his testimony (in Spanish) and Micah Herron preached a message from the book of Micah. Andy Gibbons interpreted the message.

All in all, it was a great “first full day” in Uruguay. The team made friends quickly and the Uruguayans like to practice their English as much as we are eager to learn Spanish. It makes for fast-developing friendships and great Christian fellowship. These friendships will, no doubt, also be long-lasting and it will be difficult to say good-bye when it comes time to leave. Thankfully, we still have another 10 days before we return home.

Team Testimony from Zach Haese:
On our travel day, the flight and connections went very smoothly. When we were departing the plane, after we had arrived in Montevideo, I heard my name being called and I looked up. It was John Rehfeldt, a guy from my church in Rockford, IL, who is in Uruguay for a survey trip. We had flown on the same plane for nine hours and didn’t even know it.

After claiming our luggage, we took a 5 hour trip in this very old church van to the camp where we are staying. The trip was uneventful for me, because I slept most of the way. Today, however, was an eventful day. I woke up and helped the cook make some pancakes for breakfast. Then we had our team Bible study. We are studying through the book of Galatians. After that, we cleaned up the camp for awhile, and around 3:30, we started playing soccer with some of the guys from the church youth group. We played until 6:30.

After soccer, the rest of the youth group came over and we just had an awesome time hanging out and playing games with the teens. It was sort of funny when the girls came up to meet us they kissed us on the cheek, because that’s how they greet people here. The guys on the team have been joking around that today was the day I got my first kiss.

God has really been showing me that it’s easy to love others for awhile, but when that love for others comes from a love for God, I can and must love others all the time. I’m thoroughly thankful and blessed that I have had the opportunity to come on this trip and I’m looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me.

Zach Haese