Of VBS and Soccer Camp

A team from Old Fort Baptist Church arrived on 18 June 2012 to work in 2 elementary schools in one of the areas of Maasaini.

The team of 11 stayed at the house in Losimingori, which serves as our "base camp".


The team arrived at the Losimingori Elementary School on 19 June and caused a great stir!  Not many wazungu (white people) go there much less stay and interact with the 286 students. The time frame was 10 am - 2 pm daily for the next 3 days - 19, 20, 21 June.  A rotating system was established where 1/3 of the students would listen to Bible Stories in a classroom, 1/3 would do crafts in another classroom, and 1/3 would participate in a soccer camp on the school soccer pitch (usually a dirt field with 2 sticks set in the ground at both ends to serve as "goals").  The story time set dictated how much time the other 2 sections had to complete their tasks.  This was usually about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The team was divided before hand to handle these different tasks at the different stations.  Just as in VBS in the USA, the first day is always the worst as far as schedules, team work, and logistics is concerned.  But this day went well as did the following 2 days.  Students could not believe these "older white people" could or would play "futbol" (soccer) with them.  But the "old white people" really showed some skills and stamina on the pitch and they even got the teachers involved in the competition!  This part of the trip went well and the team saw many make a profession of faith in Christ.  The students and teachers will never forget this group, especially since they left "futbols"(soccer balls) for them to use!

The second school was the Engirigiri Elementary School.  The same rotating system and time schedule was followed there for 2 days -- 22 and 23 June.  The 174 students there thoroughly enjoyed the team, learned some Bible Stories , completed some great crafts, and then had some intense soccer instruction!  The fun part was keeping the cows and donkeys off the soccer pitch while the camp was going on! The teachers and students were also thoroughly impressed with the skills and stamina of this team!

Each afternoon, the team dug deep and summoned the energy to visit different Maasai bomas {(bow mahs) small Maasai settlements)} near both schools to interact with the parents and families of the students, share Bible stories, and pray with and for them.  Many contacts were made, students even came by the "base camp" house, and engaged in some informal futbol there also.

On Sunday, 24 June, the team attended the Engirigiri Baptist Church.  Dina got to give her testimony and Randy, the team pastor, was invited to speak to the church.  The team really got into the praise and worship time and the praise and worship really got into them also!  After a lunch of chapatis (Cha pah tees) and soda, we went to the pastor's boma to greet his extended family.

Then the team went to Tarangire National Park on 25 June.  They saw many animals, re-visited the same pride of lions that part of the team saw in January 2012, and had a great lunch!

Then on 26 June, the team packed up, went to Cultural Heritage in Arusha for shopping and lunch and then back to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) for the long flight home.

Thanks so much to this team for your time, sacrifice, energy, dedication, and perseverance as you joined God in His work in Tanzania among the Maasai!!