Fútbol is life!

I had a dream!

Okay, so I spend quite a bit of time at Las Aldeas.  Las Aldeas is the facility where most all of the youth we work with are from. There are 13 homes on site with a capacity of 10 - 12 kids per home. Currently on site there are about 110 kids. Another 35 - 40 teen-agers live off site in 4 other houses, 2 for boys and 2 for girls.

If you visit Las Aldeas you will see many things, but one constant is there will almost always be someone playing on the soccer field! It is part of the culture here, many schools, neighborhoods etc are literally built around a soccer field! If there is a semi-flat piece of land, the soccer field goes there, then the rest is figured out! Many times here you will hear the soccer field of a school, park, neighborhood etc referred to as "holy ground".

Look at the photo below, what do you see?

Soccer field at Las Aldeas

 That is the well used soccer field at Las Aldeas. You can't see in this photo, but the corner where the pic is taken actually goes uphill about 2 feet. There are lumps and dips. Rocks and dust. In the rainy season it is mud.....but they still play!

So..........my dream. For two years I have been praying for God to provide the means for this. I have shared with many people over the last two years my dream of being able to improve the soccer field, level it, put in good drainage etc. 

My bigger dream, which I have been praying for also.......I shared with fewer people, because it seems too GRANDE for here was:

ARTIFICIAL TURF!

This would be nice because you just can't keep grass there, they can't afford the maintenance so it dies in the dry season, and drowns in the rainy season.

Artificial Turf

So, last November the new Director of CAG, the school our daughter attends, told me he wanted to see the sports teams at CAG do more than just play games. As part of their spiritual development he wanted them to become involved in the community, so he asked if I could help.

I offered to have them, both men's and women's teams, come visit Las Aldeas and play soccer, and teach the kids also.

So we began in December taking the men's team once every other week, and also the women's team every other week, to get to know the kids and teach them soccer and play with them.

It is wonderful! 

Now, after their first visit to Las Aldeas, one of the students came to me and asked if it would be alright for them to do a service project there? He said they would like to help level and fix the field!

HELLO???? Been praying for that for two years!!!!

So, we began to discuss the possibility.

I never shared with them I had been praying for exactly this, just waited to see what God was going to do!

My dream!

A short time later, the Athletic Director for CAG called me to ask a question.

He told me that the students were very excited about the prospect of fixing the field and were looking for more help. One of the students was sharing about it with their parents, and somehow, 

WE HAVE BEEN OFFERED A DONATION OF USED ARTIFICIAL TURF ENOUGH FOR THE ENTIRE FIELD!!!!!!

God is really, really good! Las Aldeas has agreed to accept the donation, and we are hoping it will happen soon.

Please pray for this project. There is much that will need to be done to be able to use the turf, leveling, drains, and a good base. 

But the students of CAG are looking for others to assist, and we hope to begin soon!

So, believe in the power of praying for your dreams, God will provide!