Enjoy and Spread as we show you this area being One Valley together.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The One Valley Festival
Well, it's over and it was fantastic! The first (and possibly annual) One Valley Festival was a huge success. We had right at 60 teams which probably equaled about 400 kids playing on the day. We had music blaring, around 30 volunteers running around keeping things going, and even some fun relay games.
The U7 African Bombers from Masiphumelele
I'm so thankful for all the amazing support we had from my partner Michael Jenkins, my amazing wife Sarah, and all the volunteers that spent their day refereeing the games, organizing the kids, leading the relay games, selling drinks & other merchandise, and generally just having an amazing attitude. Everybody was so willing to jump in and do whatever.
Two of our great volunteers, Ben & Robert
Two of our great volunteers, Ben & Robert
I also want to think Phil Mason from Reemaxe Sportswear for donating the game balls & the Western Province Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport that provided the inflatable field that the Under 7's played in.
Some players from Juventus
After so much work beforehand you would think it would have worn me out so that I never wanted to see another festival again. However, I'm actually REALLY excited about doing it again. We learned so much about how to do things better, things we could add, things that would enrich the experience for the kids, and so on. Also, teams now know about it so they will be excited about it's return.
Some players from Juventus
There were so many great things about the day, and you've heard some from Michael & the girls from 7 Stars on previous posts, but I want to highlight a few more. We really emphasized to the kids that the day was about enjoying each other from all the different communities, and they seemed to really embrace that. We had almost no fighting or little skirmishes. The kids played hard & fair. And one of the great things was just having people from all 3 racial groups together as ONE valley. They played together and enjoyed each other. That's actually a really significant thing. We have some work to do to get the 3 communities equally represented, but it was a great start.
Getting After It!
Kieren & Sarah with one of our Favorites, Kaka
The Back of Our T-shirt
Another Guest Post
We posted a little guest blog about the festival on our personal blog at www.caseyandsarahafrica.blogspot.com. Check it out, it's from some girls in our community that played in the festival.
Casey
Monday, September 27, 2010
First Response from the Festival
I'm going to do a proper blog about the Festival ASAP, but wanted to go ahead and get this on here. Michael Jenkins, the co-founder of Ubuntu Sports, wrote this reflection about the festival and asked if he could do a "guest post" on the blog. Michael runs his own business so he isn't able to help with the day in and day out happenings of Ubuntu. We call him the Visionary Consultant and when he is able to be involved with things he's a real champion. Here is his reflection on the day:
Tim and Natasha are a terrific couple who arrived during the morning and offered to hel
On Saturday Ubuntu Sports Outreach hosted our first ever One Valley soccer festival. With close to 60 teams entered we had around 400 kids playing, but it was a small, ragged group of six to nine year old's who brought an ache to my heart and defined the day for me.
Despite our not having received a single team registration just three weeks ago, the day started with astonishing punctuality and a wonderfully large crowd of kids from 6 to 17 years old, standing to sing the national anthem. This is not usually done at public events in South Africa, other than international games, but it was a poignant and fitting opening to a festival held on our Heritage Day weekend.
About an hour in, games were in full swing with continuous soccer being played simultaneously on 7 pitches. I was tearing around the fields trying to find a certain under 7 team who were due to play. Sitting off to one side, I saw a small group of boys who looked about the right age. I asked what their team name was, to which they proudly replied "the Mighty Blues". This was not the team I was looking for, so I hurried off, but with a small itch of concern - I'd gone through the match scedule and I was pretty sure there were no Mighty Blues on our program for the day.
Going back over to them, I learned that these ten boys - a full under 7 team and under 9 team - had arrived at a festival to which their coach did not show up, and in which he had not entered their teams. I remember sleepless nights and waking up ridiculously early and tremendously excited on game-day mornings when I was a small boy. I could see by the growing disappointment in their eyes that these ten little boys had lived that same story on saturday. Theirs had involved walking without adult supervision a few miles to a field where their coach had not met them, and seeing games start without them hearing the call for the Mighty Blues to take the field. Anthony, Ben and Robert - all outstanding young men who were champions this weekend - leaped into action to mark out an 8th field. During the rest of the day we managed to bring most of the other under 7 and under 9 teams over to field 8 which became the home ground for the Mighty Blues. When I called them over for their first game, these kids leaped with fists punching the air in sheer joy at getting to play.
Despite our not having received a single team registration just three weeks ago, the day started with astonishing punctuality and a wonderfully large crowd of kids from 6 to 17 years old, standing to sing the national anthem. This is not usually done at public events in South Africa, other than international games, but it was a poignant and fitting opening to a festival held on our Heritage Day weekend.
About an hour in, games were in full swing with continuous soccer being played simultaneously on 7 pitches. I was tearing around the fields trying to find a certain under 7 team who were due to play. Sitting off to one side, I saw a small group of boys who looked about the right age. I asked what their team name was, to which they proudly replied "the Mighty Blues". This was not the team I was looking for, so I hurried off, but with a small itch of concern - I'd gone through the match scedule and I was pretty sure there were no Mighty Blues on our program for the day.
Going back over to them, I learned that these ten boys - a full under 7 team and under 9 team - had arrived at a festival to which their coach did not show up, and in which he had not entered their teams. I remember sleepless nights and waking up ridiculously early and tremendously excited on game-day mornings when I was a small boy. I could see by the growing disappointment in their eyes that these ten little boys had lived that same story on saturday. Theirs had involved walking without adult supervision a few miles to a field where their coach had not met them, and seeing games start without them hearing the call for the Mighty Blues to take the field. Anthony, Ben and Robert - all outstanding young men who were champions this weekend - leaped into action to mark out an 8th field. During the rest of the day we managed to bring most of the other under 7 and under 9 teams over to field 8 which became the home ground for the Mighty Blues. When I called them over for their first game, these kids leaped with fists punching the air in sheer joy at getting to play.
Tim and Natasha are a terrific couple who arrived during the morning and offered to help however they could. These are people in ministry in our communities who have more than enough of their own work to do, and who are not connected to Ubuntu except through friendship and a shared heart for the communities we work in. They stepped into the gap and became the coaches of the two Mighty Blues teams. It was beautiful to see these little guys getting warm-up drills, high fives and pep talks - and loving every minute. I was inspired by how one couple giving a gift of their time on Saturday, brought such tremendous joy to a precious group of small boys, turning what could have been a day of bitter disappointment into one of the best days they have had this year. It reminded me that although we so often pursue happiness through getting, it's in giving that we find it.
On Saturday, often a single coach was responsible for up to five teams. The one major difference between running a festival for kids from township communities and festivals in affluent communities, is the overwhelming ratio of kids per rare adult who is able to give his time to their sports whilst fighting for the survival of his family in the most dire circumstances. We were helped in that regard to have a magnificent and large team of volunteers who were just AWESOME on the day. As a tribute of gratitude to all our volunteers on Saturday, I have such a strong conviction that Jesus is incredibly pleased with what you helped make possible for so many children that He loves beyond words. Thank you!
Casey spoke in the closing awards ceremony and thanked those who helped so much on the day, but I need to add a word of thanks to him and Sarah. It's hard to explain what a great job they did (and are doing) to anyone who has never tried to run an event in this kind of context. And if you have, then you don't need an explanation - you know already!
Finally back to my new favourite team - the Mighty Blues... For a moment I was angry that a coach would allow children to arrive at a soccer festival in which they had not yet been entered. And then not turn up himself! Then I wondered if I'd be giving my time to coach a team of 6 and 7 year olds if I lived with the challenges he faces daily. The fact is that when life gets really tough, hugely important things, like investing time in children, so often get overlooked for the urgent things like food, shelter and survival. Ubuntu exists for children like the Mighty Blues. Our mission is to train and mentor Christian men who will in turn be coaches and mentors, discipling children through time spent with them on a soccer field. The Mighty Blues reminded me of Jesus' words that we can love Him by stretching out hands to the 'least of these'. They reminded me once again of the innocent joy and enthusiasm soccer brings to young children, and what a simple and effective way it offers us to introduce them to the love of Jesus through his people loving them. They reminded me of just why Ubuntu has such an important role to play in South Africa; that many children just need adults who love Jesus to also love them.
On Saturday, often a single coach was responsible for up to five teams. The one major difference between running a festival for kids from township communities and festivals in affluent communities, is the overwhelming ratio of kids per rare adult who is able to give his time to their sports whilst fighting for the survival of his family in the most dire circumstances. We were helped in that regard to have a magnificent and large team of volunteers who were just AWESOME on the day. As a tribute of gratitude to all our volunteers on Saturday, I have such a strong conviction that Jesus is incredibly pleased with what you helped make possible for so many children that He loves beyond words. Thank you!
Casey spoke in the closing awards ceremony and thanked those who helped so much on the day, but I need to add a word of thanks to him and Sarah. It's hard to explain what a great job they did (and are doing) to anyone who has never tried to run an event in this kind of context. And if you have, then you don't need an explanation - you know already!
Finally back to my new favourite team - the Mighty Blues... For a moment I was angry that a coach would allow children to arrive at a soccer festival in which they had not yet been entered. And then not turn up himself! Then I wondered if I'd be giving my time to coach a team of 6 and 7 year olds if I lived with the challenges he faces daily. The fact is that when life gets really tough, hugely important things, like investing time in children, so often get overlooked for the urgent things like food, shelter and survival. Ubuntu exists for children like the Mighty Blues. Our mission is to train and mentor Christian men who will in turn be coaches and mentors, discipling children through time spent with them on a soccer field. The Mighty Blues reminded me of Jesus' words that we can love Him by stretching out hands to the 'least of these'. They reminded me once again of the innocent joy and enthusiasm soccer brings to young children, and what a simple and effective way it offers us to introduce them to the love of Jesus through his people loving them. They reminded me of just why Ubuntu has such an important role to play in South Africa; that many children just need adults who love Jesus to also love them.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Big Day Tomorrow
The big day is upon us! The One Valley Festival kicks off tomorrow morning at 9am. We're so excited to finally see what all the planning produces. We have about 50 teams signed up to play on the day, 8 vendors, a great lineup of family games, and the spirit of the Lord with us. Please join us in prayer for the day and we will update you next week on how GREAT the event was.
Casey
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
ONE VALLEY FESTIVAL- Update
Ubuntu Sports Outreach (www.ubuntusports.org), in partnership with other local churches and ministries is hosting the first ONE VALLEY FESTIVAL @ Sun Valley Primary School on Saturday, 25 of September. The purpose of the event is for all the communities of the Southern Peninsula Valley to enjoy a day together while celebrating the success of the World Cup. The event will primarily operate around a 5-a-side soccer tournament. Teams can register by printing off the form here. You then return it to Casey Prince in Ocean View.
The event is designed to be fun for the whole family. There will be music, family games, food vendors, and craft stalls. We are also having an inflatable field that the younger age groups will play in! And Peninsula Beverages will be providing a mini- Coke field. Please bring your entire family and spread the word throughout your neighborhood. It's going to be a great day!
If you have any questions call or email Casey Prince at 082-071-7165 or ubuntusports@gmail.com.
To access the registration form click here: registration form.
To print the indemnity form that everybody must sign click here: indemnity form
Looking forward to you joining us,
All Nations Connections Church
King of Kings Baptist Church Living Hope Community Center
Ocean View Baptist Church Ocean View Methodist Church
Revival Ministries Simon's Town Baptist Church
Ubuntu Sports Outreach
Monday, September 13, 2010
What we Hope
I took this picture last Sunday at the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) where we go to Hillsong Church Cape Town.
This is what we hope is a byproduct of the outreach of Ubuntu Sports, to be a wound healer in hearts, families, and communities. We know the power of a mentor, raised self-esteem, and a relationship with Jesus. This will transform kids, families, and communities; and consequently heal a lot of wounds. Pray that God would give us the opportunity.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
ONE VALLEY FESTIVAL
Ubuntu Sports Outreach (www.ubuntusports.org), in partnership with other local churches and ministries is hosting the first ONE VALLEY FESTIVAL @ Sun Valley Primary School on Saturday, 25 of September. The purpose of the event is for all the communities of the Southern Peninsula Valley to enjoy a day together while celebrating the success of the World Cup. The event will primarily operate around a 5-a-side soccer tournament. Teams can register by printing off the form here. You then return it to Casey Prince in Ocean View.
The event is designed to be fun for the whole family. There will be music, family games, food vendors, and craft stalls. Please bring your entire family and spread the word throughout your neighborhood.
If you have any questions call or email Casey Prince at 082-071-7165 or ubuntusports@gmail.com.
To access the registration form click here: registration form.
Looking forward to you joining us,
All Nations Connections Church
King of Kings Baptist Church Living Hope Community Center
Ocean View Baptist Church Ocean View Methodist Church
Revival Ministries Simon's Town Baptist Church
Ubuntu Sports Outreach
World Cup Recap
This is way overdue, but its time for our World Cup recap.
We had a great program going on in Ocean View at the turf field that we were given permission to use by the city. We met for a total of 6 sessions working on different skills each time. Our main content came by using words that were being used a lot during the World Cup to talk about Jesus. Here is a sampling:
Ke Nako= it's time, it's Africa's time; GOOD NEWS
Used it to talk about the Good News of Jesus coming to live among us
Waka, Waka= joyful, full of life
Talked specifically about John 10:10, that Jesus came to give us life & life abundantly.
Ayoba= amazement
Used it to talk about some of the miracles of God.
Jabulani= to celebrate
We talked this day about us celebrating the things God is doing in our lives.
It was a great way to put the truths of Jesus into a context that they were being bombarded with. Hopefully, as they continued to hear those terms they connected them with Christ.
These pics are from the Jabulani day. We worked on shooting that day, and if they scored they had to celebrate!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)