Hello all! This is Tom, writing on behalf of the Wild Hope team. Steve and I are the new, or not so new, interns who arrived last October and we're excited about growing with the team until our departure on the 29th of July 2010. Our focus is mainly with the Nyota Football and Leadership Academy, but we also get the opportunity to experience most of Wild Hope's facets. Its a real treat! : )
Recently, we decided to host what we dubbed a "Love Feast" for a few of our soccer academy members. There are currently about 100 young men participating in this sports program based in the slums of our city. The dinner was planned to be a time when some of the guys would be invited into our home as a free space to simply live together for an evening; no stress, no pressure, just the freedom to be open and be loved on. Steve and I invited them to the food we cooked, and we also encouraged the freedom to discuss life, particularly life with Christ. The mood we sought was community growth--the power in which we sought to bring it was the Holy Spirit's.
To say the least, Steve and I felt like it was a huge success in every aspect, except maybe the quality of food! I am not the best cook :-) As massive amounts of food were consumed, laughter filled the air and smiles were shot across our circular sitting formation. When our bellies were filled, we began to digest conversation on several topics: money, church, and prayer. It was such a blessing to see these young men who are often faced with a legalistic, polarizing version of Christianity (where it is commonly taught that your sole expression of faith is seen inside a Church building on Sundays) break open into the honest yet challenging ground of grace. Freedom of speech amongst the youth is not commonly received well in their community, so imagination and honest response is often stifled. But that evening, they dialogued back and forth, sharing opinions, and their struggles about Church, prayer, and their faith.
One of the most shocking, and heartbreaking moments that night for me was when one boy turned to me and said, "What about money? It can get you everything." It was hard for me to say to my friend, who struggles in poverty every day, while we sat on my lush, well-kept grass, "Money isn't everything. It can't buy you happiness. It can't buy you love."
Throughout the course of the evening we transitioned from conversation and spontaneous scripture reading (as we tested things together or struggled to make a point) into soccer and guitar playing. I think God might of had this life together in mind when he sent his Son... and when he sent Steve and I to Africa to join Wild Hope. Blessings!
