A break from soccer

While in Israel for the National Council Meeting and classes, Esther and I spent some time with the women of the church. They received a loan from a church in Colorado earlier this year to begin a store; we thought that it would be hard for them to have success with their store due to distance from any supplier and need to carry everything in to sell… not to mention the poverty of everyone in the community. But they have worked hard and not only have a beautiful building but also have already made the money to repay the loan! We congratulated them on their success and hard work and talked about being women in the church. They have many roles and getting them to see that they are important takes time. Many started having children at 14, many cannot read or write… getting them to see the importance of their role as wife, mother, cook, but also teacher of their own children and the children in the church, and that they too are leaders is sacred ground for it threatens to knock down barriers and open horizons, it dares to breathe life into their daily routines. We also took time to share that they can and should find time for themselves… whether just to bathe or to adorn their hair with a pretty ribbon or something more significant… as ways to satisfy themselves and communicate to themselves and others their value as individuals and as women.

Most of the week the men or boys had been playing soccer on the field outside of the wood slat church… the evening of our talk with the women, while the food was heating over the wood fires in huge smoke blackened kettles, they took to the field. In their skirts and sandals and with a small amount of skill they played basketball. Their 5 foot no inch bodies rounded by multiple pregnancies raced up and down the dirt court while their husbands and sons watched and occasionally exclaiming at a rough play. All enjoyed the break from soccer, the break the women had from caring for everyone and attending to everything. The women took time to play. When the black beans, eggs and tortillas were ready for dinner, the women wrapped up their game and fed all gathered… renewed.