After a hearty lunch brought from the Oasis to the volunteers and players, Richard, Dorie and Vic worked on more house demolition while Andy got to work preparing his escape room game. At 6:00 the youth began to trickle in. Fortunately, we were prepared with a plan to make this work for the varying arrival times. As a number of kids arrived, the game was explained, and a small group could begin with the first clues. The teens all appeared engaged and enjoyed the challenges and a game of "Upset the Fruit basket," as the final teams completed. They listened attentively to the message afterward. Many of the kids came from the community and are not regular attenders. Pray that the message Dustin shared at volleyball and Andy shared at the youth event would take root in the lives of these youth.
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Volleyball anyone? The tournament was a big draw for youth in the community. They wore colourful school team jerseys with enthusiasm on their sleeves. Joven explained there are three barangays (districts) on the island, each with an elementary and high school. The students generally have a yearly tournament between the schools and the winning team goes to the “mainland.” However, that is usually the end of it. Though many have natural ability, in order to improve their skills enough to make it to university on a volleyball scholarship, more professional coaching would be required.
Here is what we observed. There was no arguing with Dustin who played ref for the day. No discussion over lines or hostility towards other teams. Without any adult direction, they greeted their opponents at the start of each game and showed an admirable spirit of sportsmanship during play.
