We have landed safely at my mother's house after 2 days of full, frantic travel. Remember me saying in an earlier blog that I was packing way more toys and books than seemed wise? So there we are at the check-in counter in Entebbe with 4 big trolleys full of 18 pieces of baggage to check. Imagine the Beverly Hillbillies on a jet plane! We heaved a huge sigh of relief as the wonderful folks at BA began tagging them. Usually, they get checked all the way through to Charlotte (with a brief re-posession in Chicago for our point of entry customs check) What a relief not to have to lug them around, but just trust them over and be on our way with a few small carry-ons and a double stroller. Alas, this was not to be. "Heathrow is experiencing serious problems with all checked luggage. Their conveyor belt for terminal four has broken and your bags must be collected in London and re-checked there." GASP! Our flight was to arrive in the early afternoon into London and we had made plans to stay with some WHM missionaries in the London area. Our plan had been to take the tube (subway) to a stop near their homes, sleep and arrive at the airport the next morning in plenty of time for our late morning departure for Chicago. Taking the tube with our carry-ons and four small children seemed a bit daunting but do-able. BUT trying to manage the tube with 18 pieces of luggage (9 of which were foot locker trunks) seemed absolutely impossible. The thought of spending the night at the airport surrounded by said children and luggage was a completely numbing thought. As I stared blankly at the woman behind the check-in counter, she asked "Would you like to re-book for a date when the luggage can be checked straight through?" AHHHH! So with a big gulp and a desperate prayer to the Lord to please, please handle all of this somehow, our bags got checked for London and we boarded the plane. Nate, before this moment had been singing and dancing around about riding on an AIRPLANE was nearly beside himself with excitement. That is until we actually took off. "WE GONNA CRASH! WE GO UPSIE-DOWN! WE LAND IN THE WATER! I SCARED! WE GONNA DIE!" We, as well as our fellow travelors just stared at him in amazement as I wrapped my arms around him and assured him we most definitely were NOT going to crash, nor go upsie-down but would stay rightsie-up for the entire time. Of course, any of you who know me are aware of my extreme plane phobias and my sincere belief that every time we take-off or land we actually will crash or the plane will break in half or go up in flames. Sigh. I guess it is just in the genes. We arrived 9 hours later in London, collected all of our bags. This time Kev managed to pile them onto only three big trollies and off we went in search of someone, anyone who could help us. It turns out that there are some very nice people who work for BA in London. We happened across 2 of them who were in charge of lost luggage. They graciously agreed to hold all of our bags for us, in a secure area at no charge. Wahoo! We hopped on the tube, found the right stops and in no time were sitting around a table eating tacos and all manner of good food with wonderful fellow missionaries. What a wonderful evening! The next morning they dropped us off at the tube station in plenty of time to get to the airport early. We thought 3 hours would be generous. We were wrong. It took the entire 3 hours, to get checked back in and get to the gate in time to board the plane. And that was with automated check-in AND a BA representative walking us to the very front of the long line!
There was a moment of panic when we thought we wouldn't make the flight, but then helpfully, the plane was delayed by 30 minutes and we got there in time. Then the plane was delayed another 30 minutes and then another and then another. At this point in the trip we began to wonder if we were going to make our next connection. Originally we had 2 and 1/2 hours. Now that was fast shrinking to 1 hour. Was that going to be enough time to collect our bags, get through customs and then hand them over to go back onto the next plane? Perhaps. As I sat on the plane nestled between Nate and Savannah trying to not envision worse case scenrios by watching various videos I noticed that the stewardess was getting very upset with the guy seated in the seat in front of Joe. As I watched he began making threatening gestures towards her (she in turn was calm but growing alarmed and instructing him to calm down or she would inform the captain). He turned towards Joe and Kevin and began glaring. Uh-oh. What was going on? Evidently, Joe had been touching his tv screen to select his movies with more force and more frequently than this guy thought was okay. To my horror, I realized this guy was really angry with my small son. The best move, we thought, would be for Joe and Kev to change seats. Of course, that's when it all became too much for Joe and he totally melted down. He had been waiting for a window seat and was so happy to finally get one on the second flight. Jet lag, little food, disapointment and an angry face glaring at him became too much and he began throwing a massive temper tantrum. At which point the guy turned to the stewardess and said, "See his own father can't control him." I saw red. After all the emotion of the last 2 months, I was ready to leap over the seat and pound this guy. Not very "turn the other cheek" I am aware. Instead I stood up, leaned over towards Joe and glared right back. This seemd to surprise the guy, that I would dare to challenge him. Kev at this point is wondering if we are going to end up arrested or he's going to have to get in a fist fight on a transatlantic flight to protect me. Finally, after much longer than was wise for either of us, he looked away but refused to change seats. We were on a nearly empty flight so there were seats empty in almost every row, including the 2 right next to him. He maintained that Joe had to switch. Joe was still sobbing with his face pressed to the window and pleading not to move. I scooted Nate into the seat with Savannah and called Joe back to my row and the now empty window seat. The rest of the flight was uneventful if a bit crowded, but both the stewardess and I (and Kev) were pretty shaken up and frazzled. Several stewards were stragically located as we departed the plane to make sure the guy didn't do anything threatening, and he was met by the police after he went through customs.
We were too late to make our connecting flight on American Airlines so BA re-booked us on a later flight. Great. Four of our bags didn't make it on the plane from Heathrow, and YIKES, as our gate-checked stroller came down the shute we noticed that the right front wheel had been completely snapped off. Could it still be used? All four kids were exhausted at this point and the twins were falling asleep. So we stuck them in the stroller, only to have it lean dangerously to the side. Pushing it was frustrating to say the least. After a good 45 minutes we finally collected the remaining pieces of our luggage and went through customs with no problem. Feeling thankful that BA had re-booked us (since our original flight had left five minutes before we cleared customs) we went straight to the AA check-in counter. That's when we discovered that BA had re-booked us with US Air and their check-in counter was not just beside the door like AA was. In fact, it was not even in the same terminal! We somehow needed to get the kids (with no stroller) and 14 heavy bags on a train (no trollies allowed) to get to terminal 2, check-in and get to the gate. All in one hour. Kev went back to talk to BA and plead for help. They refused and said there was nothing they could do. They did suggest that perhaps we could "shuttle" leaving the older kids at terminal 2, the twins and me at terminal 4 and Kev taking as many bags as he could on the train until they were all transferred. WHAT?! With precious minutes ticking I again went totally numb and began just staring at the wall. Kev nudged me forward, shaking his head and said, "We've got to at least try. Come on." I felt a personal temper tantrum coming on. This whole situation was NOT OKAY. Leaving Kev with three of the kids and holding Savannah on my hip I stormed back into the secure area and marched up to the BA counter. In a loud, emotional voice I detailed to the four women standing there just what BA was expecting us to do, how it was impossible given the terminal change, no trolly, and no stroller issues. And how ultimately this was BA's fault and problem, not mine. Then I basically described how long we had been flying, where we had come from and how I was right now, right in front of them, going to have a complete, loud and SPECTACULAR breakdown if they didn't do something fast. It was more effective than I thought, because within seconds they had found a way to tag our bags from terminal four and send them on to terminal 2. We boarded the train with only our kids and carry-ons, but let me tell you I was now definitely "vergy". Then, when we got to the check-in counter with US Air we were told that while BA had made our reservations they had not actually bought our tickets yet and we would need to get back on the train and go back to terminal four to speak with a BA representative and resolve the problem. Kev stayed several feet back with the kids. I'm not even sure at this point what I said to the guy, but after pointing out that he, in fact, had a telephone that he pressumably knew how to use, he could just make a simple phone call and resolve the matter. Which, to his credit, he did. 15 minutes later we had boarding passes, the gate had been called to say we were rushing to make the flight (we only had 10 minutes to departure). Off we went running to security. With so many little ones we got waved to the front. As our passports were being checked and a small hope was growing that we might make the flight after all, we were told that Kev and I had been randomly selected for the in-depth security screening and should procede with our family and all of our bags to the special glass room. You have got to be kidding! Shaking our heads we trudged defeatedly over to the appointed room. Everyone got full body checks, all of our bags were opened examined and swabbed. Our shoes were removed and analyzed, much to Savannah's horror and loud cries of protest. We were cleared and off running again with one minute to spare. I have to say, running with one 3 year old on my hip and holding the hand of another one while trying to urge Joe and Louisa to keep up was surreal. We arrived at the gate to watch the airplane pulling away. The gal behind the counter looked at us and said, "Oh no! Are you the family of 6?" (What gave it away?) She said, "We can't call this plane back, but there is another plane leaving for Charlotte right now at gate F8 (about 200 yards away) if you run you might make it." Feeling a bit like double over-time in a grueling basketball match, we took off again. To keep our sense of humor, we started chanting Dori's mantra from Finding Nemo... "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." We got to F8 and the very helpful woman behind the counter got us checked in, in about 10 seconds and told us to run that they would hold the door, not to worry about boarding passes. With a sigh of relief we got on the plane. That's when we looked up and realized that this was a regional commuter plane- 2 seats on either side of the aisle. Maybe forty people total. I'm thinking definitely a plane that could go "upsie-down." As we bustled to the 6 empty seats at the very back of the plane, all of the fellow passengers gave us sympathetic looks or encouraging smiles. Very wonderful. Nate was fascinated by the big hoses de-icing the wings, everybody else fell right asleep. As we took off, the pilot announced "Due to heavy turbulance for the entire flight the seat belt sign will stay on and there will be no bevarge or snack service. It will be dangerous to move up and down the aisles even for the stewardesses." Great. I closed my eyes and was so exhausted that we all slept feeling a bit like we were back on the road to Bundibugyo with all of its bumps and potholes. We arrived in Charlotte and collapsed into the waiting arms of my family. 6 more bags didn't make the Charlotte connection. The ones that did (we were amazed that ANY made it) had come on the US Air plane we missed. So by the time I had filed the various forms for 10 pieces of lost luggage and a damage report for the stroller we got to my mom's house at midnight. Which unfortunately felt like morning to the kids. The wonders of jet lag.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Numb
Here we sit in Kampala re-packing our trunks and bags to make sure they are all organized and within the proper weight. Joe is helping his chameleon catch some last minute flies before he releases him back into the wild. The other kids are playing with the few toys that are still left un-packed. Everything is happening in a slow, orderly way with plenty of time to take care of everything that needs to be done in the next 24 hours before our departure tomorrow morning. It would be perfect if we weren't all so very numb and rubbed raw.
How do you continue to "be normal" when your heart is ripped in two? Our 10 days back in Bundibugyo were wonderful, full, good days. Our goodbyes were emotional and heartfelt. All very healthy, all nearly perfect. And yet even the most perfectly organized and cared out goodbye still feels like death. It continues to be incomprehensible that we are leaving, not just for a short time, but for good. Sure we can always come back and visit, but our days of ministry at CSB are officially over. Our team, who have become family to us, will carry on the daily struggle there without us, and we will have to adjust to living life without them right down the road. It seems surreal and unbelievably difficult to process.
Today, the twins turn three. With all the other things rushing through our heads and hearts it is easy to forget what a celebration this should be. Fortunately, Joe and Louisa are providing lot's of celebratory energy this morning, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they've been screaming since the twins woke up.
Please pray for our travels. In a classic fashion, Savannah began spiking a fever yesterday (no seizures, thankfully, and her malaria test was negative). After looking punky all day in the car yesterday, she seems back to her normal cheerful self this morning. More from the flip side.
How do you continue to "be normal" when your heart is ripped in two? Our 10 days back in Bundibugyo were wonderful, full, good days. Our goodbyes were emotional and heartfelt. All very healthy, all nearly perfect. And yet even the most perfectly organized and cared out goodbye still feels like death. It continues to be incomprehensible that we are leaving, not just for a short time, but for good. Sure we can always come back and visit, but our days of ministry at CSB are officially over. Our team, who have become family to us, will carry on the daily struggle there without us, and we will have to adjust to living life without them right down the road. It seems surreal and unbelievably difficult to process.
Today, the twins turn three. With all the other things rushing through our heads and hearts it is easy to forget what a celebration this should be. Fortunately, Joe and Louisa are providing lot's of celebratory energy this morning, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they've been screaming since the twins woke up.
Please pray for our travels. In a classic fashion, Savannah began spiking a fever yesterday (no seizures, thankfully, and her malaria test was negative). After looking punky all day in the car yesterday, she seems back to her normal cheerful self this morning. More from the flip side.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Where to even start?
10 years of pictures, documents, books, toys, dishes, clothes, trinkets, linens, memories...
Then, of course, there is the general mess, dust, grime, lizard poop, broken pieces, and forgotten papers that have acculumulated that need to be dealt with. Where do I even start? I gaze around our home at all the "stuff" and then look at the trunks and duffle bags that can accompany us on the airplane. How do I fit our lives in those trunks? How do I say "no" yet again to one of the children as they plead "please, Mommy, this is my most favorite, most important.... PLEASE don't make me leave this here forever." Sigh. More toys and books go in those trunks than is probably wise, more adult items get removed to make way. I keep gazing at this place that has been home for a decade. I see the rooms where the kids have made so many milestones, their first steps, first words, first long arguments. I pass by the gash in the kitchen floor Kev made with the panga so long ago when he killed the cobra. I swipe another cobweb from a door that one time held the beloved Johnny Jump Up baby holder that gave me so many needed moments of sanity during each kids early years. I look around the tv room and remember the fright of Louisa's last seizure, as well as all the movies we have watched as a family or couple trying to keep a little bit of America fresh in our minds and hearts. Yes, the stove is too small, the frig never seems to stay cold enough, lizards roam the walls and poop in annoying places, the shower is always cold and we have to constantly watch the sun to make sure we have enough electricity BUT this place is home. And now we are leaving.
To be sure we are glad to have a chance to rest this next year, to be renewed spiritually, physically and emotionally. We are excited about the comforts of American living and of seeing so many friends and family that we have missed terribly during our time here. And yet, their is a deep grief and sorrow.
In between packing and the normal amount of work it takes to survive here, we are also spending time meeting with folks who have just heard the news of our departure and want to just come and sit with us. The constant closure conversations are healthy but no less emotionally difficult as we express our love for the people of this place again and again, balanced with the need to return to the States to rest and to discern God's will for the next part of our life's journey. Everyone has been so gracious, so caring that we have been both encouraged and full of tears. Even now, on Sunday afternoon a large group of women has just arrived to greet and to say goodbye. The paradox of life here continues, heartache and joy. Priviledge and sacrifice. More later.
Then, of course, there is the general mess, dust, grime, lizard poop, broken pieces, and forgotten papers that have acculumulated that need to be dealt with. Where do I even start? I gaze around our home at all the "stuff" and then look at the trunks and duffle bags that can accompany us on the airplane. How do I fit our lives in those trunks? How do I say "no" yet again to one of the children as they plead "please, Mommy, this is my most favorite, most important.... PLEASE don't make me leave this here forever." Sigh. More toys and books go in those trunks than is probably wise, more adult items get removed to make way. I keep gazing at this place that has been home for a decade. I see the rooms where the kids have made so many milestones, their first steps, first words, first long arguments. I pass by the gash in the kitchen floor Kev made with the panga so long ago when he killed the cobra. I swipe another cobweb from a door that one time held the beloved Johnny Jump Up baby holder that gave me so many needed moments of sanity during each kids early years. I look around the tv room and remember the fright of Louisa's last seizure, as well as all the movies we have watched as a family or couple trying to keep a little bit of America fresh in our minds and hearts. Yes, the stove is too small, the frig never seems to stay cold enough, lizards roam the walls and poop in annoying places, the shower is always cold and we have to constantly watch the sun to make sure we have enough electricity BUT this place is home. And now we are leaving.
To be sure we are glad to have a chance to rest this next year, to be renewed spiritually, physically and emotionally. We are excited about the comforts of American living and of seeing so many friends and family that we have missed terribly during our time here. And yet, their is a deep grief and sorrow.
In between packing and the normal amount of work it takes to survive here, we are also spending time meeting with folks who have just heard the news of our departure and want to just come and sit with us. The constant closure conversations are healthy but no less emotionally difficult as we express our love for the people of this place again and again, balanced with the need to return to the States to rest and to discern God's will for the next part of our life's journey. Everyone has been so gracious, so caring that we have been both encouraged and full of tears. Even now, on Sunday afternoon a large group of women has just arrived to greet and to say goodbye. The paradox of life here continues, heartache and joy. Priviledge and sacrifice. More later.
January Prayer Letter
Touch me
Take me to that other place
Reach me
I know I’m not a hopeless case
-- U2: “Beautiful Day”
Dear Friends, 28 January 2008
Our last letter, written at the end of November, was all about Christmas in Bundibugyo and our intentions to leave this place sometime in early to mid 2008 for a year-long furlough in the U.S. A day after that letter was sent came the horrifying announcement that the mysterious illness that was killing people in the Kikyo area of the district less than 20km from us was Ebola, in fact a new strain of Ebola. Within a few days we closed Christ School (a week earlier than scheduled) and shifted the family to take up residence in Kampala for two months. The weeks that followed our evacuation were terribly dark times as we heard of the spread of the dreaded virus, experienced first-hand the panic in the rest of Uganda, and swung between hope and despair as each day we waited for news of our teammates and friends who we left behind. Then came the awful, the unthinkable: our friend Dr. Jonah Kule fell sick and died, Jonah who had spent years as a medical assistant and recently as a doctor serving his people in the district. And in the midst of our grief our fears turned to our team leaders, Drs. Scott and Jennifer Myhre, who like Jonah had also been in contact with Ebola patients, especially Scott, and we wondered if this dreaded virus which was killing many health workers in the district would also lay claim to missionaries. Meanwhile, Savannah started presenting high fever and febrile seizures with convulsions. We knew it couldn’t possibly be Ebola, yet there was still that fear, however irrational it may have been, that was not allayed until she was diagnosed with a UTI and started responding to treatment with antibiotics. I can’t overstate the terror and despair of those days, yet with each passing day there came hope that Dr. Jonah’s final words, a prayer that no more people would die from this disease, would be prophetic. And now we see that the grim initial forecast of lack of containment, of spreading to the rest of Uganda and across the border to Congo, of killing hundreds in Bundibugyo, and of lasting well into 2008, has not come true (and no one from Christ School was infected). There have been no new cases in the past month, and by the time you receive this letter Bundibugyo will almost certainly be officially declared Ebola-free. The loss has been great, but we also know that it could have been much worse.
In the past two months we have also been dealing with painful decisions about our departure. We had a difficult and trying 2007 that took us to the breaking point, and just when we thought we were getting ready for a 6-week rest before heading down the home stretch, then came Ebola, the one more thing that trumped all else that had happened in the past year: my father’s passing, Louisa’s malaria scare, the lightning strike at Christ School, closing Christ School for two weeks due to student riots, Savannah’s possible dysentery and later malaria. We considered all the options from leaving immediately and not returning to our home in Bundibugyo at all, to staying until our previously planned departure date of late April. What we finally decided on, after much anguish and many tears, was for Kevin to go back to the district for the last two weeks of January to prepare Christ School for the new academic year due to start as scheduled on February 4th, then for JD and the kids to come in early February, and for all of us to leave and turn the school over to the Pierces’ capable hands by mid-February. We are scheduled to fly out of Entebbe on February 20th, touching down in Charlotte where we will stay with JD’s parents for about six weeks. In early April we will begin our Great American Field Trip Adventure, our own family GAFTA that we have been planning for nearly a year, which will take us coast-to-coast from April to June. By the beginning of July we hope to be settled in our house at 2320 Englewood Ave. in Durham.
As we look at the month ahead a mixture of emotions overwhelms us. There is the impending pain of separation, from the community of missionaries who have become our family here in the field, and from Christ School, especially the staff, which our lives have grown with over the past ten years. The school has been transformed from a bushy place with no structures and a humble beginning with 30 students to the present size of 26 teachers and more than 350 students, and while our family has gone from two to six, there is the personal growth in our faith and marriage and family life that cannot be quantified but is more real than any numbers associated with the school. We know that as we end this part of our spiritual journey, we are beginning another; nevertheless, our life here and the life of the school are like two vines that have been growing side-by-side, and splitting them feels like a ripping apart of our very souls. I am treasuring these last days of our term in Bundibugyo, yet the pain is so great that sometimes I wish I could just jump ahead a month and be done with it. The last ten years have been a tremendous privilege of service and at the same time a heavy burden, a burden that we have never been free of even during holidays and visits to America. Now comes the time for us to lay that burden down and to rest. We know you will be there to catch us. As always, please continue to keep us in your prayers.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in his word I hope;
My soul waits for the Lord
More than watchmen for the morning,
More than watchmen for the morning.
-- Psalm 130 (RSV)
Love,
Kevin and JD Bartkovich
Email: KevinandJD@Yahoo.comBlog: www.kwegesiya.blogspot.com
Take me to that other place
Reach me
I know I’m not a hopeless case
-- U2: “Beautiful Day”
Dear Friends, 28 January 2008
Our last letter, written at the end of November, was all about Christmas in Bundibugyo and our intentions to leave this place sometime in early to mid 2008 for a year-long furlough in the U.S. A day after that letter was sent came the horrifying announcement that the mysterious illness that was killing people in the Kikyo area of the district less than 20km from us was Ebola, in fact a new strain of Ebola. Within a few days we closed Christ School (a week earlier than scheduled) and shifted the family to take up residence in Kampala for two months. The weeks that followed our evacuation were terribly dark times as we heard of the spread of the dreaded virus, experienced first-hand the panic in the rest of Uganda, and swung between hope and despair as each day we waited for news of our teammates and friends who we left behind. Then came the awful, the unthinkable: our friend Dr. Jonah Kule fell sick and died, Jonah who had spent years as a medical assistant and recently as a doctor serving his people in the district. And in the midst of our grief our fears turned to our team leaders, Drs. Scott and Jennifer Myhre, who like Jonah had also been in contact with Ebola patients, especially Scott, and we wondered if this dreaded virus which was killing many health workers in the district would also lay claim to missionaries. Meanwhile, Savannah started presenting high fever and febrile seizures with convulsions. We knew it couldn’t possibly be Ebola, yet there was still that fear, however irrational it may have been, that was not allayed until she was diagnosed with a UTI and started responding to treatment with antibiotics. I can’t overstate the terror and despair of those days, yet with each passing day there came hope that Dr. Jonah’s final words, a prayer that no more people would die from this disease, would be prophetic. And now we see that the grim initial forecast of lack of containment, of spreading to the rest of Uganda and across the border to Congo, of killing hundreds in Bundibugyo, and of lasting well into 2008, has not come true (and no one from Christ School was infected). There have been no new cases in the past month, and by the time you receive this letter Bundibugyo will almost certainly be officially declared Ebola-free. The loss has been great, but we also know that it could have been much worse.
In the past two months we have also been dealing with painful decisions about our departure. We had a difficult and trying 2007 that took us to the breaking point, and just when we thought we were getting ready for a 6-week rest before heading down the home stretch, then came Ebola, the one more thing that trumped all else that had happened in the past year: my father’s passing, Louisa’s malaria scare, the lightning strike at Christ School, closing Christ School for two weeks due to student riots, Savannah’s possible dysentery and later malaria. We considered all the options from leaving immediately and not returning to our home in Bundibugyo at all, to staying until our previously planned departure date of late April. What we finally decided on, after much anguish and many tears, was for Kevin to go back to the district for the last two weeks of January to prepare Christ School for the new academic year due to start as scheduled on February 4th, then for JD and the kids to come in early February, and for all of us to leave and turn the school over to the Pierces’ capable hands by mid-February. We are scheduled to fly out of Entebbe on February 20th, touching down in Charlotte where we will stay with JD’s parents for about six weeks. In early April we will begin our Great American Field Trip Adventure, our own family GAFTA that we have been planning for nearly a year, which will take us coast-to-coast from April to June. By the beginning of July we hope to be settled in our house at 2320 Englewood Ave. in Durham.
As we look at the month ahead a mixture of emotions overwhelms us. There is the impending pain of separation, from the community of missionaries who have become our family here in the field, and from Christ School, especially the staff, which our lives have grown with over the past ten years. The school has been transformed from a bushy place with no structures and a humble beginning with 30 students to the present size of 26 teachers and more than 350 students, and while our family has gone from two to six, there is the personal growth in our faith and marriage and family life that cannot be quantified but is more real than any numbers associated with the school. We know that as we end this part of our spiritual journey, we are beginning another; nevertheless, our life here and the life of the school are like two vines that have been growing side-by-side, and splitting them feels like a ripping apart of our very souls. I am treasuring these last days of our term in Bundibugyo, yet the pain is so great that sometimes I wish I could just jump ahead a month and be done with it. The last ten years have been a tremendous privilege of service and at the same time a heavy burden, a burden that we have never been free of even during holidays and visits to America. Now comes the time for us to lay that burden down and to rest. We know you will be there to catch us. As always, please continue to keep us in your prayers.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in his word I hope;
My soul waits for the Lord
More than watchmen for the morning,
More than watchmen for the morning.
-- Psalm 130 (RSV)
Love,
Kevin and JD Bartkovich
Email: KevinandJD@Yahoo.comBlog: www.kwegesiya.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Some notes on football from the Headmaster...
Often in the middle of a game when our boys are just playing "flat", they will go into their half-time huddle with their heads hanging. Minutes later they emerge with renewed spirits and literally burst onto the field. "What did you say to them???" many of us ask Kevin. He is pretty non-commital, or shrugs and gives us a short reply "I believe in them." But just recently he has taken the time to write up some of his "football philosophy." For those of you who have followed the football seasons as avidly as we have here, cheered us on through the early years and kept on after our team became undefeatable in the district, I am posting Kev's philosophy. It is long, but full of the heart he has brought to the pitch and to the boys of Christ School for the last 10 years.
Christ School – Bundibugyo
Competition on the Football Pitch
[This paper is an outline of the fundamental principles for sports competitions at Christ School. Although the sport discussed here is football, the principles can be applied to any other sport. In finally putting my thoughts down on paper I was inspired by the ideas and advice of Joe Bean and Layton Shoemaker (www.powersoccer.ca ) I have added my own flavor and experiences to some of their wise words.]
We are a Christian school, and we seek to center all that we do on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Since we believe that the Christian faith is relevant to all of life, we must seek to apply our faith to the football program. If our faith does not make a difference in how we compete in football, then perhaps we should not compete at all. In particular, we should take a stand against the win-at-any-cost culture that has corrupted Ugandan football in the secondary schools. Schools seemingly will stop at nothing to secure a victory, from hiring mercenaries to feature for the team, to bribing officials, to forging papers for their so-called students. Instead, we should be developing our own students through hard work and discipline. Such a program may not always win and may never compete for the national championship, but it will build character in our boys that is consistent with the mission of the school.
Given the dishonorable state of secondary schools’ football, why should we participate at all? The following list of benefits gives some reasons for competing.
The physical abilities involved in playing football are a wonderful gift from God. Every time we walk onto the pitch, we should do so in a spirit of thanksgiving. Every time we compete or train, we should do so in a way that gives glory to God.
Sport is part of a holistic education. It teaches hard work, discipline, self-control, perseverance, concentration, creativity, decision-making, concentration, honesty, respect, teamwork, and skill.
We find joy in both the training/preparation and in the actual competition, joy that is different from the enjoyment experienced in the classroom when mastering a difficult academic concept. Each one hopes to be the hero, loves to be part of the team, and wants to participate in the excitement and drama that comes with every match.
Participating on a football team teaches one to sacrifice individual glory for the good of the team. We subordinate our personal objectives to the team’s objectives.
Football team members learn to respect and submit to the authority of the coaching staff.
Competition outside of Bundibugyo gives a sense of dignity and self-respect that otherwise is hard to build in such an isolated place.
The following is a list of character traits that we hope to build in our footballers.
Footballers respect teammates, coaches, officials, and spectators. They are willing to sacrifice self for the greater good even if that greater good is to set an example of integrity that has a higher priority than winning.
Footballers have confidence, not arrogance.
Footballers have an element of pride, but are not over-proud.
Footballers know that they do not need to tear someone else down to build themselves up.
Footballers view playing as a privilege and not a right.
Footballers look for ways to support, praise, and thank others.
Footballers do not make excuses or blame others. They learn from failure and move on to new efforts.
Footballers follow the commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which can also be stated, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Footballers are full of laughter, enjoyment, and friendship, even during the most challenging training sessions.
Footballers know how to win and they know how to lose, and they do both with respect for the game, for the opponent, and for themselves. In victory, there is no place for downgrading the opponent; and in defeat, there is no place for downgrading your team. When you step onto the pitch, if you are not ready to lose, then you are also not ready to win.
The development of these character traits is how we choose to define success in the football program at Christ School. Maintaining these traits is more important than winning. Somehow when we learn to win or lose in the spirit of Christ, then the final score becomes far less significant. This is where process – developing Christian character – takes priority over product – having a winning team. When we become too much product driven, that is where our principles are compromised and corruption enters into the product. In such a case, even winning loses its attractiveness. In contrast, a program that prioritizes character development will influence the product positively, but it is never compromised by the desire to win.
Some implications of putting the focus on character development:
A. Fair play
It is normal for a team to show respect for an injured player by knocking the ball of bounds. Yet the same team will engage in practices such as shirt pulling, encroachment on a free kick, intentional fouls to stop a threatening player, diving in the penalty box, and play-acting to try to influence the officials. These practices are intended to gain an unfair advantage over an opponent. A team that is led by Christ will not do such things. They will play the game fairly and within the rules. They will follow not just the letter of the law but the spirit of the law.
B. Respect for the other team
If you respect a team, then you will play hard, fair and within the rules. If you are winning a match, the greatest respect you can show for the opponent is to compete without compromise for the entire match. No one wants to be downgraded or laughed at. Remember that one day the roles can be reversed and you could be on the losing end of a match with a team that is disrespecting you. Likewise, if you are losing a match, you show the greatest respect for the game and for yourself by competing with maximum effort up to the final whistle. Such an effort will also earn the respect of the opponent no matter what the score.
C. Not arguing with the officials
Treat officials as you would want to be treated. Officiating is a tough job, and no one gets paid enough to suffer abuse from players and spectators. Officials are human, and they do make mistakes. We should be examples of grace and forgiveness. And guess what? If you do these things, then officials will enjoy handling your team.
D. Supportive relationships among the players
Any successful program is built around solid and meaningful player relationships. If teammates don’t like each other off the field, they probably won’t respond positively to each other on the field. Supportive relationships are part of what it means for players to subordinate their individual goals to the team goals. Even if two players are not naturally friends, they will make the effort to get along for the sake of team unity.
E. Good attendance at training sessions
When there is poor attendance at training, this is clear evidence that the players are interested mainly in appearing in matches. They want to be noticed, they want to be seen by the spectators, so they only care about showing up at matches. This attitude totally misses the point of being on a team. Training is everything. That is where growth occurs, that is where team spirit is developed, that is where the life lessons are learned. You train and do physical conditioning, not so you can appear in a match, but so you can train better the next day. Matches are simply a test to evaluate how well you are training and growing as a team. Training is like reading at preps, and matches are like the final exam. You would never think of going into an exam without serious reading, and likewise you should never consider going into a match without serious training.
F. Players feature according to their training performance
Many players think that they should automatically feature in matches because of size, reputation, or natural ability. That is wrong thinking. The players who train with the greatest effort, discipline and consistency are the ones who should feature. Leave alone the big-headed player who thinks he is a gift to the team and believes he should feature any time he chooses to show up. Even if he is a better player now than some of the starters, soon they will bypass him due to his lack of effort.
G. The coach must set the standard
Coaches should always be aware that they are the ones who build the program that establishes the team’s standard of conduct. Some important habits for a successful coach are:
Win or lose, the attitude remains the same. Don’t get relaxed when winning, and don’t get discouraged when losing. Remember, the match is the exam, and every match is a teaching opportunity. No matter what the outcome, move forward from the match and help the boys to learn from it.
Model the behaviour you want to see in your players. Respect your boys and they will respect you and one another. Love and respect the game and in time they will do the same. Learn to emphasize the process (training) over the product (winning/losing).
Believe in your boys. It is a powerful concept. If you believe in them then they will believe in themselves. Boys are full of doubt and insecurity and feelings of inferiority. They need a coach who loves them and tells them constantly that they can “climb that mountain” no matter how high it is. You will be amazed at what they can achieve if you simply believe in them.
Be consistent. Come to training sessions 15 minutes early, not 15 minutes late. Try never to miss a training session. If you must miss, coordinate with the assistant coach so that meaningful training occurs in your absence. Every time you miss, it gives the boys many excuses also to miss.
Be positive at all times. When you must criticize, try to say three positive things for every negative comment. Always end training, halftime talks, and post game comments in a positive way. Your positive attitude will eventually influence the attitude of the team in a positive way. Remember that the boys are not out there performing for you. They are representing themselves and their school; therefore, you shouldn’t take it personally when they don’t measure up to expectations. They are still boys, not men, so give grace when they make mistakes.
Be organized. Have a clear plan for every training session. Just as you make lesson plans before you enter the classroom, you should make your training plans before you walk onto the pitch. Likewise, plan ahead for a match. Who are your substitutes? In what situations will you use them? What will you do in case of injury?
Get your own priorities straight. If you want to build Christian character in your boys, then you must have your own character grounded in Christ. What about your own heart? Are you too concerned about winning? Are you an example of integrity to the boys? Do you have the love that will motivate you to serve the boys with many hours of your time? Do you take time to pray for the boys and the team, not asking God for victory, but for their personal and corporate growth?
Talk to the boys. Take the time each week to have a sit down session during training. Let them know what you think is important, why training is crucial, how winning is not the most important thing, how they can honor God with their efforts, that you believe in them. Taking the pitch against professionals, club teams, and national players is intimidating to anyone. The boys need to know you believe in them win or lose, and that good will come out of their best efforts no matter what the final score is. If your words are consistent with your actions, then the character you want to develop in the boys will start to appear naturally from their hearts.
All of this discussion is about building a successful program. Most problems come from placing too much importance on winning. But if the qualities discussed here are emphasized, then you will build a program that will last. The whole idea of building a football program is to put together something that is meaningful and worthwhile. Memories of wins and losses fade over time, but building the character of Christ in boys will last a lifetime and even for eternity.
To build and sustain a program requires a coach who shows consistent performance over the years, develops meaningful relationships, promotes the program with enthusiasm and integrity, provides opportunities for growth and development in players, and stays true to his faith. Jesus is Lord, even on the football pitch, and we honor him when we compete in his spirit and for his glory. Follow his commandment to treat others as you would have them treat you. And at the end of the day, leave the results in God’s hands. Compared to the problems of this world, who wins or loses a football match is insignificant, but how you compete can bring lasting change in people.
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.” (Prov. 21:31)
Christ School – Bundibugyo
Competition on the Football Pitch
[This paper is an outline of the fundamental principles for sports competitions at Christ School. Although the sport discussed here is football, the principles can be applied to any other sport. In finally putting my thoughts down on paper I was inspired by the ideas and advice of Joe Bean and Layton Shoemaker (www.powersoccer.ca ) I have added my own flavor and experiences to some of their wise words.]
We are a Christian school, and we seek to center all that we do on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Since we believe that the Christian faith is relevant to all of life, we must seek to apply our faith to the football program. If our faith does not make a difference in how we compete in football, then perhaps we should not compete at all. In particular, we should take a stand against the win-at-any-cost culture that has corrupted Ugandan football in the secondary schools. Schools seemingly will stop at nothing to secure a victory, from hiring mercenaries to feature for the team, to bribing officials, to forging papers for their so-called students. Instead, we should be developing our own students through hard work and discipline. Such a program may not always win and may never compete for the national championship, but it will build character in our boys that is consistent with the mission of the school.
Given the dishonorable state of secondary schools’ football, why should we participate at all? The following list of benefits gives some reasons for competing.
The physical abilities involved in playing football are a wonderful gift from God. Every time we walk onto the pitch, we should do so in a spirit of thanksgiving. Every time we compete or train, we should do so in a way that gives glory to God.
Sport is part of a holistic education. It teaches hard work, discipline, self-control, perseverance, concentration, creativity, decision-making, concentration, honesty, respect, teamwork, and skill.
We find joy in both the training/preparation and in the actual competition, joy that is different from the enjoyment experienced in the classroom when mastering a difficult academic concept. Each one hopes to be the hero, loves to be part of the team, and wants to participate in the excitement and drama that comes with every match.
Participating on a football team teaches one to sacrifice individual glory for the good of the team. We subordinate our personal objectives to the team’s objectives.
Football team members learn to respect and submit to the authority of the coaching staff.
Competition outside of Bundibugyo gives a sense of dignity and self-respect that otherwise is hard to build in such an isolated place.
The following is a list of character traits that we hope to build in our footballers.
Footballers respect teammates, coaches, officials, and spectators. They are willing to sacrifice self for the greater good even if that greater good is to set an example of integrity that has a higher priority than winning.
Footballers have confidence, not arrogance.
Footballers have an element of pride, but are not over-proud.
Footballers know that they do not need to tear someone else down to build themselves up.
Footballers view playing as a privilege and not a right.
Footballers look for ways to support, praise, and thank others.
Footballers do not make excuses or blame others. They learn from failure and move on to new efforts.
Footballers follow the commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which can also be stated, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Footballers are full of laughter, enjoyment, and friendship, even during the most challenging training sessions.
Footballers know how to win and they know how to lose, and they do both with respect for the game, for the opponent, and for themselves. In victory, there is no place for downgrading the opponent; and in defeat, there is no place for downgrading your team. When you step onto the pitch, if you are not ready to lose, then you are also not ready to win.
The development of these character traits is how we choose to define success in the football program at Christ School. Maintaining these traits is more important than winning. Somehow when we learn to win or lose in the spirit of Christ, then the final score becomes far less significant. This is where process – developing Christian character – takes priority over product – having a winning team. When we become too much product driven, that is where our principles are compromised and corruption enters into the product. In such a case, even winning loses its attractiveness. In contrast, a program that prioritizes character development will influence the product positively, but it is never compromised by the desire to win.
Some implications of putting the focus on character development:
A. Fair play
It is normal for a team to show respect for an injured player by knocking the ball of bounds. Yet the same team will engage in practices such as shirt pulling, encroachment on a free kick, intentional fouls to stop a threatening player, diving in the penalty box, and play-acting to try to influence the officials. These practices are intended to gain an unfair advantage over an opponent. A team that is led by Christ will not do such things. They will play the game fairly and within the rules. They will follow not just the letter of the law but the spirit of the law.
B. Respect for the other team
If you respect a team, then you will play hard, fair and within the rules. If you are winning a match, the greatest respect you can show for the opponent is to compete without compromise for the entire match. No one wants to be downgraded or laughed at. Remember that one day the roles can be reversed and you could be on the losing end of a match with a team that is disrespecting you. Likewise, if you are losing a match, you show the greatest respect for the game and for yourself by competing with maximum effort up to the final whistle. Such an effort will also earn the respect of the opponent no matter what the score.
C. Not arguing with the officials
Treat officials as you would want to be treated. Officiating is a tough job, and no one gets paid enough to suffer abuse from players and spectators. Officials are human, and they do make mistakes. We should be examples of grace and forgiveness. And guess what? If you do these things, then officials will enjoy handling your team.
D. Supportive relationships among the players
Any successful program is built around solid and meaningful player relationships. If teammates don’t like each other off the field, they probably won’t respond positively to each other on the field. Supportive relationships are part of what it means for players to subordinate their individual goals to the team goals. Even if two players are not naturally friends, they will make the effort to get along for the sake of team unity.
E. Good attendance at training sessions
When there is poor attendance at training, this is clear evidence that the players are interested mainly in appearing in matches. They want to be noticed, they want to be seen by the spectators, so they only care about showing up at matches. This attitude totally misses the point of being on a team. Training is everything. That is where growth occurs, that is where team spirit is developed, that is where the life lessons are learned. You train and do physical conditioning, not so you can appear in a match, but so you can train better the next day. Matches are simply a test to evaluate how well you are training and growing as a team. Training is like reading at preps, and matches are like the final exam. You would never think of going into an exam without serious reading, and likewise you should never consider going into a match without serious training.
F. Players feature according to their training performance
Many players think that they should automatically feature in matches because of size, reputation, or natural ability. That is wrong thinking. The players who train with the greatest effort, discipline and consistency are the ones who should feature. Leave alone the big-headed player who thinks he is a gift to the team and believes he should feature any time he chooses to show up. Even if he is a better player now than some of the starters, soon they will bypass him due to his lack of effort.
G. The coach must set the standard
Coaches should always be aware that they are the ones who build the program that establishes the team’s standard of conduct. Some important habits for a successful coach are:
Win or lose, the attitude remains the same. Don’t get relaxed when winning, and don’t get discouraged when losing. Remember, the match is the exam, and every match is a teaching opportunity. No matter what the outcome, move forward from the match and help the boys to learn from it.
Model the behaviour you want to see in your players. Respect your boys and they will respect you and one another. Love and respect the game and in time they will do the same. Learn to emphasize the process (training) over the product (winning/losing).
Believe in your boys. It is a powerful concept. If you believe in them then they will believe in themselves. Boys are full of doubt and insecurity and feelings of inferiority. They need a coach who loves them and tells them constantly that they can “climb that mountain” no matter how high it is. You will be amazed at what they can achieve if you simply believe in them.
Be consistent. Come to training sessions 15 minutes early, not 15 minutes late. Try never to miss a training session. If you must miss, coordinate with the assistant coach so that meaningful training occurs in your absence. Every time you miss, it gives the boys many excuses also to miss.
Be positive at all times. When you must criticize, try to say three positive things for every negative comment. Always end training, halftime talks, and post game comments in a positive way. Your positive attitude will eventually influence the attitude of the team in a positive way. Remember that the boys are not out there performing for you. They are representing themselves and their school; therefore, you shouldn’t take it personally when they don’t measure up to expectations. They are still boys, not men, so give grace when they make mistakes.
Be organized. Have a clear plan for every training session. Just as you make lesson plans before you enter the classroom, you should make your training plans before you walk onto the pitch. Likewise, plan ahead for a match. Who are your substitutes? In what situations will you use them? What will you do in case of injury?
Get your own priorities straight. If you want to build Christian character in your boys, then you must have your own character grounded in Christ. What about your own heart? Are you too concerned about winning? Are you an example of integrity to the boys? Do you have the love that will motivate you to serve the boys with many hours of your time? Do you take time to pray for the boys and the team, not asking God for victory, but for their personal and corporate growth?
Talk to the boys. Take the time each week to have a sit down session during training. Let them know what you think is important, why training is crucial, how winning is not the most important thing, how they can honor God with their efforts, that you believe in them. Taking the pitch against professionals, club teams, and national players is intimidating to anyone. The boys need to know you believe in them win or lose, and that good will come out of their best efforts no matter what the final score is. If your words are consistent with your actions, then the character you want to develop in the boys will start to appear naturally from their hearts.
All of this discussion is about building a successful program. Most problems come from placing too much importance on winning. But if the qualities discussed here are emphasized, then you will build a program that will last. The whole idea of building a football program is to put together something that is meaningful and worthwhile. Memories of wins and losses fade over time, but building the character of Christ in boys will last a lifetime and even for eternity.
To build and sustain a program requires a coach who shows consistent performance over the years, develops meaningful relationships, promotes the program with enthusiasm and integrity, provides opportunities for growth and development in players, and stays true to his faith. Jesus is Lord, even on the football pitch, and we honor him when we compete in his spirit and for his glory. Follow his commandment to treat others as you would have them treat you. And at the end of the day, leave the results in God’s hands. Compared to the problems of this world, who wins or loses a football match is insignificant, but how you compete can bring lasting change in people.
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.” (Prov. 21:31)
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