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I attended a land-breaking event on Tuesday. The young ladies in our town had practiced together on the soccer field a few times. Then last week they had a bit of a match amongst themselves...in uniform. On Tuesday, ladies from the close-by community of Laborieux came and played against the young ladies of PBO. It was the first such game in this community.
Years ago at the HFA school, we prepared a program for the female students in the school to play soccer. Many of them are on this current team. And the young man initiating the program is a former student of ours as well. I feel like I can take a bit of credit for the event through them...a bit, anyway. Soccer is for everyone. I'm glad to see the young ladies playing in public. I remember working with young girls in the school phys. ed. program. In first grade the young girls played soccer freely. By fourth grade the same girls would say, "I can't play soccer." I'd wonder who told them they can't? Anyway. It was a good day. Sadly, and ironically, after the match they tell me a man from Laborieux wielded a fire arm in the post-match discussion in the street. You take the good, you take the bad. The facts of life. Job said, too.
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Beginning brass players. It's a sound only a music teacher could love. I've been spending another week of summer vacation working with 12 - 16 year olds teaching them trumpet and trombone.
This week we were able to play THE LOVE OF GOD. It was pretty nice. Not something you'd play in public, but for a music teacher, it was music to my ears. Thanks to all of those ASAPH friends who equipped me with instruments! We're making some noise! It's been on my mind and the mind of many others that the 5 pastors in our town should be together more. They're all good guys doing good jobs, but the enemy has succeeded in placing little barriers to their togetherness. And as it always happens, when pastors aren't united, their followers aren't united either.
On the 17th of September I hosted a meeting here at the ASAPH Teaching Center where the pastors of 4 of the 5 congregations sat together, told jokes, ate some cookies, drank some juice and encouraged each other. It was a good moment. I was blessed to be a 'neutral' party respected by all. Those of us who have been 'on the scene' here for years welcomed the Baptist pastor who transferred in just this summer. The meeting was fun and edifying. All of the participants expressed I am hoping (and praying) that this step will be blessed by God and that the pastors will continue to meet and fellowship. Perhaps one day all of the church committees can hang out together, and so on. ASAPH Teaching Center is an ideal neutral location for such meetings. That way no one member 'hosts' the event. Thank God for ASAPH Teaching Ministry and the doors it has opened already! Last Tuesday a warning given in passing worked like a charm. I have in my buildings here two little fire-extinguisher can things. When I placed them, I told the kids who are here a lot what they are for...thinking that'd never be useful information for them.
Last Tuesday Erntz was cooking supper on my gas grill. The new grill had a new hose that was short. To make matters worse, the tank developed an audible leak when the handle turned a certain way. We were being careful with it. It mid-meal-prep, I was in the next building hanging a wire where I put a white sheet used as a screen for DVD projection. The three guys who were in the kitchen come flying in with the fire extinguisher in hand. "ANDY! ANDY! THERE'S A FLAME ON THE TANK!" I buzzed right into the kitchen shaking the can. There was indeed a flame coming out of the top of the 22lb. propane tank! The guys heard the flame jump from the stove to the tank and rightly left the building...can extinguisher in hand. I approached the tank shooting the stuff on the flame, and the flame went out. I twisted the valve closed, and all was well. I was so proud of the guys for doing the right thing in an emergency situation. I'm thankful to God that nothing dramatic happened that day. We fixed the hose making it at |
Andy StumpMissionary in Haiti. Archives
February 2023
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