Time to Coach

Hi everyone! I hope all is well in the States! Here`s a brief update of the past few days since my last blog post. On Friday, I spent much of the day with the ORU mission team as they took advantage of the good weather and decided to hike Table Mountain. Table was a fantastic hike and the ORU team had a blast!  On Saturday, I helped Coach Albert with coaching the U15Bs as they will be the team that I will mainly be working with these next two months, and I wanted to see how they played. We ended up winning 4-2, although both goals against us were pretty bad (first was a goalkeeper mistake - it was 1-on-1 with him and he tried to kick the ball (instead of just collecting it with his hands) and missed...and the other player just tapped it in. Second goal against us was an own goal, so there is definitely some work to be done back there.  Overall though, they played great (their technical level and touch is great, their tactical level needs work) even though it was pouring down rain (Cape storms are pretty ferocious...definitely glad that I brought quite a few jackets).

On Sunday, I went to Treswill's and Cindy`s church (Tekiah Community Church) in Steenburg, and it was fantastic. Treswill is the youth pastor there and they are having a big youth launch in two weeks (keep it in your prayers!) so their youth will be leading the main service then and I was able to help with the planning of it a little bit.  After church, we went to Cindy`s parent`s house and had a nice lunch, and then went to her aunt`s house where Cindy and several of their friends practiced worship songs for the upcoming service. After a nice relaxing dinner, we all turned in at 9pm, because Treswill and I get up at like 5:30am to go pick up the boys and drive them to their school. Be praying for Treswill as he is an incredible community leader, but he`s constantly busy (driving people to church of school in his bakkie, getting food for the boys, planning sessions, etc.)..so be praying that he gets the rest he needs as today he wasn't feeling very well.

Today (Monday) I`m learning (with Sean Lamb being an incredible teacher) how to drive stick on the opposite side of the road (which means shifting with my left hand), which was pretty exciting. After a quick lesson, Sean and I drove over to Africa House to say "Goodbye!" to the ORU team as they flew out this evening. I then ran the Ubuntu Football Forward U12s through a session. After finishing their session and helping get the Academy boys ready, I walked over to a nearby field to meet up with Cedric (our driver/one of our contacts from last year), and gave him the gear donated by the US Soccer Passback Program. Then after that practice was over, I went back to the house and away again to be a substitute netball coach for Treswill tonight for Cindy's team. Overall, it was a great day and so much has already happened that the next two months are going to be incredible!


 I`m beginning to get used to life here in Ocean View, and the community is great...although the lifestyles are incredibly diverse and sometimes violent, I know that God has a plan for it! Continue to be praying for me, Treswill, Cindy, all the Ubuntu boys and staff, and the township of Ocean View! 

May God bless all of you!

-John Chau

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