Sunday and Monday in Santiago and Santa Domingo

Thank you again for your prayers and support as the Messiah Men's Basketball team is in the Dominican. After a late arrival Saturday night the team woke up early (7:30) Sunday morning, had breakfast and then set off on their five and a half hour trip north to Santiago. The falcons were the first American team to ever compete against the professional team in Santiago. Three hours after lunch at a familiar restaurant (T.G.I. Fridays) the team arrived at the Gran Hotel. The Gran Hotel is quite luxurious to Dominican standards, however it was a great opportunity for the team to learn how fortunate they are to have flushing toilets, working showers and air conditioners, and clean sheets. The team enjoyed a brief siesta as they settled in their rooms, but around 4:30 they reported back to the Toyota Coaster (Score's bus). Once the team was back in the bus they went to the home of a fellow brother in Christ and friend of Giovanni (a former pro player in the D.R. that is now a missionary with score) for a snack before Sunday's game, dinner after the game, and breakfast Monday morning. The family of missionaries provided excellent hospitality and even gave us our first run in with a Dominican tarantula that Christyan bravely wrangled into a cup and Pete properly let free to his family in a bush.
Sunday's game was much anticipated and there were quite a few fans (nearly 300) from the town in attendance. The game had been hyped up by local officials for quite some time and the game would prove to be a new basketball experience for all the Messiah players. The game was extremely physical, back and forth, and it was officiated rather uniquely. However, at the end of the game it was Messiah coming out on top with a victory 98-92. The competition was excellent but the highlight of the evening were the testimonies and brief message given by Pete and Taylor to the crowd at halftime of the game. Giovanni translated for the men as the crowd listened attentively which was very exciting for our team as a whole. It was a lot of fun for the team to get to interact with some of the children in attendance and to take pictures with the fans after the game.  The Falcons slept well after a long fought battle where everyone worked together and contributed to the victory.
Monday began with breakfast and the long drive back down to the southern coast to play yet another game against a very worthy opponent. Messiah came out flat in the game however and despite their efforts, lost to the sharpshooting host team. However, the Messiah team kept their head high and once again members of the team, Drew and Greg, were able to share their story of how they came to know Christ/who Christ is to them after the game. The crowd was once again interested in what we had to say and seemed very receptive of our message which was encouraging to all of us. One humbling experience of the afternoon was when the opponents and different children in attendance asked us for our shirts, sweaty shorts, and even game worn socks to take home with them. It helped all of us realize how blessed we are and gave us a better idea of what it truly means to serve those around us. After the team arrived back to score HQ (just outside of Santo Domingo) they were greeted by dinner of chicken and rice. They showered and had team devotions where Drew lead the team in a study on the calling of Samuel to become a servant. He then challenged the team to take some time to listen to God just as Samuel did when God called him late at night. I know that we are in great anticipation of the things that The Lord has planned for us. We know that the impact we have here could last forever as we share the love of our Father with the people that need his grace. Tomorrow (Tuesday, Aug. 20) the team will leave Score HQ headed to a girls orphanage where they will get an opportunity to give things donated and show love to the kids. Thank you for your prayers. #23-PC and #31-TG- signing out.