Day 3

Day 3
It was a little difficult getting up this morning, but we managed to get to breakfast on time and get to work. Five of the boys put on a small soccer clinic for about 20 local kids while the rest of the team finished up the floor of the first house. Lunch consisted of fresh fried fish and rice and was amazing. After lunch, a few of us worked on getting the walls of the first house put up, while the rest worked on the foundation of the second house. After a solid 8-hour day of work, we had dinner and went off for the second round of the tournament. We lost in penalty kicks which eliminated us (there may have been some questionable officiating considering one of the refs played on one of the teams we played last night...) but the team consisting of our team leaders (and Charlie in the goal) won their match to reach the semifinals. The boys turned in a little earlier tonight (11-ish) after a very long day.
On a more personal note, I always take pride in our boys and in our program, but I've been blown away by their hard work, their positive attitude, and their willingness to go outside their comfort zone so far during the trip. Although it is still early, I'm excited to see what they will accomplish this week. I hope they appreciate what they are experiencing and that they will allow this opportunity to get into their hearts, become a part of who they are, and further challenge them to effect positive changes...