E-FOOTBALL BANGALORE

August 1st–6th, 2008 an E-Soccer training team from San Francisco visited Bangalore, India to help further establish their E-Football program (we call them E-Football programs in other countries). The folks in Bangalore have had an E-Football program since late 2007, but more training was needed to make it awesome.

Bangalore is our second overseas E-Soccer planting. Last year a different team went to Nairobi, Kenya and met with great success.

This is a travel blog, written by the team members themselves, that chronicles our trip. We had a blast and E-Football Bangalore is off and running—look for great things from India's special needs children in the future!

After getting back from the India, I made a movie about our trip for the 2008 BACC Expo, whose theme was "Rise." The video is entitled "Any Given Saturday: Helping Everyone Rise, Worldwide." Watch it by selecting your preferred resolution below.

Edited by: Austen McDonald

THE TEAM

We took 9 team members to Bangalore.

Scott "KO Nation" Cookman
Larry "the Show" Dillon
Jynette "Gillette" Grayson-Reed
Amariah "Fanta" Hash
Kristi "KK" King
Austen "the Pastor" McDonald
Cristi "the Wrangler" Rangel
Micah "Backstreet" and Marilyn "Maxed Out" Weger

TRAVEL

Jynette: The Jet Airways staff had nice uniforms. So we took pictures with them and they were so nice about it. It was even funny that some of us were wearing shirts that matched theirs. They were so excited that we thought their uniforms looked good because they didn't like them at all. It was pretty funny. One flight attendant was slightly offended when we asked to take a picture with her because she thought we were being sarcastic. She lightened up after she saw that we were serious but I'm pretty sure she thought we were a little odd.

Amariah: Our flights to and from Bangalore were pretty extensive. I guess we probably traveled about 30 hours each way—half way around the world! I thought that the international flights from the US to Mumbai were awesome because everytime you asked for a beverage they brought it to you. :) Also you had your own personal TV screen with lots of movies, games, music, and other entertainment at your fingertips the whole time. I think I watched 7 movies!

As soon as we lifted off, we begun our acquaintance with Indian food. You had a choice of International or Indian cuisine, but it seemed mostly Indian to me. It was great on the way there, however on the way back all I wanted was a cheeseburger.

We had a 2 hour layover in Shanghai and I was personally disappointed that we did not get a chance to leave this glass enclosed area in the airport where a small water cost $4.

The shuttle flight from Mumbai to Bangalore left a little to be desired. No more little TV screens with entertainment and the drinks they gave us when we first took off was a lemonade with salt in it!?!

All in all it was a very long trip. My favorite part was sharing the story with others on the flights about what we were doing on our trip.

Austen: My goal this year was not to check any bags. I succeeded but just barely. Check out the photo of me holding the camera and you can see my huge backpack, complete with stuff hanging off of it. I'm surprised they let me carry it all on the plane :)

IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER

Our hosts rented a 15 passenger conversion van, complete with Hindu driver and they were our constant companions for the five day journey. Every morning we piled in at 8am only to unload at various places around the city to speak or run E-Football sessions—of which we ran five while we were there!

Amariah: The van was interesting to say the least. I was amazed with how the driver loaded our bags on top of the van and then tied them down. I thought this would not hold and had visions of our stuff falling all over the road.

The van was very hot and we had to have our windows open as much as possible most of the way. The problem with that was that there are no smog controls in India and there is massive traffic in Bangalore. This exhaust permeated the van most of the time that we were in transit. And the traffic. WOW! It was crazy. At times the roads were top small for a vehicle to pass both ways and we would get stuck for up to 5 minutes waiting till cars passed by us within inches of scraping, all the meanwhile motorcylcles and scooters would pass by within inches of being struck down by larger cars.

Our driver was aggressive and sometimes, in order to make a turn, would pull right in front af a car and force them to decide whether to hit us, or stop and let us make our turn. I tried to tip the driver once for keeping my camera safe when I accidentally left it in the van, he said it was only enough to buy a cup of coffee and he didn’t want it because it was so little, 10 Rupees.

THE KRISH HOUSE

Jynette: The Krish House was great! It was like having our own little condo/hotel thing. Our suite had three rooms—Cristy R. and I shared one, Kristy K. had her own and Marilyn and Micah had a room. The most interesting things were the bathroom and the little room with a light and a bench and a door with a lock on the outside only. We thought it might be some kind of prayer room or a time out room. To test it out we had Cristy Rangel go in and sit while we locked her in. :)

The other interesting room was the bathroom. The entire bathroom floor served as the shower floor and there was a bucket available for use which I didn't figure what to use it for until the end of the trip. :)

Our suite was the hub, where we had all of our "meetings." They were very interesting. We were all exhausted for pretty much every meeting but one person in particular was extra exhausted and that's where he acquired the name KO Nation. :)

The last night was especially encouraging because we walked in to our place to find a group of brothers waiting up for us just to say goodbye. India was such an awesome place.

THE HOPE SCHOOL

Jynnette:The van drives up a bumpy road through a what seems to be a small neighborhood. The first thing we see is this huge red and white temple whose steps just keep rising. At the top sits what seems to be the main complex and it's filled with colorful decorations and pictures of important gods. The road is dirt and there are many dogs wandering about. It was a little scary for me at first to walk around with so many dogs loose. I tried to walk in between the guys so they could protect me if needed but the dogs were not dangerous as long as you kept to yourself. They didn't even bark. They were so thin and hungry looking.

We walk through the neighborhood of small houses that were white, pink, yellow. They stood side by side as well as on top of each other. They were old and some slanted to the one side. People stood outside, some working and some just sitting, waving at us if we waved, smiling if we smiled and most of the time looking strangely at us.

The Hope School stands in the midst of a bunch of houses. Outside we meet one of the teachers and he greets us warmly. The boys of the school all stand lined up looking at us with great excitement. Some giggle, some smile and some shy away. Some give us high fives and some stare at my braided hair—they were fascinated. I guess not many people had hairstyles like mine.

The boys go off to recess and we go inside to find small rooms filled with very excited girls. They pose for pictures and then excitedly rush up to us to see their picture on the camera. Some share their very nice artwork with us and enjoy the compliments we give. They were all so excited, each in their nice blue and white uniforms. There are two floors of classes, some rooms bigger than others. There was also a computer room for students to use.

After the school tour we walked a little farther in town past some more small homes and a small shop and went to a field where all the students—boys and girls—were waiting for us. They were ready for E-football. At first we introduced ourselves as a teacher translated. Then we started to play with the boys while the girls watched. Girls do not play football in India. With a little persuasion, some of the girls were able to play and there were smiles all around.

I got the privilege of getting christened by the dog poop all around the field that we tried hard to avoid. Lol. I was pretty grossed out but I think I did a good job keeping my cool. I calmly asked where I could go to rinse off the poop and a woman eventually took me to a nearby well where they helped me rinse off my pant leg and my cleat.

We then met up with everyone in church next to the field where we were able to talk about e-football and the Hope Technology School. Many of the teachers were disciples and it was an honor to meet them. It was interesting to have American culture meet Indian culture. I say this because at the end of the talk we asked if there were any questions and no one raised their hands. We were told the reason why is because women don't speak up when there are groups of men. So to combat the culture difference we ended the talk and that's when the teachers rushed over to ask question after question about students how to help with different students in their classes. It was amazing. The same smiles we saw on the kids faces earlier were duplicate on the teachers faces.

Afterwards, they gave us a tour of the neighborhood. They took us atop a hill that allowed us to see a beautiful view of the area almost 360 degrees. Then we went through the homes where many of the Hope School students lived. It was a sight to see. So many happy and excited children amongst so much trash and so many small homes that housed more people than thought possible. You wouldn't think smiles would be on their faces but kids always bring out the best even when things aren't the best.

After the tour we went back to the church where the teachers set up a great lunch for us. We ate Indian style, with our hands, our dirty, dirty hands. Lol. We had a great time at the Hope School.

Amariah: The hope school was amazing! I was astounded by the excitement of the children to see us and the respectful greeting they received us with: “Namaste Sir." It was encouraging to see these kids all with their ties and dresses and hair all did up. The classrooms were filled with children, there must have been about 150 kids [I think there were about double this number but we didn't see them all].

In the art class I got to see some artwork that looked way better than anything I could ever draw. The computer room was also impressive, however I was told that not all the computers worked, and I wanted to try and help them get more computers as the principal told us of the educational benefit of being able to use computer games as a tool to teach.

We were planning on doing a "nataga" [Kannada for "skit"] on how E-soccer in all inclusive. Our plans were changed when they asked us to run E-Soccer with 80 kids and 7 balls. The field was one of the worst fields I had ever seen. A big tree in the middle of it, there was trash and dog doo everywhere. It was a challenge and our team loves a challenge! So we did it! We ran a successful E-Soccer session in a scary field with way too many kids! Way to go team!

But I think that what was the most impactful part of this day was going to the houses of the children that attended the Hope School. The neighborhood these children lived in was the clearest picture of third world poverty that I have ever seen. There were houses attached to one another for as far as the eye could see. This neighborhood was bordered on one side by a trash dump. The houses were not bigger than an average American living room, and whole family of 10–15 people from Grandma to Grandchild lived under the same roof. These small overpopulated houses had no bathroom and the only heat was from an open campfire inside or just outside the house. There were thousands of flies on everything and the entire neighborhood reeked of urine and decomposing trash.

Despite all this, the children and families received us as if we were movie stars. Running through the alleys after us smiling trying to shake our hands or swing on our arms. I was truly changed forever as I had a new appreciation for my life and living circumstances. I also had a true appreciation for the Hope School where these children get education, a place of refuge from the poverty they live in, and truly a great Hope in life.

FOOD

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

FIRST E-FOOTBALL

Kristi: Our first E-football experience in Bangalore was at four in the afternoon and clouds looming over our head. We met at Mt. Carmel Complex, which is actually a field used for cricket instead of soccer. Nonetheless, it was a nice, large, dirt field with plenty of space to host e-football. The women were almost late as we took too long in shopping for our Sunday Service attire, so we were scrambling to get dressed and out on the field to give our hearts.

Many volunteers and parents showed up for e-football which was very encouraging to see. We divided the group into people who would actually coach the kids in e-football for that day and those who wanted to be trained in coaching e-football. Larry and Amariah took the coaches and kids with them and began e-football like they normally would...except they had the added challenge of having a two hour session instead of the typical one hour session. Larry and Amariah were working hard to be creative and exhausted nearly every trick they had up their sleeves. It was clear the kids were enjoying e-soccer by their smiles, enthusiasm and swarming of the coaches when they were done. Larry in particular put on a quite a performance when it came to coaching e-football which is where he got the nickname "the show"!

Meanwhile, Austen and Jynette were busy inspiring and challenging the new volunteers of the importance of this very special ministry and the way it could change their lives as well as the lives of so many non-christians if they would just make the decision to be committed to e-soccer. Austen then had the volunteers get up and do some basic e-soccer drills and explained the format and the why behind all that is being seen on the field. The volunteers were enthusiastic and excited about getting involved.

The most inspiring thing about e-football that day, however, was meeting the parent of a boy who goes to the same special needs school as the Naronha's son Ralph. It was the first time in a while that they had a non-christian family come out to e-football, and the first time ever that someone from Ralph's school made it out. In addition, there was a man sitting on the side line who was so curious about e-football that he began asking questions. As it turns out he does film and wanted to film e-football and have segment on TV! At this point it was clear that God was moving forcefully behind the faith of the Christians to have the heart to reach out kids and families with special needs!

Jynette: Our van drives up to a huge dirt field. It was beautiful. Mostly, it's used for cricket games but on Saturday afternoons—e-football reigns. The main field is below street level so people walking by can look down and see everything. The white chalk is out and a man is lining the field for us as we break up into two groups.

Amariah, Larry, Micah and Marilyn, Cristy Rangel take the kids while Austen, Kristi King, me (Jynette) and Scott as the camera guy take all of the coaches for a training session. We sit in the stands as Austen runs through the philosophy of e-soccer and I come up and go over a brief description of kids with special needs. Most of the coaches are teen and campus students. Also, parents of some other kids sat and listened.

It was fun to do a demo of how to play some of the games because Kristi King would pretend she had a special need so everyone could see how to help a child at soccer. She got a lot of bewildered looks because there were a lot of inexperienced people who did not know how to work with kids with special needs. It was good though, their reactions got better.

At the end of that day's training, we split into two groups and had our own pick up game. It was a ton of fun. It was a little awkward at first since girls don't really play soccer in India. They were surprised to see Kristi and I play—very surprised. Also, some people played barefoot so I took that as an invitation to join the barefoot club. It definitely made the game more interesting for me. It was great to see the girls start to get into the game and to see everyone play and have a good time.

Our first e-football was a ton of fun and we walked away learning a lot and with a lot more direction for the days to come.

BORN TO BE WILD

The most hair-raising time in India was riding on the back of brothers' motorcycles/scooters. Traffic is so chaotic, you feel like someone is going to veer right into you. Exhilarating though :) Motorcycle is definitely the most efficient way to travel, as you can scoot around larger vehicles and fit in tight spots between autorickshaws.

Jynette: So, a couple of the brothers had motorbikes and a few of us got to go for a ride. I was one of the few. It was SO MUCH FUN and scary too. First of all, traffic in India is VERY different from the US. They have lanes on the major streets but they are not used. Seatbelts aren't required. Honking is used A LOT. You honk when your coming up on a car, when your passing a car, when your approaching an intersection. Pretty much, honking the way to go in India. Cars, bikes, vans, buses and rickshaws drive inches from each other—inches. So you've just gotta have faith in God when you get out on the road. So, despite the dangers, I really wanted to go for a ride. I was already envious of the brothers who went before me. So I got to get a ride back from e-football. My first thought was excitement and my next thought was fear. What was I thinking? I don't even ride motorcycles back home and the driving is a lot safer. Crazy. So I said a quick prayer and decided to enjoy the ride. We were almost home when the bike ran out of gas. I didn't mind though; we weren't far from the hotel so we left the bike and walked back. Unlike the US, they don't really steal bikes in India. We made it back just in time to calm the fears of everyone. It was definitely a wild ride.

INDIAN BASKETBALL

Larry: On Monday we had just enough time between lunch and our next appointment to squeeze in a basketball game. Up to this point I had only seen one b-ball court in India, so again we relied on our friends Prem, James, Das and Jude to show us around.

The court was too far from the Krish house to walk, so Prem took Scott on his motorcycle, Jude took Das on his, and me, Ammo, Micah and James squeezed into taxi, better known as a "tic-tic." These "taxis" were more like three wheeled golf carts, with about a 45 horsepower engine. They also weren't very big, and they certainly weren't big enough to fit four grown men in the back. This is what we did, however. I was lucky: I got right bucket because I got in first. Micah got in next and he wasn't so lucky, because next came Amariah, all 240 pounds of him. Since Das still had to get in, Ammo sat on Micah's lap. Micah spent the ten minute ride stuck between Ammo's backside and the back of the seat. Micah got his revenge on the court, however, as he, Das, Scott, and Prem beat me, Jude, Ammo, and James 11-9.

FRIENDSHIP DAY

We were at church on the first Sunday of August, which means that India was celebrating "Friendship Day" (note it is not the 5th, as reported by the video below :) According to tradition, many children and young adults exchanged wristbands made of various fabrics. The bracelets could be found in droves in the market place and we all were proudly sporting our haul by day's end.

Amariah: After service, Cristi and I set out to meet the pre-teens. We were astounded by their sheer number, about 80, and they descended upon us with friendship bracelets! They tied a bright colored bracelet with pretty patterns around your wrist then shook your hand and wished you a Happy Friendship Day. It was really nice and made you feel warm with so much love and friendship around. After some singing, we led a team building exercise where 8–10 kids tried to fit on a single t-shirt. Then we led a lesson on relationships and shared about Johnanthan and his relationship with David. The kids surprised us with how much Biblical knowledge they had. Then we had the kids do some skits ("natagas" in Kannada) about relationships in their lives. They did great and focused on the power of forgiveness. It was inspiring and a great way to learn more about exactly what friendship is!

CRICKET, CRICKET EVERYWHERE

Cricket is the national sport of India, not football/soccer :( Everywhere we went, from the poorest to the richest neighborhoods, everyone was playing. Equipment varied from top of the line commercial stuff to improvised piles of stones for wickets. Most people used tennis balls instead of traditional wooden ones, because they don't go as far and don't hurt as much.

We played with the kids on a few occaisions, even on the top of this trash heap near the HOPE School. I wish I had footage of us playing but I don't :(

MONSOON FOOTBALL

BETHANY SPECIAL SCHOOL

Jynette: The Bethany Special School is the school that [one of the local organizers' son] attends. The school was really nice. Some students even live on campus. They had small class sizes with about 10–12 students in each class. They also had a speech therapy room. We met the principal of the school and she had an amazing and accomplished life. It was encouraging to hear about her heart for kids with special needs. A heart like her's is rare in India. She gave us a tour of the school and then we went to play e-football on their playground.

The students were so excited—they could hardly contain themselves. The staff looked on as we did e-football with the students. At first, it just seemed like they were happy to have a break, which any teacher is happy to have. As time went on though, you could see smiles begin to show as they saw the students they love laugh and play and have fun playing e-football. It was great.

After e-football we went indoors and had tea and a small snack. Having tea is a must in India. Don't even think about saying, "No thank you." Just drink up and enjoy.

After that, they took us to a room where the students make rugs and other items to sell. They learn a trade so they can work later on in life. It was amazing to see them work. I couldn't do what came so easily to them if my life depended on it. I was definitely impressed. A few of us bought rugs from the school, and I definitely had to get one for the Hope School—you know, from one school to another. :)

SHOPPING

Jynette: Shopping was crazy. First of all, I am not much of a shopper in the US so after about 30 minutes shopping in India, I was done. I had to pray to persevere to make sure I got things for people. Shopping in India is very different from the US. Here, you expect to bargain when you go to garage sales and things of that nature but in India, to not bargain is to lose out on a good deal. As an American shopper, sales people were eager to serve me and charge me an arm and a leg and a chin for things. It's a good thing we had local disciples with us to help us out.

The best part was going down the small streets were there were tons of tiny shops to go to. That's where I shopped because it was just so different. The people that sell stuff on the street are persistent. They will follow you for blocks to get you to buy stuff. That was a little nerve racking, because if I say no, I mean no and asking me again and again just makes my no more firm. It was a lot of fun shopping though, definitely an adventure.

FATIGUE

Jynette: Fatigue began on the plane ride over. Luckily, we were stocked with tons of melatonin and "Jet Lag" to help regulate our sleeping patterns to the time changes. I think we went through three times zones [we went through many more than that since they are 12.5 hrs ahead of us :)]. It was interesting to watch the clock skip back and forth with time.

I didn't feel so tired once we arrived but everyday after was constant fatigue. It was pretty funny after awhile. The question became, "Why aren't you tired?" Our activities began by 8 or 9 and ended about 11 each night. After this, we would have our meetings and catch our breath. These were fun times. Sleeping at meetings, saying crazy stuff, saying anything to get things done so we could go to sleep. Luckily, a few of us were always a little less tired than others to keep us on point. I can say this: every moment of tiredness was well worth it. I cannot speak for everyone else, but I slept well after each day's work. To cope with the fatigue, we did a few things like walk the streets for coffee, drink orange fanta and any other soda's we could drink.