Sports Festival Day at JMTUC

        Today was Sports Festival Day at JMTUC.  This is an annual event for the whole school community, including spouses and children, which is held just before final exams.  It's a great way for the students to blow off steam and for the community to be strengthened.  There were all sorts of activities:  egg in the spoon race, sack races, volleyball matches, women's net ball (sort of a cross between soccer and basketball), chess, draughts (a popular game, something like checkers), Scrabble, a game like what we play at home and call Mancala, and many others.  The final event was a full 90 minute soccer game which ended in a 1-1 tie.

        The community was divided into two teams called the Conquerors and the Champions.  At the conclusion of chapel on Friday, Dr. Banda, the Dean of Studies (and a member of the Champions team) stood up, addressed the gathering, and quoted Romans 8:37, "In all these things we are more than conquerors!"

         The festivities started at 7:30 a.m. and ended with "lunch" at 4:00 p.m.  There was music playing the entire time.  People were laughing and dancing and enjoying themselves. 

          Other than being a cheering fan, I only participated in one activity:  the needle threading race.  Two  members from each of the two teams were given pieces of thread.  The object was to run about 100 meters, thread a needle, then run back to the starting place with the needle.  I thought it was a relay race, and one team member would run down, thread the needle, run back and tag the other team member, who would then run.  Well, when the whistle blew to start, the other three men started running and I stood there at the starting line.  The referee looked at me and asked, "Aren't you going to run?"  By that time the other men were almost to the needles.  By the time I got there, they were on their way back.  To add insult to injury, I couldn't even get the needle threaded!

            After an entire day of competition, the whole community gathered for the announcement of the winning team.  The same team names are used each year and the same trophy is passed back and forth each year.  The rector of the school, Dr. Zulu, announced that the winning margin was only one point and the winning team was the Conquerors.  That set off quite a celebration!

           I was asked to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the festival (it was an absolutely gorgeous day) and a blessing for the meal.

           Here are a bunch of pictures.  I'll comment on just a few.

 

Faculty spectators -- that's Dustin in the foreground.

 

 

The woman in the middle, Shingi, and the woman on the right, Dorah, are in my class.

 

 

A fun race -- walking 100 meters with a water bottle on your head!

 

 

The women seemed to do better than the men.

 

 

 

 

 

My new friend, Dr. Jurie van Wyk of South Africa, instructor in Presbyterian polity.

Jurie taught at JMTUC for nineteen years.  In his retirement, he runs something like a bed and breakfast for tourists in a small town in South Africa.

 

 

The kids getting ready for one of their races.

 

 

Dr.Lameck Banda, Dean of Studies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll have to finish posting pictures tomorrow night.

The internet connection keeps getting broken and it's getting frustrating.

We leave at 5:15 a.m. tomorrow for our Zambezi River boatride.