Thanks to a grant from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation we started the Meldrum Soccer League this past Saturday. When I worked in Detroit a fabulous mentor and friend, John Ribbing, started a flag football league. I've written about his program on this blog before and was one of the most popular programs for the kiddos at City Mission. I had the privelege of helping out with this program for a couple seasons and was so excited to use what I had seen and learned in Detroit in the Whittier neighborhood.
Many kids in the Whittier neighborhood don't have opportunity to be on organized sports teams. We have a beautiful park right next door to my house and I couldn't get the idea of a sports league out of my head pretty much from the day I moved in. Any day the sun is shining and you drive by Meldrum there are at least 400 kids playing at the park :). Seemed like a logical plan to get some teams going over there.
So, after writing and receiving a grant, ordering some soccer balls, rounding up the troops and of course purchasing some scooby doo snacks, the Meldrum Soccer League began. It was rainy, but I think soccer and rain just have to go together. We had about 30 kids come out, 15 volunteers and plenty of hot dogs to round out the day. The kids had a ball- literally :) and a brand new jersey thanks to Frank at Dakota Alliance soccer club. They thought this was the coolest thing ever, and they looked like the coolest things ever too.
I'm again amazed at the faithfulness of God even in what some would say are the little things- but they are big to me. What a humbling opportunity to simply play soccer and love on the Kingdom Christ has placed before us. I don't know why I'm always blown away by his faithfulness, for He has never let me down!
We have five Saturdays of soccer left, would love to have anyone join us to meet and love the kids of the Whittier neighborhood!
