Thought this video was pretty cool. World Cup fever has hit. Unless you're that guy that is asleep with the drool on his face while watching golf or nascar.
Lately, I've been bloggin' about our trip to Africa, but I have to take a one day break to post some pics of our incredible win today over Algeria.
Thank goodness for the World Cup right now because this is the worst time of the year for sports. Golf, Racing, and Baseball...it's what I like to call the black hole of sports. I will say this, they are good for when you come in from working out in the yard and you need a good nap. They'll certainly put you to sleep.
Anyway, Landon Donovan scored in injury time to give the Yanks the win and move them on to the knockout stage. From everyone I talk to, read on message boards, blogs, and facebook, they were screaming as loud as I was. My voice is completely gone and looks like it might take a day or so to recover. That was the most incredible game I've seen in some time. LOVE IT. The Beautiful game. I love the national pride. I also love that it is actually a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP...unlike a lot of our other American sports that call themselves "world champs" yet they only play in leagues in the states.
Before we made the trek halfway across the globe to Africa, Mrs. McGoo and I signed up to be part of a team. Now, having the football background that we both do, we're no strangers to team play. That being said, neither one of us knew most any of the other members of the team we were joining. About half the team was comprised of another Sunday school, so they had the advantage of knowing one another beforehand. Anyone that has ever joined an "existing team" knows that it can be rather difficult.
I must admit, and Mrs. McGoo will attest, I was a little concerned after we had a few of our meetings. Number one, we were behind a bit in training because Joe, our trip leader, was still in Africa and had not yet moved back to the States. When we finally did meet, it was a little bit of a get to know you session for some of us and what I saw, I wasn't crazy about. What we had was, what I perceived to be, a clique of folks that knew each other and others that appeared to me to demand a lot of time and energy.
Once we finally got to get to know one another one the trip, my tune changed quite a bit. Here's our team and some of my thoughts:
The Scatterbrain: Our fearless leader, Joe. Joe took on the unenviable task of trying to take this rag-tag group of folks and mesh them into a well oiled machine. All without the help of his better half. Poor Joe had to deal with travel, organization, introducing us to the culture and city, all the while trying to get some business done while there. And I haven't even mentioned having to miss his family while doing so. I found Joe to be a lot like me. We both operate better when we've got our brides by our side. I wasn't sure things were going to go off well when I first met him because we were a bit behind in training because of him being in Ethiopia, but it turned out just perfect. I hate that the Bridges are moving away in Aug, because Mrs. McGoo and I have talked about how much we would like to spend more time with them. For what it's worth, I am glad my first ever trip was led by this guy.
The Trekkie: KC and I have a mutual friend, so I knew a little bit about him before we left for the trip. I was lucky enough to leave early for Addis and KC was one of the ones that was with us. It allowed us to get to know one another before the hustle and bustle of the trip and stop having all our conversations revolve around Steve Riser. I wasn't sure what to expect with KC at first because it seemed like in our early meetings that he had a sarcasm that was similar to mine, yet when I tried to playfully jab, it fell on deaf ears. So it wasn't really until I found his "cross to bear" (He's a Star Trek fan) that we started to connect. I somehow got blamed for my wife teaching the kids the Vulcan Death Grip....I swear it wasn't me. All that said, I bonded the most with KC during our trip. He reminds me a bit of myself in that he's very hard on himself and doesn't seem to like people to help him. ;) In the end, he reluctantly let up, but his heart for these kids was something to be seen. I always tell Mrs. McGoo that I'm not a very good "group prayer" and after this trip, I think I want to be like KC. He's good.
The Clumsy Jamaican: I don't believe I've ever met someone that drops more things than Liz. I'm serious...she drops something all the time. Walking to the bus, she drops her glasses. Teaching a lesson to the kids, she drops her pencil. Putting her purse down for the evening, her phone drops out of it. She seriously needs a bungee cord for everything in her hands. I told Liz after the trip was over that I was worried initially about how I would get along with her. There were many things about us that are just different in the way we do things. However, the more the days went by, the more I saw her heart and how much love she has. I also witnessed a missionary (South African) that was horribly rude to Liz one night while watching football. Seeing how Liz "tamed" her tongue with that situation when she could have gone "Jamaican" on her, was very impressive to me. Taught me a lot about how to handle conflict. In the end, we had a lot more in common than I had anticipated.
The Unsuspecting Comedian: Kara was the one familiar face that I knew of on the trip. She and her husband lead the Sunday school class that Mrs. McGoo and I attended a few times when we started going to Central. We decided to not stay with that class and join another one only because we felt like the idea of starting a new class instead of going into an existing one with established relationships would be better for both of us. Because of that, I was never really able to get to know Kara. I wasn't sure what to think of her at first because she seemed to be very quiet, so somehow I got the impression that she didn't care for me. Be that as it may, as the trip went on, I got to interact with her more and more. She's got this poker face sometimes and then out of no where she'd pop this joke that was incredibly funny. I felt like it took her a couple of days to adjust to the trip, but once she did, I got to know a lot more about her. Her heart for Christ is unmatched. That says a lot in my book.
The Muscle-Bound Nurse: Take Jillian Michaels and make her a nurse and you've got Bonnie. Or should I say, "Nurse Boonie" which is what most of the kids called her. The girl has some guns on her and she wasn't ashamed to show them off. Then again, I wouldn't either if I had those guns. I remember telling one of our team members in the airport, don't make fun of Bonnie, I think she can take us both. I had a good conversation with Bonnie at lunch one day that helped me get to know her more. However, it wasn't until our evening devotions that I realized how alike we are. Like me, she wore her emotions on her sleeve and it was easy to see who was bothered the most by leaving. I think her fears are a lot like mine...once we get back to America, what then? Aside from being the Nursinator, she has a laugh like Betty Rubble.
The Other Kelly: I'm beginning to learn that the name Kelly comes with responsibilities. Annoy people, make people laugh, say what everyone else is thinking but won't say, and cry. These are pretty much my characteristics to a T and I kinda think that "Teeth Kelly" has some of these as well. At any moment she's got something witty to say or cracks a joke to lighten the mood. I didn't see "Teeth Kelly" too much during the day because she was busy working on the kids teeth and giving them hygiene lessons, but when I did, she never seemed too tired to lighten the mood. I was also amazed at her passion for the kids. While you'd never see it during the day, she would really allow herself to be vulnerable during our devotions and really talk about the things that were affecting her the most.
The Dancin' World Traveler: Tom was the one guy I didn't get to know much of until the end of the trip. All I knew of him was that he was the guy that works for a company that takes him all over the world. He's very soft spoken and made it clear early on that he wanted to assist Kelly with the dental screenings. A couple of things you should know about Tom. One...he traveled with four women all the way across the globe...and NEVER complained. Two...he's a ham. He got up on stage one night and danced an Ethiopian dance with some performers and we were all like, "WOAH, where did that come from." As I wrote, I didn't get to know Tom as well on the trip, but it was on our ride back to the states that I got a chance to visit with him and learned a lot about his heart and his life. While he is 15 years my senior, I told Mrs. McGoo that I would love to be able to hang out with him some more. Maybe he'll make me feel younger than I do now.
So there you have it. The Dream Team of our trip. I can honestly say that in the beginning I was a bit worried about our trip. As I said before, I felt like people had their own agendas and it seemed like we had a hard time coming together to get things done. However, it has become very apparently to me that God blessed those children with the perfect mix of disciples to bring on the trip. We had a steady blend of Leaders, Administrators, Healthcare, Athletics, Teachers, and Counselors that followed God's plan accordingly. It was an incredible trip and a great group.
I heard this somewhere the other day and it resonated to me with this group....
"Some times you've got to dive deep into the barrel to find the juiciest apple."
#10- Weather. The weather was great. 70's and not humidity. Cool at night also. Then I came back to Memphis and it's 98 and 100% humidity.
#9- Food. Surprisingly I really enjoyed the food there. Nothing tasted bad to me and it all was gentle on my stomach. Additionally, I had the best spaghetti that I have ever had at the drop in center. It was incredible. Also I'll miss Fanta. For some reason, that is one of the main drinks they serve there and they taste wonderful
#8- The Driving. Organized Chaos is what I like to call it. It's amazing to me that Americans have defined driving lanes yet wreck all the time. In Addis, there aren't many lanes and the driving is basically get where you need to go by any means necessary, yet NO wrecks. Our bus driver was incredible too. The guy could park a bus in a compact car spot with room to spare.
#7- The Church. We went to a church called IEC on the Sunday we were there. It was very culturally diverse and the pastor delivered a great message. We have many churches here in Memphis that "try" and say they are diverse, but none actually attain it quite like this one did.
#6- The Streets. Walking the streets was an interesting event. At any point in time you'd see someone relieving themselves or your nose was hit with some interesting smells. However, the people were genuine that I came in contact with. We bought some food on the street (what the Spanish would call "Empanadas") that was a pastry with meat and lentils in it. The merchants were very kind and welcoming.
#5- The World Cup. Unless I am able to attend a World Cup in the future, I don't know that I'll ever enjoy one as much as this one. While I didn't get to watch a lot of the first round on a large HD TV, I did get to enjoy it with a LOT of internationals. I watched the US-England match with a room full of Brits and Yanks. The Australia-Germany match with Germans and Aussies. The South Africa -Uruguay match with? You guessed it, South Africans and Uruguayans. Additionally watched matches with Africans, Kiwis (New Zealand), met one Italian the last day there. This has been an exciting World Cup with all the upsets and especially the French bowing out early. It also allowed me to have a better understanding of how Americans are viewed by other countries. While they love the idea of America, there isn't much loved lost with their view of our arrogance and laziness. (Hard to argue with their points really...but that's for another blog)
#4- The Bridges. We've got one here in Memphis, but the other set are still in Addis. Jon, Jessica and Dawit, we'll miss you guys immensely.
#3- The Culture. Ethiopians are very affectionate. If you were to see two men walking hand in hand here in America, you'd immediately think they were gay. In Ethiopia, it is a sincere sign of friendship and trust. While I'll admit, I'm not someone that likes people in my personal space, but it didn't seem to bother me there. It is not uncommon for one to feed you there food and as I was told, if it is done twice, that person is showing you love.
#2- The Staff. I didn't get to know all of them very well, but the ones I did, Nega, Biruk, Alex, and Mandy were all awesome. It became very apparent to me that they were bothered by the fact that we were leaving. That spoke volumes to me. They also helped me appreciate hard work and long days. These guys worked in less than desirable conditions and dealt with street kids all day...all the while trying to teach them education, trust, and present the gospel. Nega especially was someone I bonded with. While we both have an affinity for Arsenal Football, Alex put it best when comparing Nega and I when he told me the kids see us as "Big Kids." Not much of a stretch there...
#1- The Kids. In less than a days time I had bonded with the kids pretty well. I had a couple of trump cards that some others didn't. A childlike spirit and football. It immediately broke several language barriers right off the bat and gave me "clout" with the children. Words like, Rooney, Ronaldo, Kaka, Arsenal, Manchester United, Yanks, and Africa were common phrases when bonding with the kids early on. Many of them called me "Rooney" because they said I looked like the balding, thick, and hairy Manchester United star. I'm down with that. ;) They also gave me renewed strength near the end of the trip when I became sick. Friday hit me like a ton of bricks, but I remember thinking, "these kids sleep in garbage and on the street with all sorts of problems, I cannot let sickness rob me from the last day with these kids." So I pushed on. However, I'm back in the states now and they are back in Addis. Kids...I miss you
This is just part of my reflections of my journey. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some thoughts on other things as well. More to come...
After almost 30 hours of travel, we have made it back home. We started in Addis (around 7pm Addis time), then to Rome, then to D.C., then to Charlotte, then finally Memphis. Mrs. McGoo's wonderful parents and sister picked us up from the airport around 6pm Memphis time and took us home. Once we got their we greeted our furbabies and got some dinner while watching the remaining portion of the US Open.
Apparently, once they left, I laid down on the couch and was snoring in 2 mins. I have no recollection how the wife got this big bear to bed, but I woke this morning in a soft bed.
There are three things that I have to get accomplished today:
1. Set up appointment with the doc. I'm pretty sick. Got sick on Friday and haven't had any meds to make myself feel any better (outside of Advil and cough drops). And NO it's not malaria. No mosquitoes in Addis because of the altitude and cool weather.
2. Call MLG&W to find out why our gas has been turned off. (***UPDATE**** Gas was turned off because they replaced our meter and no one was here to let them in to lit the pilot light back) We came home to no hot water.
3. Rest and watch the BEAUTIFUL GAME!
If I gather up some energy, I'll post some reflections of the trip later today. If not, then it will be later on.
