Jul
4
Memorial Leon Buyle
Filed Under AIA Track & Field Ministry
We had our first meet this past weekend in Oordegem. It was the Memorial Leon Buyle. It was much smaller than last year, but still a good meet (the results of everyone’s performance will be posted on our team blog.)
We had an interesting Friday. Our new friend Steven, who is a pole vault coach, said we should be able to travel the train with our poles. We called the train station to confirm and they basically said it would be impossible. Lovely. We went off to team time and put this to prayer, since God was going to be the only one to figure this thing out. After team time, Nick and I were going to head to the train station to try to sort this thing out. Roel, our wonderful hostel owner, said he would bring the poles up for us. He was going to come to the meet anyway…since he is an honorary AIA member 
I almost cried. I feel like I almost cry every time God blesses this trip. It’s more because I have not seen God’s hand so vividly and so much before…or I just haven’t paid much attention.
We strapped the poles on his car (he thought they would fit in his car and just stick out the window a wee bit…not so much). Then we headed off to the train station to catch the train to Lede, where we would be picked up and brought to Oordegem. Logistics this year are so much smoother, since we’ve already been here last year and I have a better idea of what we’re doing.
We stayed in athlete housing on site. We met a bunch of other athletes, some from Ireland, Switzerland and Israel. The girls had a girls night and got to spend some time getting deeper with each other. It’s hard to believe we haven’t been together for a full week and this team is already so close (a little too close sometimes!!!)
Meet day was great. The weather here in Belgium is bi-polar, so I never know how to dress, so I just dress in layers. We saw our vaulting friends – Steven, Jonas, Xenia (yes, her name is spelt the same as my city, but pronounced differently) and Lien. They are all a part of a club that has graciously opened their arms to us…and lent us keys to their stadium. Steven has been a huge help to my vaulters and has suggested another meet for the vaulters on Thursday. He said he would “help us Americans who have no idea what we’re doing.” Just another example of how God is taking care of us.
Then yesterday was amazing! Roel came and picked us up and took us on a tour of southern Belgium, the French part. We saw a fortress, the city where the guy who invented the sax was from, a castle and a monastery. We got into some deep conversations and I’m wondering if anyone has a way to answer these questions. They make sense in my head, but I’m wondering if there’s a better way to articulate them. Here are the questions:
* Why do you believe in Jesus?
* What does it mean that the Bible is God “speaking to you”?
Today we will be joined by two other people. Jenny, who is on STINT in Czech and Alex, who is with FloTrack. It will be fun to have more friends come along for this adventure.
Happy 4th of July everyone! No fireworks over here in Belgium…we’ll have to figure out a different way to celebrate!