It's Just a Game

 We were getting into the bed. It was around 11pm and the lights were already off in our house, when we started to hear the sounds of yelling getting closer to our corner. After a bit, the yells were close and we heard crashes and thuds. A couple of the impacts were close enough for us to identify the sound as rocks being thrown onto tin roofs.

Clove Islanders playing on the beach

We didn’t bother to turn on our lights or open our front door to go onto the porch, but we gathered by a window to listen more intently to see if we could understand what was going on. One of our immediate neighbors had the same idea and with a clearer view of the street from her house started to call out to people she saw on the street, asking what was going on. But the continued yelling noise, meant that all we could pick up was that people were indeed throwing rocks and that someone may have been hurt. Nothing was clear but it wasn’t long before everything was quiet again, and we went to bed knowing we’d learn more in the morning.

Apparently, it was all because of a basketball game.  A team from another town lost the game at the local stadium and the fans were upset about it.  After the game a big fight broke out in the stadium, fists were flying.  It spilled out into the street and they started throwing rocks and destroyed property. Some people were injured, one man critically.

Car across way with broken window

In the morning we noticed that the car parked across the street from our house had its window smashed in, and walking down the road towards the stadium the next day, there were several cars with broken windshields,  as well as glass all over the road left behind from cars that had already been moved.  

As our neighbors were talking about it, I asked, “All because of a game?” They responded by saying that it seemed so, but that they couldn’t know for sure,  “It might be ‘political’ too.” Puzzled I asked them to explain. I couldn’t understand how someone angry over a lost basketball game could claim political motivations when they were randomly breaking car windows. It’s not like the cars belonged to politicians or even anyone they knew.

But as they explained, it wasn’t so much that the actions were political, but an expression of anger and frustration. The island youth already have so much anger and unrest in their hearts because of political and economic realities, that it just bursts out with the least bit of provocation.

This is the fruit of anger ruining hearts— it starts to destroy and tear down indiscriminately.

People are a little on edge about what the aftermath will be.  Will the youth of our town seek revenge on the other town? Could this be the beginning of a long-lasting feud? Older people are looking for solutions— there is already talk about collecting the funds from the offending town to fix all the car windows.

After spill as passenger on motorcyle

Others are thinking more personally and saying that they won’t go to sporting events anymore and won’t let their kids go either. Another suggested that you just have to leave in the middle before the losers are apparent and before people get angry.

I think we will pray. Pray for this lingering anger under the surface to find constructive and healthy ways to be released.  Pray for the youth to feel heard and to catalyze change in this country. Pray that in the future, sporting events can just be fun games.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Thankfully since we wrote this post, there were a couple days on tension, but then the situation has calmed down. We are thankful that Ma Imani who has been plagued by different illnesses since moving back to Clove Island last year has been healed. She was prayed for last weekend with a large group and Megan visited her this past week and she says she is completely well and not taking any of the medications anymore. We are thankful that our medical colleagues had a good first week working at the hospital on the plateau. We are thankful that Tom and his friend were not significantly hurt when the motorcycle they were on slid out on the way back home over the mountain this weekend.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Keep praying for the islands— the president held a big inauguration for his contested re-election this past weekend.  There continues to be a lot of tension under the surface and political opponents continue to be arrested. Also, continue to pray for our daughter— she’s having pain in more joints in her body now and has been referred to see a specialist. She has an appointment this coming weekend in the city. Pray for healing for her and for clarity moving forward. Pray for us as it is hard to be far from her— we have plans to be in Kenya in 2 weeks.  Pray for Tom’s friend Kwendzi who has been talking about studying with him for weeks, makes a plan then breaks it.  Pray that he would find the courage to actually meet.  Meanwhile, Muki still visits nearly everyday and his understanding and joy with the word grows daily.  Pray that he would find ways to start sharing the things he is learning.