The XM ChallengeAnnual Soccer Game – The XM Challenge https://www.rickbergen.net Help Plant 1,000 Churches Fri, 07 Nov 2025 23:01:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 169531157 Annual Soccer Game https://www.rickbergen.net/?p=114 https://www.rickbergen.net/?p=114#comments Sun, 30 Dec 2012 17:57:00 +0000 Rick Bergen http://www.rickbergen.net/2012/12/30/annual-soccer-game/ Every year Ivanildo organizes a special soccer game, “marrieds against singles”. Sometimes this is known as “old guys against young guys”. The “marrieds” have always lost in the past. This year some of the youth who are now living with their girlfriends joins the “marrieds / old guys”. Since marriage itself is kind of rare in our neighbourhood, living with a girl counts as marriage. It’s kind of complicated, a part of the culture of our neighbourhood we are hoping to change as we teach and model the benefits of long-term commitments and true love. Still, the game was a lot of fun, and this year, thanks largely to two of the youth who joined the “old married guys”, the “marrieds” won.

The youth all want a rematch but Ivanildo says, “Only next year. You have lost for the year now.” (Huge smile).

I was hoping to play but some other people came over and I could not get down to the field in time. The girls took these photos of the game and the bystanders.

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