Sports Day in Pictures

It's lunch time! Sophie was with Daniella every step of the way :-).

K-1 race. I was filming with one hand, and trying to take this picture with my left hand. In the midst of it all, I cut Daniella out. She may never fogive me, but the video turned out to be perfect.

Everybody wins! The children are getting their prizes. The earlier you cross the finish line, the sooner you get to choose your toy.

On your mark... Get set... Go! I will be saying this many many times over the next few years.

Here is a cool story: The boy (orange team) leading the race in this picture fell at the turn. He was overtaken by two other runners (from the green team), but he managed to get up; he passed one, and edged the other to finish first.

Sports Day: An Early Start

Last summer, Jamaica, led by Ussain Bolt and co., took over the summer olympics in track and field. When they asked Bolt's father what was the secret behind his performance, he replied: Yams! Well, there may be some truths to that.... I do not know. Another answer to that could be: an early start. Jamaica takes very seriously their world dominance in track and field and does everything to maintain it.


Yesterday was Sports Day at Daniella's school--Paradise Preparatory School. It was amazing to see how everybody took to heart the display of speed (or lack thereof) the children put on. From K-1 up everybody had a chance to run! The student body was divided into three houses (teams), composed of students drafted across from all the grades. From 10:00am to 3:30pm there was a heated (no pun intended!) and friendly competition between students and teachers. One had a sense that there could easily be another one like Bolt, or a Powell, or a Walker in the making.


Daniella ran a 25m dash and came third. For a first start, that was a good finish. It earned her an extra helping of ice cream :-), because mama promised that if she ran fast, she would get ice cream. After the race, she went straight to Lara and said: I ran fast, I want ice cream!

Mrs. E. Street, the Principal is declaring Sports Day officially open. Let the races begin!

Daniella and teammate are warming up, while another friend is convincing Sophie that she can run too.

Green House. They won the team competition. Sophie felt right at home.

Red House. Daniella's teacher was the head of this team, so we had to root for them too. But they finish third overall.

Orange House: Daniella's team. They finished 2nd overall.

Hands to the Plow

During the CETA consultation I accepted two new responsibilities. I was elected as a member at large on the Executive Board, and was nominated as the Coordinator of the Theological Commission. As coordinator, I will be overseeing the publication of CETA's scholarly journal CJET: Caribbean Journal of Evangelical Theology. I will shoulder these responsibilities until the next Consultation which will be held in 2011 in Trinidad. At that time, CETA will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. Below are (1) a picture of the Executive Board of CETA and (2) a Press release reporting on the past consultation.

LEADERS IN THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION MEET IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

PORT-OF-SPAIN — The Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association (CETA) held its 19th biennial consultation March 16-20 at the Anapausis Community conference center in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. Leaders of theological institutions gathered to reflect and interact around the theme of “Strengthening Theological Education in a Changing Environment.”

Comprised of more than 40 undergraduate and graduate institutions scattered throughout the three main language areas of the Caribbean region, CETA was founded in 1971 for the purposes of professional association and the development and promotion of standards of excellence in theological education.

Dr. Las Newman—president of the CETA-sponsored Caribbean Graduate School of Theology in Kingston, Jamaica—launched the event with a stirring opening ceremony address on “Understanding Today’s World.” Throughout the week, delegates heard presentations on timely topics such as Trends in Theological Education, Assessing Institutional Effectiveness, Strengthening Theological Education Through Partnerships, and Education in an Economically Challenging Environment. Workshops provided opportunities to focus on practical issues ranging from resource development and effective governance to mentoring for impact.

Presenters came from the Caribbean region and beyond, and included such names as Dr. Miriam Rodriguez (Puerto Rico), Dr. Pat Glasgow (Trinidad and Tobago), Dr. Randall Bell (USA), Dr. Dieumeme Noelliste (USA & Haiti), Dr. Phillip Gray (Guyana), and Dr. Paul Sanders (Lebanon).

During the weeklong consultation, the Association transacted several items of business including the election of officers for the next biennium. The newly elected leadership consists of Dr. Noelliste (President), Rev. Owen Gordon (Vice President, Jamaica), Dr. Kenneth Ragoonath (Chairman, Trinidad and Tobago), Dr. Errol Joseph (Secretary/Treasurer, Trinidad and Tobago), and members-at-large Dr. Rodriguez, Dr. Abson Joseph (Jamaica/Haiti), and Dr. Ramon Alvarado (Puerto Rico).

The next consultation is set for March 14-16, 2011, and will be held again in Trinidad and Tobago to commemorate the 40th anniversary of this influential association. More details and information about CETA are available online at www.cetaweb.info.