Evendays

Switzerland played the gracious host and was the first of 16 teams to be eliminated from advancement into the next round of the European Cup, leaving the spot in their group to either Turkey or Czech Republic. Portugal has already won the group.

Wife and I went to a tent where about 300 gathered in the name of UEFA for the first part of last night’s match. It was noisy, smoky, hot, hard to understand the speaker… A lot like church. I felt strange chanting “Hopp Suisse” for a team that was 140 miles away, but what the heck, we yelled anyway and were encouraged when the Turko-Swiss YAKIM scored a go-ahead goal against Turkey. Other chances passed by, but we finished the first 45 minutes ahead. For good, we hoped.

We biked home and watched the second half in the quiet of our own home with Son 1 and Daughter. We saw our lead disappear, then we fell behind in the final minutes. Commentators complained. We wept. (Well, sort of…)

Now, since that stress is over, the kids only have to worry about final exams (a different stress). And they still have another team in the tournament: Whoever is playing against France.

Stéphane Fournier wrote an article in the local paper and asked the question: Will a spirit of catastrophe threaten [Team Nati]? Bernard Challandes, wise coach of FC Zurich replied:

No. I don’t believe it will. What is essential for the players to do is to hold on to what is positive. There were some positive things shown by [the team’s] level of performance. I can imagine very well Michel Pont [assistant coach] making a highlight video of one-on-one actions where Swiss players excelled and other actions that offered opportunities for possible goals. In fact, I believe he’s already prepared it.

The other aspect is mental. [The players] have the ability to manage these events. Frei [injured in the first half, see picture above] will not announce tomorrow: I’m quitting football. They have the right to talk about bad luck and to express their frustration because of it, but they don’t have the right to wallow in it. They can even find in it their motivation. It’s just like everyday life.

I find his words refreshing and applicable to my own life. It’s just too easy for me to become cynical about stuff, about people, about ministry, about me…

So, excuse me for a minute, I’m off to work on my high-light video. 

Last night, Switzerland lost the opening match of Euro 2008 after playing a terrific game against Czech Republic. The Nati lost their best offensive player to a knee injury in the 44th minute. Sad. The Czechs scored in their only real opportunity. Very sad. Then the ref missed a Czech hand in the penalty box (hand over his head—how did the ref miss that?) which would have allowed a relatively easy tie… Very, very sad.

Yes, it was a sad evening.

Today, the Swiss tennis-man Roger Federer will play in the men’s French Open final against his nemesis, Raphael Nadal. My prediction? Federer plays so well that Nadal forfeits the match in the third set. Federer begins to cry and is so emotional that he puts his pants on backwards. NIKE has a fit.

Oh well, one can dream, can’t he?

– The match is over and I’m the one who’s crying. Only one male finalist has been beaten more soundly in the history of the French Open. Ah, it’s a sad, sad day… (Brady)

When the Portuguese national football (soccer) team arrived in Switzerland, there were thousands of people, mostly Portuguese residents in Switzerland, there to meet them. Hundreds of motorcycles followed the team bus from Geneva to Neuchâtel, a 90 minute trip, where the team is staying between matches. One of Wife’s friends said that she happened to be on that same freeway that same day and on every overpass, EVERY overpass, there were crowds of Portuguese fans, draped in Portuguese flags, waving at the passing cars, dancing and drinking, waiting to celebrate the under-passing of the Portuguese team. Nearly 10,000 cheering fans were waiting for them in Neuchâtel (a city of only 40,000). A day or two later, the Portuguese played an inter-squad match in the local stadium, two 30 minute halves, and 12,000 people came to see them practice.

Just for your information: When the French arrived on Wednesday, 50 fans met them at the airport.

What one of the most popular Euro T-shirts seen around Switzerland says? “I root for Switzerland and for any team that beats France.”

Vive le foot.

Sorry, but European football may be a reoccurring motif in the weeks to come. The European Cup of Nations starts on Friday night. Teams have been arriving in Switzerland over the last couple of days. Some of the host cities to the teams are swamped with fans who have shown up to get a glimpse of their favorite stars. There are 1000 police on standby in case (or when) the soccer riots break out. Flags are everywhere, especially Swiss, Portuguese and Spanish colors. The final warm-up games took place last night and soon the craziness will begin.

I’ve never lived in a town that hosted the Olympics or been in a city that hosted a World Cup match (though I was in the USA in 1990 during that World Cup, but there wasn’t much fervor) so all this enthusiasm is a bit beyond me. But I will get caught up in the thrill, especially if the Swiss get into the Final 8. It won’t excite me so much that I’ll buy a new, HD flat screen TV (sales in Europe are rocketing thanks to sports, but our old one works just fine, thanks), but I may put on my Swiss T-shirt and get a tear in my eye while mumbling the words to the Swiss National Anthem.

An influx of visitors from other cities, along with a handful of local members, gave us a wonderful moment of worship and fellowship on Sunday morning. Pancakes were then shared by all, then we drove an hour in the evening for worship in English, a rather rare experience for us, with the church in Geneva. The singing was great, and we even got invited for dinner afterwards!

I am tired of this rain though. It’s falling every day. Fortunately it stopped long enough for a 10k race on Saturday afternoon. Wife clocked near 47 minutes, finishing in the top 25% of her category. I barely broke the 50 percentile with a blazing, and happy, 45:13. Only the "real" runners were there for this one: No ambiance; small crowds; no bands; no tee-shirts. Just a bottle of water and an apple at the finish line. And a spaghetti dinner for those who wanted to wait another thirty minutes. But I literally stunk and we decided to head home.

We had a few visitors for the two evenings. The lessons were good. The small choral was real good. Thanks for your prayers.

Filled up the van on Tuesday. 21 gallons for $180.00. Yes, $8.57 a gallon. Talk about sticker shock… Glad I get 29 mpg. Wish I got better…

It was time for Tuesday night Bible Study yesterday in Geneva. It was also “neighborhood” night, where people who live in big apartment buildings were supposed to set up a table outside their main entrance and share a glass with other tenants. The Geneva church meets in an office building across from a residential area. And even though the local neighborhood wasn’t pushing the neighborhood night, (I didn’t see any tables out anywhere), we decided to do something. I painted a big sign and we set up chairs in front of the office building. All us Christians gathered for a get-to-know you game, brainstorming and sharing on “loving your neighbor as yourself”. We tried to accompany the passing honks through singing and praying. The we did what we do best: snack and get interested in each others’ lives. A few people walked by. All were invited for a drink. People hung out for another hour. We packed the chairs and tables up and headed home.

Tonight we start two evenings on “Building your life, choosing your architect”. We hope to have many visitors. Would appreciate your prayers.

Doubts: We were but 14 yesterday morning for our worship time. Jesus promised to be present, which still makes that reunion “extraordinary”, even though I struggle to believe it.

Assurance: In our Bible class, several of us were reading passages on “the Church is the body of Christ”. We then spent some time defining the different words, trying to see how they related together. For “church”, up came “assembly, family, bride, gathering, body, nation” and others. Then one of our regular visitors whose only experience of church in the last 50 years has been “us” finally chimed in: “A haven of peace.”

-Your comments on the biking post cracked me up. Sore rears and climbing hills outside of Châlet-à-Gobet (the highest point in Lausanne) and all. Come on over for a ride.

-Last night the mighty Manchester United beat the London club Chelsea to take the Champions’ cup, the European "Superbowl" of football (soccer). The final went to overtime, a shoot-out, and even extra shots in the shoot-out. I thought it would never end. Some of those players were in more than 70 matches this last season. Incredible. So football is over (till the European Cup, June 7!).

-My Irish buddy here works for IMD business school. Two days ago the school welcomed Warren Buffett for a conference. (I wonder how much he charges?) Anyway, my Irish buddy was the interviewer for the Education Network that he runs for the school. I tried to watch the webcast but RealMedia always rebels on my computer. (What’s the deal with my Mac and Real?)

So what question would YOU ask the richest man in the world?

-Wife and I attempt a 10K Friday evening in nearby Pully. A start, three laps, then a finish. I’m determined to make that finish!