Games will start January 2004. All teams will play Saturday nights at Bedford Middle School. If you have any questions, please call 540-587-6061. Parks & Recreation reserves the right to make changes to the program and/or schedule based upon participation, instructors, and/or other unknown factors.

On Tuesday, November 4, 2003, the Strawberry Baptist Association English as a Second Language (ESL) class had a special worship service in recognition of the holiday that is know in Mexico and Guatemala as "El Día de Los Muertos" (The Day of the Dead) and in Brazil as "Finada." This holiday traditionally follows Halloween and All Saints Day and is a time when friends and loved ones who have died are remembered and honored.

The ESL class had a service involving music and an evangelistic message in both English and Spanish. As part of this service, the class placed 17 crosses with the names of their loved ones in the Memorial Garden at Bedford Baptist Church. Each student and teacher explained who the person was who was being honored and their relationship. The class then thanked God for these people who had indeed blessed and enriched their lives. After the worship service, the class had a meal consisting of some traditional foods that would be served in Mexico or Guatemala on this holiday. These foods included chicken and pork tamales, chicken and mole, tortillas, calabaza (pumpkin), and a special bread called "el pan de muerte" (bread of the dead).

Experiencing and honoring both the traditions of the United States and those of the representative countries is one way that the students and teachers in the ESL classes learn about each other's countries and culture.

Currently, the ESL Ministry of the Strawberry Baptist Association has students from Mexico, Guatemala, Laos, Brazil, and Ukraine. If you have questions or are interested in this ministry, please call the Strawberry Baptist Association office or Lora Padgett at 586-6202.