This month in South Africa I have the pleasure to play with children who come from underprivileged families. We get to teach them soccer, play games, and/or teach them about God. The main focus is to teach them they are loved and that playing soccer and games is a great opportunity for them to spend their time instead of getting into trouble.
Keshia and I
I have spent three days with these children and have come to love them all in the short time. Spending time with them and loving on them is what I do best. Little babies are my forte and these children have taken my heart. Every time the bus drops us off at the school, a crowd is waiting at the gate to greet us. I step off the bus with wide open arms and a flood of kids come in for a hug. They all tell us how much they missed us and are ready to start to play games with us. I even got kisses on the cheek by a few little girls who gravitate towards me every time I arrive.
My two girls Bernadet, and Danishia
Spending time with these children I have come to realize that most of them don’t really get a lot of love and affection at home. This little girl Bernadette, who is 6 years old, holds onto me like an anaconda, and won’t let me put her down. This other girl Deetria, who is 3, just sits in my lap and is content to know that I’m beside her. Most of these children come from very large homes with 7 to 8 children per home. They don’t get the love that I had as a child. When I was a child I would get a hug and a kiss a few times a day. These children usually get hit, spanked, or worse: they aren’t noticed by their own parents because they have other younger children to look after or they are too caught up in drugs and alcohol to notice they have children.
Most of the children wear the same clothes every day and haven’t seen a bath in days. I look past the dirt and see their true beauty. I look into their eyes and see a child that just wants to be loved. I make it my mission to tell them that they are loved by God, and that he will always be with them. It brings hope to their hearts that they know someone loves them.
Whether it’s a hug, a kiss on the cheek, a hold of a hand, a lap to sit on, or just someone to talk to, I am always there to be that person to bring joy to these kids’ hearts and to show they are loved by a big group and by God.
Some of our kids at the sports camp praying!
