Yesterday at soccer camp in the Capricorn Township of Cape Town I met
Justin Clinton.
Our ministry contact from Volunteer in South Africa, 
came to the
sidelines where I typically sit playing with all the girls who don’t want to
play soccer and would rather braid (or knot) my hair, and handed me a little
boy. Immediately he wrapped his arms
tight around my neck and buried his head in my shoulder. I asked our contact what happened. Did he get hurt? Is he sad?
And she said, “No, he’s just a cuddler”.
My heart immediately melted. After hugging him for a few minutes, I rocked him forward and asked his
name. He told me Justin and I told him
he had the same first initial as the most important person in my life, my main
man, Jesus. We continued to talk while
he lay in my lap, and the rest of the world seemed to melt away. He put his
hand in mine in awe of the difference in size and color. He taught me how to say the color red in Afrikaans
(although I don’t remember how). He played with my hair amazed by how different
it felt. Together we sang “Waka, Waka,
Hey, Hey”. He stared in my eyes seemingly
enamored with me and I stared right back smitten.
the floor
with the 5 dogs that live with him, his 5 sisters, and
his mom and dad. I asked more questions about
his life at home
but likely in an effort to escape, even if just for awhile, from his world in
the township,
he immediately jumped up to show me his tree climbing
skills. He conquered almost every tree
next to the sand pit we use as a soccer
field and at the top of each he would yell
“Teacher! Teacher! Look at me!”
encouragement. Our two-hour soccer camp
is providing so much more than just soccer skills. It is filling a gaping hole
in the heart of kids who don’t know how much they are loved. It is giving them a glimpse of the infinite
love available to them through my main man JC who lives in me.
