We arrived at the Speel Clinic (which means play clinic in Afrikans) around 1:00pm. I was not prepared for what I found there. 200 children and just our team! They fought - literally FOUGHT each other for our attention. They clung to us - begged to be held - hugged us and wouldn't let go. So starved for attention! I wondered, when was the last time these children were hugged? Held? Kissed? Told "I love you"?
It was freezing outside - the wind was so strong it made it hard to stand. The team was bundled in layers and big winter coats; the children were in short sleeves, skirts, and shorts - many of them barefoot - shivering i
n the cold. I braced against the wind and cuddled 3 year old Ily closer, trying desperately to keep her warm. Three more children clung to my legs shivering. As I stood there with them in the street, more children surrounded me- singing to me, asking my name, and reaching for my hand. Feeling overwhelmed, I looked around...
Every team member looked the same. From five to twenty children surrounding them, shivering in the cold, begging for attention. I felt the tears begin to fall. "There are too many Lord!" I cried. "There are too many that need to be hugged, held, loved! I want to call them by name - to look them all in the eye and tell them they're loved and valued. To teach them, to listen to them, to care for them. But how, Lord? There are too many desperate children... and only one of me..."
I fought back tears as little Ily wrapped her arms tighter around my neck and kissed my cheek.
I pulled it together for a while, until meal time came. For the kids it's usually just half an apple and milk. For most, that's their only meal all day. Today, because of the cold, they had a little chicken soup and bread. After everyone in the classroom (which would only hold around 50) had been served a cup, Eunice asked who wanted more...
Fifty hungry hands shot out fighting to get to the front, begging for more. It broke me. No child should ever go hungry! But for these children, hunger is a part of everyday. I stood there holding Ily, asleep in my arms, as the room full of children scrambled for food, and the tears began to fall...
"One child at a time." That's the voice of God I always hear when I'm with the children... one child at a time.
Today was Ily's day. We cuddled in the cold until she fell asleep on my chest. I prayed for her, whispered "I love you" in her ear, and gave her kisses and hugs all day. I fed her lunch when she woke up and held her tight when she wrapped her arms around my neck and snuggled close again. Today, she was loved.
One child at a time.
It made a difference to that one.
