African Basketball

What African Basketball? The main sport of course is football (soccer). I didn't appreciate the true meaning of the word football until I saw a 10 year old kid equivalent to the skill level of my middle son Malcolm in basketball.

Now Malcolm is my awesome middle son (all my sons have many gifts. ☺) who's skill level of basketball is compatible to that of a possible blue chipper right now. He does amazing things with the ball that I can't do now, nor was I doing at 11 years old and I am a good player even at my age. He's already had many opportunities to play at a high level with fourteen and fifteen year old boys due to his skill, understanding of the game, and his height at 5'7 1/2 " with a pediatrics prediction of growing to be between 6' 5" or 6' 8"; he's tutored a few times a week by two ex-nba players who say he might have a shot, an opportunity, God Willing, to advance. Of course, Malcolm's opportunity, like the gifts of my other sons is high because they live in America and can be easily seen by many people who can offer many exchanges for their talents.

But watching my new friend, who is about the same height and age as Malcolm, dribble the ball with his feet like Malcolm dribbles the ball with his hands was amazing. He was playing in this exterior overhang that looks like it’s an outdoor banquet hall for parties. For now it’s a soccer field that wasn't very big and no room to really maneuver around and negotiate corners with four players on each side (8 kids). And yet this long string bean was taking the ball and literally turning right, turning left, backing up into the alternate goal to dribble through his opponents again and again until it looked like he was toying with them...and he was!

The interesting thing was that right outside this banquet hall was a basketball court in dirt that was perfect regulation height to shoot on...know one was near it. Gifts are a funny thing because you can abuse a gift and loose an opportunity as many of my high school track and field teammates did and not receive full ride scholarships like I did, or use it for good not only for yourself but for other people by traveling around and giving clinics and speaking like in Chariots of Fire one of my favorite movies. I pictured all of my sons coming to Mozambique to Iris Ministries to utilize their individual gifts not only the physical ones but the spiritual ones as well.

Morgan, who was just tested as reading at 10th and 11th grade levels could read English to the smaller children his age and below in their daily classrooms, Marvin would probably be in the orphanage taking care of small babies as he has an amazing heart for that; he would also be joining the musicians as he is learning to read music and play the drums, Malcolm...well, that empty basketball court would be turned into his own dirt stadium for he cannot help but to play basketball everywhere he goes, his Mozambique clinic would be packed with kids and he would also learn the language as he loves to mock voices of people; they would laugh at him so much and he would smile in that smile that he has that would light up a village while he spun the ball on his finger in the sunset of the African light with red clay between his toes while shooting a jump shot, or a drop step move (left and right), or a hook shot, or a lay-up (left and right), or a jab step to clear his opponent (cycling through the pros call it), and then just having rice and beans with all his new African friends after he was through. And, he would spend the rest of his time drawing his beautiful interpretive drawings as he begins to express himself just as much as he would with the basketball while also writing down in his diary the daily activities because he has such a gift for writing as well.

I pray this Michael Jordan of football in Mozambique will someday have the same opportunities to use his gifts just like my sons do. Please pray that Mozambique's government does the right thing for a people that are happy no matter what their circumstances. And as much as I am touched, broken, crying, not eating because I don't want to eat in front of kids who have nothing, trust me, they are happy and are better off then they've ever been in this orphanage that cares. But outside these walls, as one boy told me after I gave him money for books.

"I didn't by the books yesterday because the banditos would have beat up a little boy like me."

But, I truly believe in all causes that God starts and sees through for at least they are not at war, at least they have some living standards that they work hard for to maintain, at least no matter what they are happy. :)

Pray for Mozambique
Pray for the red clay between my toes ☺
Pray for Iris Ministries
Pray for Africa
Pray for a united Africa
Pray that it’s not a pipe dream
Pray for faith (yours and mine)
Pray for God’s mercy and grace which he freely gives
Pray for my sons (and their mom)
Pray for your sons and daughters
Pray for my football friend (The Michael Jordan of Mozambique)