By Mallory Mattingly
During his off season, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has poured into his community, helping several teens go to church camp this summer.
The athlete forged a relationship with local pastor Vaughaligan Walwyn after he spoke to the team. Stroud said his message helped him “remain poised as he delivered the game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute of the fourth quarter” during the Texans game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, per KPRC 2.
“He was talking about, ‘You gotta get through the mud before you can get to the miracle,’” Stroud revealed. “That resonated with me. Not only in ball, but just in life. It’s not always perfect, but you know the mud makes you who you are. The mud we have is self-inflicted mud. I feel like that kind of motivates us in a sense. It motivates me.”
Walwyn later sent an email to the C.J. Stroud Foundation asking if they would sponsor seven teens to go to church camp in Waxachachie, Texas.
“It means the world,” Walwyn told KPRC 2. “For C.J. and his foundation to pay those fees and help us in any capacity, it’s a blessing. It can be a big pressure sometimes and the last thing we want is a parent stressing out. Church camp impacted my life in a huge way.”
“Ultimately, it’s a blessing to see the C.J. Stroud Foundation help us. We seek God to work through them and give us the fuel we need for ministry. It’s incredible for people looking at Space City Church for us to be recognized by C.J. and the Texans and to be affiliated with them,” he added.
Walwyn called Stroud a “powerful ambassador of Christian faith and values, noting: ‘We’re always looking for a champion. It’s rare that you have an athlete on fire talking about Jesus.'”
The pastor and the Space City Church kids shared a video, thanking the star quarterback for his help.
“Big thanks to all our sponsors, partners, and Space City Church family for helping send a group of 40 plus students and leaders to join 600 youth for church camp in Waxahachie, TX!” the pastor wrote in the caption. “Thank you to @joemccune3 & @mccuneelectricalservices for helping with the charter bus, and big thanks to @cjstroudfoundation for sponsoring 7 kids to go to camp! God Is Faithful!”
“We wanted to send C.J. and his mom, Kimberly, a big thank you,” Walwyn shared with KPRC 2. “For them to acknowledge us, we thank them a million times. Hopefully, this gives them some gratitude.”
It’s encouraging to see an athlete like Stroud use his platform to further Christ’s kingdom.
Read Next: Texans QB CJ Stroud Glorifies God: ‘It’s Not About me. It’s About Him’
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
- Content: +4Share:
- Content: +1