Be the change that you want to see in the world.
There are a lot of things in this world that are out of our control, a great number of things that we cannot change, but there are so many things that we CAN change. Those things that can make a difference, not only in my life, but in the lives of people around me, are what I choose to focus on and that is what inspires me to give.
A few years ago, after dealing with the sudden death of my father, struggling with my mother battling cancer, and coping with the overwhelming depression brought on by infertility, I found myself in a foreign country doing a VBS missions trip with children. I caught myself standing in a room full of impoverished people, looking around the room as they raised their hands to God and they not only prayed for their struggles, but THANKED Him for the little that they had.
While there I also met a man who had a crippling disease and he told me of his pain and suffering. He went on to share with me the abandonment he had as a teenager, the torment of having his best friend murdered and die in his arms, and the struggles of poverty and starvation. He also shared with me his faith. He told me of a time when he was at rock bottom. He had no food, no money, no home, and no one to turn to, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to suffer for because he was trying to make a difference in the lives of others. He was given the opportunity to leave, to escape this torment and leave it all behind. He had a choice to make and he chose to give his life to those in need rather than run because he had faith that God would provide. It was at this moment in his story that I realized my life meant nothing if all I was doing was living for myself and I vowed to change the things that I could and leave the rest to God.
I knew that I wanted to make a difference in this world and I knew that the change needed to start with myself. I changed the way I ate and I changed the way I lived. In fact, I changed so much that I lost 100lbs in less than a year and completed a triathlon. Not only did I change my appearance but I changed my outlook on life. I started small by helping the man that I met, sending him money when I thought he would need it. After all, this man changed my life and I wanted to change his.
Our friendship led me to Honduras where he was living and helping in an elementary school. I met and fell in love with each and every 104 students that were in that school. They showed me a love that I had never experienced before. They looked at me as a mother, a friend, even an angel of hope with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. How do you walk away from that? You can't! To look around at the community and see fathers to had abandoned their families, parents who had been murdered, children who were beaten and abused, living in homes made of mud, sheets, and broken pieces of wood; walking away was not an option. We wanted to do whatever was possible for these kids, but with no money it seemed incredibly difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. We looked for the things we were able to change, and we started teaching them.
We started with English lessons in the elementary school, teaching them a skill that they could use to get a job with no further education, but it wasn't enough. The government in Honduras only provides schooling through 6th grade, after that the families have to pay for school. In this community they are too poor to advance past 6th grade. So after a few months we came to the decision to start a school for these kids, grades 7, 8, and 9. We had nothing to start with, nothing but the desire and the Faith that God would provide.
God provided! We found an organization to help us, one that believes in making a difference in the world, no matter how small. The efforts of this organization not only help our school in Honduras but they help schools in other countries like Burundi and Uganda, they help in the Philippines, in Haiti and are now making efforts to join the war against human trafficking in the United States. Supporting the organization, 3rd World People, is near and dear to my heart because, like me, and like my partner, they believe in doing whatever you can to make the changes that are possible and leave the rest to God.
We are now nearing the end of our second school year and we have plans to start a bakery for the school. They will not only be able to learn lessons that will help them in their futures, but we will be able to generate an income for the school to pay for our teachers and supplies. We are excited for the future of our school and we couldn't be more proud of our students. They are bright, caring, and funny and they are a constant reminder to us that although we can't do everything, we can do something, and we can change the world!
Find us on Facebook (Teach Honduras, Pinares High School)
Www.3rdwp.org
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