A short-term missionary is like a mail deliverer. God gives you something, and you go out and share it with the world. You¡¯re simply giving what your Father in heaven blessed you with.
 But if you go to Africa with an open heart, you¡¯re sure to come back with more than you¡¯ve ever had before. Not material things, but the thankfulness to enjoy each new day that God gives to you.

 I was tremendously blessed to go to Central Africa for a second time this summer with CLWMF. Traveling with different teams, we visited schools, churches, and homes. The poor people would come running up to us with gifts of strange-looking fruits, vegetables, and even live chickens! Many of the teachers were glad to let us teach and share testimonies of our faith. These people experience the poverty we only read or hear about in the U.S.A.
 Many teachers asked us for supplies, and basic materials such as books, paper, desks, etc. We gave small gifts that the ministry brought along, but I can remember all the times we sat down and talked with the teachers. The important thing for all Christian teachers in poverty is to have hope and have faith in the Lord. I felt it was just easy for us to tell them these things, and to smile at the children and orphans. Visiting small churches in far-off villages would then encourage me. One Sunday, in the country of Uganda, we timidly agreed to ride on the back of
motorbikes. After a long, breezy trip, I saw a small building made of straw and sticks. The church had dirt for a floor, and the blue sky for a ceiling. The people all welcomed me and listened to my testimony as they stood and the children sat on the ground. The women had tucked small flowers into the crevices of the walls, and I remarked, "This is the most beautiful church I have ever visited!" The pastor could not understand why, but he just smiled and nodded. The people inside were the beauty of everything, and their joy in worship as they sang praises to God.
 "Isn¡¯t it hard to go to Africa?" some people ask. A missionary told me we only experience the rough times only a month or two months; these children live here for years. God made you for a purpose just as He made me. You might think you could never be a missionary, but I learned His plan for me is th e same plan He has for all of us: to love Him and others around us. Before leaving for the airport this summer, I asked my mom if she really wanted me to go. She told me that my time wasn¡¯t hers. It wasn¡¯t even mine. She was battling with cancer at that time, but she bravely showed me her goal in life: to serve the Lord and tell others about His love. She passed away 7 days after I returned home from the mission trip with my younger brother, but she smiled and told me to always follow God every day of my life. God blessed me with a mom who gave her life to Him, and to her family, and was a great role model in my life.
 I remember this little boy who was crippled and deformed. He lived in an orphanage, and many of the boys would tease him. One day, we passed out school supplies: pencils, pens, erasers, and strawberry candies. One child didn't get an eraser, and I saw the little boy limp over and give his eraser to t he boy who had none. That same little boy was a Christian, and even though he was poor, love just flowed out of his smile. "Weebalee, Yesu!" he would sing. "Thank You, Jesus!"
 Each day is a miracle and gift from God. He gave me that, and all I did was share that time with others. The love and friendship? The people of Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi shared that with me.