When traveling to Kenya for my third time, I questioned what God needed from me and how I could impact others around me. When arriving in Kenya, I knew I was right where I needed to be. When hearing about two wonderful ladies traveling with us and bringing over a Bible program to teach to the kids at Star of Hope, I knew that this was God’s first hint for me to discover what I needed to do. As the second day came around, I was asked to teach the 8th-grade class. I was hesitant, at first, because in college, I am majoring in Elementary Education and I was unsure if I was capable of teaching the older students. I was surprised when I fell in love with the class and created relationships with students and friends that I thought I would have never made. What I learned going on this journey is not to question God’s doing for you, because it is always the right one. If I had said no to teaching the 8th-grade class, I would not have impacted those students who needed to be impacted, and I would not have learned so much from them if I had stayed within my comfort in teaching little kids.

This trip made me realize that however young or old, you can impact so many people in many ways. Every year, for three years now, I have learned something new each time. This year I learned more about myself and when I go overseas to impact these wonderful people, I always come back saying they impacted my life because how special these beautiful people mean to me. I would recommend others to go overseas for a short-term mission trip. I think it is something so special to do. People need to experience and understand the different cultures in this world. Go Near Ministry is a great short-term mission trip to experience such things.