I Can’t Change the World, But I Can Change the World for One Person

One of my favorite quotes is “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” I am the farthest person who would be “qualified” to make a difference in Africa. I have no political power, no high-qualifying career, no surplus of money, no ministry degree, really I have nothing. So….how does a mother of two children decide to go on a mission trip to help work in a school in Tanzania, Africa? First, I think knowing what I value and believe is important to set the foundation.

I am a teacher by profession and I highly value education. I believe every person deserves an education and that education is a key to living a successful life. Education opens doors of opportunity. So I have dedicated my life to teaching. I spend every day reaching out to students so they can experience greatness. I don’t teach because of the ’high-salary’ or the ‘high-respected’ occupation, but because I believe in connecting with people and being a part of opening doors for them. In my opinion, literacy is the cornerstone of education and I have spent the last ten years teaching sixth grade reading. I spend time encouraging and bringing to life books and text. I am just an ordinary teacher with some crazy ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.  Every American has the same opportunity to a free education. It breaks my heart to see young people throw away that opportunity. To not take full advantage of what they have access to upsets me. But I have to ask….should an education only be for the select few? Should it only be for those who have money or live in a society that offers education for everyone?

When I heard about the lack of education in other parts of the world, third world countries in particular, something inside of me said, “Geez, that isn’t fair.” But that was all I ever did about the situation. I can’t educate all the people who don’t have access to an education. I cannot change the education system of a society. So why even try? I once heard an Andy Stanley’s sermon called “Do for one, Not Everyone”  and the concept he presented has been molding me ever since.  I am not going to be overwhelmed by all the world’s problems and let that keep me from doing anything. Instead, I am going to do for one, what I wish I could do for everyone.

 I met the New Life Band, a Christian singing group from Tanzania in 2006. They came into my life and inspired me to be part of the solution. How did I suddenly change my thinking from I can’t change the world, but I can change the world for one person? It didn’t happen overnight, but the New Life Band became my ‘One’ that I will invest in to do the work that I wish I could do for the whole world. I am no super hero, I am just someone willing to go and invest in the lives of others because I believe that EVERY LIFE MATTERS!