I Need Africa More than Africa Needs Me

I need Africa more than Africa needs me. This saying is very inspirational and says a lot about how many people learn from those who are in need.  Personally I think I would learn more from experiencing what is going on and what is happening in Africa than helping them myself.  Many organizations go to foreign countries to help those who are in need by financing wells, bringing food, bringing doctors over seas to heal the sick and many other things. There are also those who feel like they can learn from those who need help. When I went to Ethiopia in 2004 on a missions trip, I learned so much from them and it helped me in my relationship with God. I needed them at that moment more than they needed me. I saw how they worshipped God, I saw how they gave him everything and I saw how they chanced persecution for His name. When I saw all these things I realized that my relationship with God needed to grow and I needed to dedicate my everything to my God. I saw how people in the United State are not nearly as happy as those in Ethiopia. The children were always happy even though they had nothing. The smiles and gestures they made to me while I was there broke my heart because I was not as thankful or as happy as they were and I had way more to be thankful for. I learned that if we have Jesus everything else does not matter. I learned so much from the people in Africa and the things I saw and experienced will live with me for the rest of my life. I needed Africa way more than they needed me. They were content with the savior even though they had nothing else. I learned that my true joy and happiness comes from Jesus. With my goal of going to Ethiopia to help them in mind I realized that the reason Jesus sent me there was so they could help me.