Some of you might be doubting that statement thinking of how stereotypical it sounds. Some might group me with the others who travel to another country, post pictures with kids, say it changed them and then continue to live life as though you saw nothing. Others might believe me.

Talking about Africa is not that easy for me. I don’t know how to show someone everything I saw and felt: the joy on the people’s faces, the hurt in my heart or even the way God used my group while I was there.

Traveling, to me, is about opening my eyes and heart. God created beauty in all nations, cultures and people. It is our job to find it, to love it, to appreciate it.

My trip to Africa was with Engineers Without Borders. Our group worked on staking out three water distribution lines in Nyambogo, Tanzania. All of the community members were so grateful for our group to be working alongside them, helping make their goals a reality.

My entire view on the world was shattered in an instant. God showed me my own selfishness. He opened my eyes to something greater. He showed me frustration, joy and love. God showed me that I was living for my own glory rather than for His glory, and that needed to change.

1. Frustration

My heart hurt for the people of Nyambogo.

In America, we take many things for granted. At least, I know I do. I don’t think about how I am going to get clean water for the day. I don’t have to walk miles with a five-gallon bucket full of water resting on the top of my head. I don’t have to worry about how I am going to feed my family. We complain if it is too hot or too cold. We throw away food, thinking nothing of it. We tend to compete against each other rather than to join forces and work together.

It frustrates me to see the way we live our lives in excess.

In Africa, the people have nothing, yet they have everything they need. They have joy seeping from their pores, they work together to help each other and they make the best out of every situation.

There is a lot of brokenness in Africa, but aside from that, I think we can learn from the way they live their lives. They choose to invest in each other and work together.

2. Joy

When we got a break from working, I ventured off to play with the children.

Language is never something I struggled with. I was frustrated because I couldn’t speak or understand much Swahili. The children and I played with rocks, passing them back and forth. They were speaking to me, but I couldn’t understand a thing. Frustration immediately swept over me. Right then, God sent Naomi to the rescue. She was one of the older girls sitting on our bench. She began counting one, two, three, four, five... English! The kids were learning English in school. We counted over and over again, writing numbers in the dirt and reciting them together. Eventually, the kids helped teach me how to count to 10 in Swahili: moje, mbili, tatu, nne, tano, sita, saba, nane, tisa, kumi! We all cheered when we got to 10 simply because it was a celebration. After lots of laughter and silly faces, I realized the children were teaching me what it is like to have pure joy.

3. Love

“Every person is a new door to a different world.” The people who come into your life are there for a reason. God strategically places them in our lives to teach us new things. The children and I played together whenever we got the chance. Pretty soon, I realized leaving Africa was going to be extremely difficult. I decided I needed to soak up the time I had left with those little bundles of joy. I loved seeing their faces light up when they smiled. They loved waving to us when we arrived every morning, and they sent us off when we left every night.

I fell in love with Africa, with the people of Nyambogo, with the smiling children playing in the dirt and with the little baby goats running on the side of the road.

When I say Africa changed me, it truly did.