We all have key events that happen throughout our lifetime that change the direction of our path and open our eyes beyond our current reality. It is interesting to me how we have so many of these life changing moments, but at the time of these moments, we have no idea what kind of magic they possess and how they can change our lives and guide us to finding our passions and ultimately our life calling. It was these magical moments that influenced me to start Unexpected Moments of Magic Foundation. It was these moments that inspired me to take a leap of faith. I quit my job, sold my house, and decided to dedicate one year of my life to volunteering my time to others in need.

It was my leap of faith that taught me when you put your intensions out into the universe, God finds a way to make them manifest. God made my hopes and dreams manifest by giving me the opportunity to travel, learn & explore in over 20 countries. The knowledge I have gained, the realizations I have come to & moments of magic I felt in this time of exploration, education, and personal & spiritual growth are indescribable. I saw, heard, touched, learned & felt things I never could have imagined before. I came to realize the magnitude of beauty and diversity that God has given to this world, at the same time realizing the severity of human suffering and inequality that is taking place around the globe. It is the beauty and diversity that I celebrate and appreciate everyday and the inequality and suffering that I will fight against.

By the time you finish reading this my goal is to plant a few seeds of desire in your hearts. First, I want you to leave with the desire to have your hearts broken open by getting to know some of God’s children who are suffering. And secondly, I want to inspire you to be open to listening to that little voice inside of you and be willing to take a leap of faith in your own life if you are called to do so.

I would like to start by telling you a story I once heard about a young prince named Gautama who lived in India. His father had a great desire to protect his son, so he kept him secluded inside the walls of the beautiful castle they called home. Once day, curious Gautama managed to seek outside the castle walls without his father knowing. What he experienced in this day outside the confining walls of beauty and perfection broke open Gautama’s heart. What he saw this day my brothers and sisters was suffering. Suffering he never even knew existed because of the blessed life that he had lived.

I am telling the story of Gautama because I feel that we as American’s are living inside of a castle, a castle we call the United States of America. We are secluded from the degree of suffering that is taking place in less developed countries. On my travels, I, like Gautama, felt my heart breaking open and at times wanting to break down. I saw a degree of suffering that I did not know still existed. In Kenya, I saw a women lying in a straw bed that had been there for 6 months with two broken legs that were double in size and infected beyond imagination, unable to have castes put on because her family did not have the $285 for the surgery. In Rwanda, I met a group of 16 boys that had been living on the streets together as a family for the past 12 years whose parents were murdered in the ethnic cleansing genocide that took place in 1994 when over a million people were killed. In Uganda, I met a 14-year-old girl who was positive with HIV and yet still she was selling her body for money for food to eat to survive. I met a sweet 5-year-old boy named Moses who had scares all over his body from the abuse he had taken from his own aunt. I went to orphanages where the children had not eaten meat for over two months because the orphanage could not find any additional funding. And these are only but a few stories in millions who are struggling to survive on a daily basis.

My brothers & sisters to witness suffering is heartbreaking, at the same time heart expanding. It is my hope that we all open our hearts a little wider to God’s children that are suffering around the world. It was not until I was welcomed to the cruel world that I found my passion and my calling. It is my desire to be an advocate to open the hearts of others around me by exposing them to the realities of life outside the United States and educating people on issues effecting people worldwide.

As I write this with tears in my eyes, I want you to know that they are both tears of sadness and tears of gratitude. I am deeply saddened by the reality some of God’s children are facing and my heart is filled with gratitude because of the blessed life God gave me that enables me to give back to others. Brothers & sisters, please always remember that we are blessed by God, not for the sake of ourselves, but for the sake of others less fortunate then ourselves.

I would like share with you a few valuable lessons that I learned through my interaction with other cultures. Throughout my adventures I gained a whole new level of respect for human diversity and the innumerable ways of being, doing, thinking, & living. It is this new awareness of human diversity that has led me to conclude that we are all just trying to survive, feel peace & happiness within our hearts, and gain a closer relationship with our Creator. We just go about it in different ways.

Some of us get water from a facet and others walk for miles to get it from the village well. Some of us get food from the grocery store, while others from the garbage cans. Some of us have several pairs of shoes, while others walk barefoot. Some of us are blessed with the means to proper nutrition, while others are dying everyday from starvation & malnutrition. Some of us live in an area where we can walk around worry free of harm or danger and others in areas where war is all around and you are constantly looking behind your back. Some of us have loved ones all around us, while others have no one. Some of us spend $30 on a single meal and others live off of $30 for one month. Some of us have well paid jobs, while others educate themselves for years just to realize that there are no job opportunities. Some of us have to force or children to go to school, while others pray everyday that maybe one day they will be able to go to school. Some of us live in areas of opportunities. Others live in areas of absent of opportunities. We all do things differently, that is what diversity is all about, but the reality of this world is, no matter how differently we do things, we all have the same needs. We all have the need to nourish our bodies with food and water. We all have the desire to feel love, a sense of belonging and safety. We all have the desire to learn and grow and follow are passions in life. And the most beautiful thing of all of is that we all have the desire to know God and we are all one. We are all made from the same Creator and when all is said and done, we are all God’s children and we will all be judged by our hearts, not our possessions. So what kind of riches are you after?

Throughout this letter I have been talking about the suffering that is taking place outside the United States and now I would like to briefly talk about the suffering that is taking place within the United States. The reality is that we are a blessed nation when it comes to our standard of living. We have a governing body that protects us, we have good schools, nice roads, there are jobs available, there are government programs, foundations & nonprofit organizations to help those in need. We may have crime, but overall live in a safe environment comparatively speaking. We truly are the land of opportunity. On the flip side, because of these opportunities we have many pressures put on us. We are all supposed to be successful, look great, be highly educated, and always be moving forward. We are supposed to gradually have bigger homes and nicer cars, and stay fit in the process. All of these material pressures can blur our vision of what is truly important. Sometimes it can even get to the point where instead of really worshiping God, we are worshipping our things. We are so driven to get more more more, we forget in the process, what for? Nothing will come with us when we die. Our souls will be judged, not our bank accounts. We have to remember what is important. And that is relationship. Relationship with God and with one another. We need to slow down and prioritize our loved ones, not our work or things.

I recall one beautiful morning when I was going for a hike with a group of children in Panama around 9 am; we walked passed by a few people sitting outside on their patio chatting. When we returned 5 hours later, the same people were still sitting in the same place, chatting the day away. I hate to have to admit this, but my first reaction was, what are these people doing? Get up and get something accomplished!

Well, a few months later, I found myself sitting on the patio chatting with a friend, it was around 12 in the afternoon and a friend of ours stopped by to say hello on her way to work. Five hours later when she returned, we were still sitting on the patio chatting away. At first I thought, oh no! I have become one of those lazy people who get nothing accomplished. But when the true realization sunk into my heart, I felt proud to be a patio dweller. I realized that finally, I had learned how to relax and enjoy other peoples company. I was prioritizing relationships with others in my life instead of constantly seeking ways to improve myself. I was able to be there for my friend when she needed me and that is a greater accomplishment than anything I could have done for myself.

Brothers & Sisters please do not let the beauty, opportunity & superficiality around you cloud what is truly important. Take time to love one another and be there for one another. I want you to remember this the next time someone requests your company. You may have a million things to do, but you always will have a million things to do. Do not forget what we are here for. We are here to serve God and his children, not ourselves. This is something that I learned when I was around people whom we may say, have nothing. I met so many people who had nothing to eat but a piece of fruit they had found, but if I walked into their hut to say hello, they would be offended if I did not take the only gift they had to offer me. People who have experienced suffering know what it means to be selfless. They know how to give and share. They work together and help one another. They truly value their relationship with one another and their relationship with God is inspirational. I truly believe that God gave each culture a special blessing. For this, it is important that we know of all of God’s children, not just the ones in our own culture. Get out there, it is a big world and much work needs to be done. Take a leap of faith and know that God will manifest your dreams if you put your intensions out there. Listen to the voice of your heart, that is the voice that is always telling the truth.