Ambassador participant Emily D. saved for months in order to purchase a quality camera before going to Guatemala. Then one afternoon a little boy with grubby hands reached for it, and she had a decision to make: say “no” and keep the camera safe or show this boy the love of Christ?

I’ve been so excited to use my new camera.

I bought it specifically for this trip – saving every penny so I could get my dream camera and fully capture this mission trip to Guatemala.

But I didn’t expect God to ask me to trust him with it.

The other day during ministry, my team went to a soccer field. We were going to play ourselves, but ended up just watching another team and going to play in the dirt. So I pulled out my new camera and started taking some pictures.

Then, out of the blue, two boys around the age of ten galloped up the cement stairs and plopped down on either side of me.

They asked me to take their picture, and I was overjoyed, melting when they flashed beautiful smiles.

Then one boy reached for it with dirty fingers and asked if he could take a picture of me.

My first reaction was to say no. This camera was expensive; if something happened to it, I wouldn’t be able to replace it.

Don’t get me wrong, I was pumped to play with them and see their culture. I wanted to be part of their lives. But to let them come into my life? That was totally different.

I’ve wanted to be a missionary for a while now, and have spent a lot of time dreaming of what it would be like to be on the field full time. But I realized that I’ve been obsessing over the future and that somewhere along the way I forgot that in order to show God’s love, I have to share my life with his people.

Jesus became a part of others’ lives, but he also let them be a part of his. He shared his heart with the very ones he came to help. I need to do the same.

Very reluctantly, I wrapped my camera strap around the boy’s tiny neck and allowed him to snap a few shots.

Turns out, those pictures are my favorite, because they are spontaneous, silly, and ours.

I learned a valuable lesson that afternoon. By welcoming those kids into my life and sharing something I treasured with them, its value actually increased in my eyes. Because now I have priceless photos of a joy-filled moment.

I am learning so much about what God’s love looks like and how to show his love with others. The biggest lesson of all is that 2 little boys in Guatemala taught me: that God’s love is humble and centered on him, instead of myself.

Has God ever asked you to risk something valuable in order to show someone else his love? Is he asking you to do that now?

Are you a high school student who God is calling on a trip 2016? Click here to find out how you could serve him in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, or Africa next year!