Name: Abby Caperton Home: Texas, USA Download the podcasts of Abby's interview on Christopher Closeup
How Abby makes a difference:Taught by her mom to approach life with “a servant’s heart,” Abby was never one to stand passively on the side-lines; she wanted to roll up her sleeves and do something to make the world a better place. Actively involved with her church from a young age, she’s volunteered on mission trips to Guatemala, Mexico and, most recently, Malawi and Mozambique. During her travels in Africa, she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of poverty, as well as the inspiring faith, hope and joy radiated by the poor in the face of their suffering. On her experiences in Africa:“You’re seeing people live simple lives, seeing people have hardships and struggles but still giving so much…That’s the thing with all these countries. (It’s their) generosity and their willingness to give to you even though you’re this stranger.” On the reaction of the villagers:“They wanted people to hear their story. If they could talk to you, they wanted to tell you the struggle that they had been on, they wanted you to know what they had been through in their life…We let them tell us their story; we took notes; we took pictures. I think it was very empowering for them to be able to have someone from the United States come over and listen to them and know that we were going to tell their story.” On the impact her travels had on her:
“I try to give more of my time. I try to talk more about what I’ve been through to my friends and to my family…(We all) need to be more generous with our giving, with our time, treasure and talent.”
On her upbringing:
“Growing up we didn’t have a whole lot of money…my mother was very much the rock and foundation so she was always showing us how to push forward and how to accept gifts. I think that’s a big thing – people don’t know how to accept other people’s generosity and love…My mother taught us how to do that but then she also taught us how to give it out. I guess that’s why I love serving.”
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