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Written by Beatriz, age 17, from Alpharetta, Georgia, USA 

Can you think back to a time when you felt like you didn’t belong anywhere? For me, it’s when I moved to the United States from Brazil in sixth grade. I didn’t know how to speak English very well, and since that was the main language spoken in the country, most people didn’t talk to me or try to become my friend. It was a really hard time, but one day, a girl in my math class started a conversation with me, and that changed everything. 

Sometimes, we think it would be too awkward to talk to the new kid, so we don’t even try. Or we think that we don’t have anything in common with someone else who is different from us, so we just stick to our friends and the people we already know. See, even though that’s the easiest and most comfortable choice, it’s not what God wants us to do. God loves each one of us and wants for us all to get along. Trust me, I know it’s hard to include someone when we feel like we’re complete opposites, but that’s when God challenges us to be extra loving and kind. God doesn’t show favoritism, so neither should we. 

The next time you interact with someone from a different place, or with a different skin color, or who speaks a different language, or who dresses differently, or who likes other things than you, take a step of courage to get to know them.

I believe that our generation is turning the world into a kinder and more welcoming place, and each of us gets to be a part of it!