When I was 10 years old, I hosted an 11-year-old girl named Umi from Brunei as part of the APCC (Aptitude Testing and Cooperative Care Program). At the time, I couldn't speak any English at all. I still vividly remember practicing the only phrases my older sister had taught me, "Do you like...?" and "Do you have...?", and nervously waiting for her arrival with a homemade sign in hand. But that nervousness quickly disappeared, and before I knew it, every day was truly enjoyable. As one of two sisters, the time I spent teaching her "this is how you do it" made me feel proud, like I was finally an older sister, and those were lively days, almost like being the middle child of three sisters.

I only truly understood the value of this experience when I reunited with her 15 years later. To my surprise, she was waiting for me, holding a handmade sign just like I had. Even though we hadn't seen each other for 15 years, our hearts connected in an instant, and as we both broke down in tears, relieved that she was still alive, I strongly felt that this was what "human connection" truly means. I still keep in touch with her family, and I realize now that it was because I mustered the courage to accept them back then that I gained an irreplaceable treasure in my life.
The encounters at APCC are more than just memories; they become lifelong treasures that enrich your life. I sincerely hope that many people will take the plunge into that world.