Mother Teresa or Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu had one of the most interesting lives ever. It all started on August 27, 1910 when she was born in Skopje, Macedonia. She was the third child, and had an older brother named Lazar and an older sister whose name was Aga.

When Agnes was only eight years old her father, Kole, was away on a business trip and got very sick. The next day he died. Although this was a hard time for her she didn't stop. She assisted her mother when she went to care for the poor and help the sick. When she did this she showed unusually tender feelings for those less fortunate. Agnes attended a Roman Catholic school, but still she wanted to be involved in other activities such as a church society for girls that she joined when she was twelve. From that day forward she knew she was made for missionary work.

When Agnes was eighteen she left to join the Loreto Order in Rathfarnham, which is outside of Dublin, Ireland. After a year of medical training Agnes arrived in Calcutta, India, to begin missionary work. A few years later she adopted the name Sister Teresa and became the principal of the Loreto convent.

After much hard work at the convent she received permission to leave the convent and work with the poor. From that day forward she wore an Indian sari and sandals. On one of her first visits to the slum camp she noticed that none of them had a proper education. That's when she decided to start a school for the slums. Using sticks to write in the sand she taught them to read and write.

Two years later in 1950 she started the Missionaries of Charity which provides food for the needy, and operates hospitals, schools, orphanages, youth centers, and shelters for lepers and dying poor. She also started other organizations for the poor, such as Nirmal Hriday, the Place of Immaculate Heart, and Nirmala Shishu Bhavan the Children's Home of the Immaculate Heart.

Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997 after a long life of eighty seven years. She accomplished many things including starting 450 Missionaries of Charity houses in 95 countries. She also received five prizes including the Nobel Peace Prize and the Pope John XXII Peace Prize.