Mission Trips Change Lives Part 4!

To say that Mombasa, Kenya changed my life would be an understatement. It not only helped me find who I am as a person but it also helped me discover my dream in wanting to become a nurse.

My first trip to Kenya was back in 2007 when I was a junior in High School. Chris came to my school and spoke at chapel about taking a group over to Mombasa. I immediately signed up without a hesitation. It had always been a dream of mine to travel to Africa. I came back home after a 2 week trip ready to go back again to learn more about this country I was beginning to fall in love with.

I returned back to Kenya that next summer and it forever changed my life. Lisa set up a clinic in one of the classrooms to help treat the sick and wounded in the village. A little girl around the age of 8 came limping in and upon inspection it was evident that the bottom of her foot and toe were burned off. She had accidentally stepped in a fire that she thought was dead!  I began to clean out her wound and wrapped it in a bandage when I realized that she was immediately going to walk on this bandage and get her wound dirty from the dirt. I decided to take off my sock and put it on hers to cover the bandage. When I began to put on the sock it was not fitting because of how swollen her foot was. I immediately began praying that the sock would fit. God answered the prayer with a yes and instantly the sock began to fit! The rest of the day as I walked with one sock off, it was a constant reminder of how blessed I was and how I wanted to help others like this for the rest of my life!

 I came back from Kenya completely transformed. I not only recognized what I wanted to do with my life but I also recommitted my life to Christ and was baptized in the village by the Pastor of the church in Mtepeni. After my return, I began my college career at ACU in the Nursing program. It was a rough journey but I always would look at the picture of me with my three precious girls and would remember how it would all be worth it.

I have officially become a Registered Nurse and am now working for Baylor Scott & White in Dallas, TX. I cannot wait to return to Kenya now that I have experience and to see all the grown up faces of the kids I once took care of and played with. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the people who impacted my life in Kenya. I truly believe that half of my heart will forever be stuck in Mombasa.

I don’t know what my life would be like today if it weren’t for Chris and Lisa, and for Lisa’s guidance in choosing nursing as my career. All I do know is that I am forever changed because of them and I am eternally grateful for Real 4 Christ Ministries.