
I have always been moved by Jesus ministry and especially with his concern and healing of the poor. In particular his interaction with the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years has always struck a chord within me. My desire to heal and care for those who are marginalized and hurting was not part of my nature from my youth. It was through my journey of experiencing overwhelming grace and the Holy Spirit working within me that I began to develop this within my heart. After becoming a Christian in high school, it seemed that life and my relationship with God mostly just resolved around me. It wasn't until I became a nursing student and attend a missions conference called Urbana that my faith expand outwards. Through a combination of medical missions seminars and an exposition through the Gospel of John, I heard God call me to use nursing to serve God, people and use it as a vehicle for the gospel. After graduating and serving in my church, I began to help serve at a local Christian homeless center called Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission. What I loved most about serving there, was that I had originally started with the intent of helping the poor and healing people through encouragement, but soon realized the profound ways that the "Overcomers" (Students within the rehabilitation program at the homeless shelter), were instead encouraging me with their incredible stories of faith and perseverance. This experience humbled me and also showed me that I have so much to learn about God and about those who are poor. It came as no surprise to me that as I graduated NP school, I felt God calling me to serve him through EHC and to continue to get to know and love the poor, as well as use my skills, time, and effort to help alleviate some of their suffering. The mission of EHC to reach and serve the people of Kensington in the name of Jesus Christ was a high calling and I wanted to be a part of it. As for my length of service, I know God has called me to Esperanza and though I hope to be there long term, my wife and I are always contemplating the call to serve him overseas as medical missionaries.

I have been blessed to have such amazing examples of faithful witnesses within my clinic. From my first day of shadowing, I was able to see a nurse practitioner pray with every single one of her patients at the end of their visit. I saw how providers would huddle with their MA's before the day started and prayed for their patients and for each other. Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I have been challenging myself to do the same and try to bless my patients with a prayer in Spanish and English at the end of each visit. When the opportunity arises, I also try to listen carefully for the Holy Spirit's leading to have my share a little more about Jesus within our medical visit.

I hope to grow to be a culturally and medically competent Nurse Practitoner whose love for God is evident in the way I treat people.
I hope to prepare myself spiritually and professionally to serve those in Philadelphia better and one day of those who are underserved overseas.
I hope to transform in my faith to be more fully reliant on the power of Jesus every day.