Physician Assistant
Specialty: Public Health & Surgery
Location: Ethiopia
I went on my first mission trip when I was 15 years old, in between my freshmen and sophomore year of high school. I went to an island off the coast of Honduras called Roatan. I went with a large group of high schoolers. Much of the trip was us painting houses, interacting with locals having fun together. But one day, the local pastor we were working with planned to do a prayer walk. I went along. I walked through the village, Shanty Town, and Hank and I prayed. I followed pastor Hank into the homes of several villagers that day. Many were sick, all of them had needs beyond my wildest dreams. And we prayed. And God showed up. I left that island sure that this was what I had been created for.
I remember driving through my hometown of Santa Barbara about 6 months after my first mission trip. I looked at the dramatically beautiful sky, in this resort town where the mountains meet the sea, and I remembered feeling so grateful that I grew up there, but sure that I would never live there again. And I had a peace about that.
In college I did a discipleship training school with Youth With a Mission. I remember making house calls with a pharmacist in a small town in Indonesia. I was frustrated by the little we could provide in the way of medicine and struck by the incredible doors opened into people's lives through medicine. I went home to finish my undergraduate degree and pursue medical training for the purpose of missions.
My role in health care is yet undetermined at Soddo Christian Hospital. Lord willing, Ethiopia will grant me a medical license (this is one of the challenges of being a PA)! I hope to work with women and children in some capacity. My primary role, however, will be to home school our three children and support my husband as he serves as a faculty member for the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons. He will be training Ethiopian surgical residents and disciplining them to become surgeons and leaders in Africa for Christ. I also hope to work directly with the PAACS wives to support and encourage them as they make it through training alongside their husbands.
- To further the mission and vision of PAACS as they seek to disciple and train African surgeons for Africa and the glory of God.
- That mothers and children that I work with will find freedom and peace through the redemptive love of Jesus Christ.
- That the community of believers at Soddo Christian Hospital (both missionaries and staff) will be "doing life together" in the community as they have been and in even greater ways so that "By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another." John 13:35