Ten pre-health and nursing students are raising money for a medical mission trip to Pignon, Haiti.
Each student planning to attend the medical mission trip was asked to raise between $1600-$1800. The majority of participating students chose to fundraise and are guided by the Halbert Center for Global Missions.
All participating students will leave for Haiti on Jan. 3 and return on Jan. 11. The trip is organized by host ministry Promise for Haiti, which partners with local and worldwide leaders to provide better health care and education for Haiti.
Throughout their time in Haiti, participating students will work alongside registered Haitian nurses at the Hospital Bienfaisance. Students will also work in the hospital beside physicians to care for post-operative patients.
Rebekah Mullins, registered nurse and instructor in the School of Nursing, said the school primarily takes juniors and seniors. Last year, was the first year freshman and sophomore pre-nursing majors were able to join the trip. Five to ten students are invited to join each trip, depending on availability with the host organizations.
Past groups have traveled to Haiti to participate in medical missions, Guatemala to participate in surgical missions with Health Talents International, or to assist City Square in their annual health fair.
“I traveled on my first international medical mission trip to Haiti when I was a freshman in college,” said Mullins. “Those early trips changed everything about how I view the world, how I view success, how I raise my children, how I view missions within the context of church and how I teach.”
Mullins said students in the past who have traveled with the School of Nursing have reported greater appreciation for missions efforts around the world, affecting their post-graduation plans. Mullins said that many employers ask about missions experiences when listed on a resumé.
This will not be the first trip for Makenna Long, senior nursing major from Denver and student leader.
Long has contributed to medical missions both around Denver and in Catacamas, Honduras. During her time in Honduras, Long served the people with a medical team in a mountain community called Buena Vista. Long said this experience was special for her, as she was able to join her grandmother, who is a certified nurse midwife.
“I love serving on mission trips,” said Long. “I believe these trips give us the incredible opportunity to bless and be blessed. I hope that this trip will instill the kindness and love for the nations that God has put into my heart that I can use every day in my future career.”
Mullins said she hopes students leave this mission trip with a greater appreciation and understanding for international missions.
“My hope and prayer is that students will gain a greater worldview by participating in one of our trips,” said Mullins. “I pray that they are able to have their eyes open to the plans God may lay before them to participate in His work upon graduation.”
