My medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic was deeply transformative for both my spiritual journey and my understanding of faith in action. Although I wasn’t raised in a religious household, my curiosity about God grew during high school. To explore this, I began to tag along to church with friends’ churches. I was grateful for my friends’ invitations, but often felt like an outsider. I was not part of the tight-knit church communities, nor did I have the context to understand Biblical discussions. This was initially discouraging, until I shifted my focus away from others and toward my personal relationship with God. My best friend in high school kindly offered to guide me through the Bible. By the end of the New Testament, I was certain of my faith.
In college, I struggled to find a church community that felt right and often missed church due to extracurricular activities. This lack of consistency was a significant gap in my spiritual growth. Approaching my final semester at Georgia Tech and applying to PA schools, I took the initiative to prioritize faith in all aspects of my life, including my career. This led me to apply to PA schools with Christian foundations and to seek opportunities like the medical mission trip.
The Dominican Republic trip was an incredible opportunity to combine my medical interests with serving others and deepening my faith. I prayed for humility, growth, and the ability to share God’s love with everyone we met. As a dental assistant for the week, I was particularly impacted by Huck, our team’s dentist. His unwavering trust in God, even in challenging circumstances, was a powerful example. Huck’s humility, crediting every successful tooth extraction to God, and his appreciation for God’s creation in everyday life were deeply inspiring. His perspective encouraged me to trust God more fully and to find joy in all aspects of life, no matter how small.
The team members were equally inspiring, each bringing unique testimonies and devotionals that prompted me to reflect on my own faith journey. These personal stories across countless backgrounds and denominations were windows into their relationships with God and inspired me to deepen my own. Whether through shared worship songs or one-on-one bus ride conversations, the perspective I gained from growing closer to team members nurtured my faith and truly reinforced the importance of a strong Christian community.
I am grateful for the relationships I built, the spiritual growth I experienced, and the new perspectives I gained on this trip, but I am most grateful for the love. Whether it was among our team, with the local church (Oasis) members, or through provider-patient interactions, it was evident that God’s love transcends all technicalities and language barriers. I am grateful for GHO, CMDA, Oasis, and all the people who helped facilitate this experience, and I will eagerly continue to share God’s love in all my future endeavors.
Love, Faith, and Healing: My 1st Medical Mission Experience
