"You think you're going to serve and build a kingdom and to change people's lives. But really, you're going and your life is changed and it's changed forever."
It truly was a trip that changed her life. Twenty-five year old Christina Davis went to Kenya for two and a half weeks last july.
"We trained the pastors better ways to preach and teach and new things to do with within their churches to build their, you know to spread the word but to populate their church," she said.
The Hardin-Simmons student said the strongest connection she made over in Kenya was while she was volunteering at a girls school. And it's because of those girls that she's going back in August to watch them graduate.
"These girls are from battered homes. They're beaten, they're abused, they're forced into child bearing," she explained. "They have no education and they, before they come to this school, and it's a safe, it's a home for them. It's a school."
The girls' determination are what inspires Christina the most.
"They are aspiring doctors, pharmacists, mathematicians. I mean they have set their goals extremely high. And about each class of about 40 that graduates each year, there is a 92% success rate now of getting into a university in Nairobi, which gets them out of the slump and gets them medication and keeps them safe. And food and water every day," she said.
In fact, Christina still keeps in touch with many of those girls, talking to them almost weekly. And it's the hope that they give her that keeps her going back.
"Just hearing their positive voices. You know, coming from such a struggle, and they still have hope. You know, and that gives me hope," Christina said. "And i think that was the most rewarding part for my life."
For more information on the school, or to donate, visit www.imbirikani.org.
It truly was a trip that changed her life. Twenty-five year old Christina Davis went to Kenya for two and a half weeks last july.
"We trained the pastors better ways to preach and teach and new things to do with within their churches to build their, you know to spread the word but to populate their church," she said.
The Hardin-Simmons student said the strongest connection she made over in Kenya was while she was volunteering at a girls school. And it's because of those girls that she's going back in August to watch them graduate.
"These girls are from battered homes. They're beaten, they're abused, they're forced into child bearing," she explained. "They have no education and they, before they come to this school, and it's a safe, it's a home for them. It's a school."
The girls' determination are what inspires Christina the most.
"They are aspiring doctors, pharmacists, mathematicians. I mean they have set their goals extremely high. And about each class of about 40 that graduates each year, there is a 92% success rate now of getting into a university in Nairobi, which gets them out of the slump and gets them medication and keeps them safe. And food and water every day," she said.
In fact, Christina still keeps in touch with many of those girls, talking to them almost weekly. And it's the hope that they give her that keeps her going back.
"Just hearing their positive voices. You know, coming from such a struggle, and they still have hope. You know, and that gives me hope," Christina said. "And i think that was the most rewarding part for my life."
For more information on the school, or to donate, visit www.imbirikani.org.
