Michigan—During the last couple of years, the Department of Physical Therapy at Andrews University has worked with REACH International (Render Effective Aid to Children) to take students on short-term mission trips to a Honduras orphanage. The idea first surfaced when a physical therapy student approached Kimberly Coleman, clinical education coordinator, and said, "You know, there are dental, vision and medical mission trips. Why don't we do something in PT?"

From that spark, a 2008 physical therapy mission trip, which took 21 Andrews University students and five physical therapists to Honduras, was launched. Coleman was impressed with the effort's turnout. "I had no idea when I put my sign-up list on the door that so many people would come forward."

In Honduras, the group made home visits to those in need and took trips to the villages in nearby mountain ranges where they made lasting contacts with grateful individuals. They also assisted in the education of the Santa Barbara hospital staff and joined Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) on a mission.

Yet the highlight of their trip, interestingly, did not happen in Honduras. Back at Andrews, a couple of members of the class of 2008 stood up at a banquet and challenged their classmates to send funds back to Honduras to pay for the corrective surgery of a young girl they met on the trip. The child, afflicted with osteoporosis, needed rods removed from her legs. When she was younger, the rods were inserted by doctors to stabilize her weakened legs. The price tag of the surgery, which also included reconstruction of her feet, amounted to $1,300. The Andrews students rallied together and completely funded the surgery out of their own pockets.

Coleman was impressed with their actions, especially in light of the student loan debt many new graduates are already locked into. "To see the response of the students while they were there and even afterward was just amazing," she said.

Princess Williams, a graduate student who attended the trip, said, "The trip to Honduras made me more open to doing mission work in the future. I learned that I can use whatever talents God has given me to do His work, no matter how insignificant they might seem."

"Change the world" is not just a coined phrase at Andrews University—it's a way of life.

Andre Weston, intern, Office of Integrated Marketing & Communication, Andrews University