|
 Instead of enjoying fall break with family, the Oklahoma Wesleyan University School of Nursing sponsored a medical mission to the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso Texas. “This mission trip was required as the clinical component of our Nursing Missions course. Our nursing students can take this course to fulfill the special emphasis elective requirement of their BSN degree. We are particularly passionate about this course because it is an opportunity for us to live out our mission, to be Christ’s hands and heart to touch the world one person, family, and community at a time,” said Dean Becky Le.
Ten student nurses, one alumnus, Dean Becky Le and V.P. Dr. Randy Thompson, traveled together on Sunday, October 11, arriving in El Paso in the afternoon. The team was met at the airport by faculty from the Lydia Patterson Institute. They enjoyed a tour of the city, had a great pizza dinner and then arrived at a campus dorm, where they were housed for the next five days.
The mission team provided 150 health screenings to the school’s new students. The assessments included blood pressure, heart rhythm, scoliosis, and vision. Several students were identified with high blood pressure, poor vision, heart arrhythmia and scoliosis. For many of the institute’s students, it was their first health assessment ever. In addition to the health screenings, nursing students taught health classes, participated in Chapel services and presented skits about faith in Christ. Student nurse Charissa Cogan said, “I enjoyed getting to know the students at Lydia Patterson Institute and falling in love with the Mexican culture.” Fellow student Sarah Godwin said, “We made friendships that showed God’s love for them. It touched my heart when we were saying goodbye and these four little girls kissed my cheek like we were family. The trip was eye-opening, incredible, and fulfilling.”
Lydia Patterson Institute is a private Christian school affiliated with the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities of which OKWU is a member. It is four blocks from the Mexican border and serves students in grades six through 12 with a predominately Hispanic student population. “Based on their backgrounds, most of which are underprivileged, speak Spanish and live in Mexico just below the U.S. border, these students would have abandoned their formal education by sixth grade if it weren’t for the bilingual private high school,” President Socorro De Anda says. “Now, many will go on to college.”
The school’s mission, according the student handbook, “is not only classes and homework, but also a daily encounter with God. Every student leaves the school with a true knowledge of faith and a sense of responsibility for themselves and for others.” Dr. Randy Thompson shared that “to watch these students crossing the border every morning and evening, with all of the risks they take each day, is truly humbling. I came away amazed at the dedicated faculty and administration who are so committed to the mission of the school.”
Oklahoma Wesleyan University is a four-year, Christian university of the liberal arts and sciences that is fully accredited by the North Central Association. OWU also receives professional accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). It is a member of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities as well as the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities and the Association of Oklahoma Independent Colleges and Universities. |
