Grand Canyon University senior Zoe Vaughn had it on her heart to become a medical missionary since she was 12 years old.
When the Honors College offered an opportunity to travel to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, to serve the local community, Vaughn thought it was a perfect way to answer the calling God had placed on her life.
She and six fellow GCU students traveled to Puerto Peñasco to host free treatment clinics, assist doctors and nurses at local hospitals, and go out into the community to share the gospel – and they brought much-needed medical supplies with them, thanks to donations, including from GCU health organizations.
“A big part of my life has been to serve people,” Vaughn said. “Mission work has been a calling on my life since I was little. Any time I can go on a mission trip, I take that opportunity.
“It is a great reminder of how amazing it will be when I attain my skills as a doctor and being able to share that with other people around the world that don’t have the same health care as we do.”
Students spent nine days in Mexico, visiting homes in neighborhoods with limited resources and seeking people to treat.
Whether it was a simple cut in need of a bandage or a serious diagnosis a patient sought for their intense pain, Lopes tended to people’s needs and extended care those residents who don't always have access to treatment.
Also, students completed volunteer hours at nearby hospitals while working alongside doctors and learning and performing medical procedures and treatments.
“This helped show me the reality of what is in the medical field, even if it is in a different country,” Vaughn said. “It has grown my heart to love it more and helping other people and caring for them. It inspired me to keep pushing forward.”
Vaughn and senior Sydney Cox participated in this mission trip for the third time. After their first trip their freshman year, they knew it would not be their last time traveling to Puerto Peñasco. Regardless of the language barrier and culture shock, they saw how much their work blessed the people.
“My first year I was so nervous and didn’t know anyone on the trip,” Cox said. “But when I got there, I fell in love with the people. They are so humble, kindhearted, and anything and everything you can do means the world to them.”
After working in a supply warehouse for a private ambulance company in her hometown, Las Vegas, Cox wondered how she could provide those same supplies for the medical teams she volunteered with in Puerto Peñasco.
One phone call was all it took.
“I called my boss, told him about the trip and asked if there are any supplies they can donate,” Cox said. “He said of course and immediately set me up.”
Boxes of gloves, masks, various medications, blood pressure cuffs, thermometers and more were quickly packed and ready to be shipped to Puerto Peñasco.
Amazed by the outcome, Cox was inspired to make more calls.
As a lead EMT for GCU’s Emergency Medical Services program, Cox spoke to her director and the campus’s health center about her mission, and it took no convincing for them to participate in the donations.
“We are so lucky and blessed here with everything, I just thought if we could bring down some extra medication for the clinics, if we got some extra toothbrushes or clothes, anything we could bring down there, I thought it would be helpful.”
Medical supplies were equally split between the health department, hospitals and doctors at clinics in Puerto Peñasco, making sure everyone was on the receiving end of these donations.
Cox, Vaughn and the rest of the students practiced medicine every day on their trip, which grew them as medical students and gave them a glimpse of their futures. However, it was seeing the pure joy and gratitude in people who have so little that affected them the most.
“After one of our clinics, the people left and came back with fruits and vegetables from their farms,” Cox said. “They just wanted to give anything they could to show how grateful they are.”
Vaughn added, “It is always a great reminder of how blessed we are here. The heart of GCU has always been missions, and it is amazing that GCU has these opportunities."
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