In 2008, I went to Rwanda for three months for my global and urban ministries minor. My friend and I were working on community development projects with a Rwandan pastor, and we happened to meet these orphaned street kids one day. They were very poor, running around all day without shoes on. They begged all day. As we got to know them and learned about the things that affected their lives on a daily basis, we came back to the U.S. knowing we had to do something.
We decided to purchase a home for the boys. We partnered with both local and global organizations to raise money and get a staff for an orphanage. We call the project Hope for Life Ministry. SPU gave me a vision for what it looks like to be aware of the world, what's happening in it, and how to respond to its needs.
— Megan Swanson '09
