Coming into SMI, I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was that God opened the doors for me to spend three weeks serving in Kensington, and I was praying that my heart would be softened and opened to what he planned to teach me in the coming weeks. I was...

Their eyes are always the first thing I notice. I learned to read their eyes. I learned to communicate with their eyes. Knock, Knock. Their eyes peek out of the window and quickly disappear, sometimes never to be seen again. Their eyes answer the door and squint,...

by Katie Y.Coming out to SMI, I didn’t know what to expect AND I am a last-minute packer! So here are some insights that I thought would be helpful for future SMI-ers! I didn’t realize I would be spending as much time in scrubs. Scrubs were worn on outreaches in the...

by Caleb H.In high school, I had the opportunity to evangelize to a lot of good people. People who were kind, compassionate, and made few mistakes. However, nearly none of them were receptive to the gospel. I was surprised by this since in my mind they seemed pretty...

by Ashley A.Hey everyone! My name is Ashley and I am in nursing school in Birmingham! Coming into SMI, I had no idea what to expect. Being from out of town, I assumed everyone would already know each other and I would be the outsider. I assumed Kensington would be a...

by Yeju K.SMI was the first time I had ever done my laundry at a laundromat. I have to say, it’s kind of a vibe, you know?—sharing Bible stories as we wait for our clothes to dry and spending quarters on the claw machine. I love that our team is so willing to not only...

by Isaac L.Howdy folks! This is Isaac reporting from SMI 2023 and the first week of SMI has finally come to an end! This week may have been one of the longest weeks of my life! No exaggeration. The program started off with lots of seminars from many medical and social...

by Caroline E.My biggest takeaway from SMI has been relearning the power of prayer. I grew up in a Christian household so I have always been surrounded by prayer. However, in recent years, I feel that I fell into a rhythm of bowing my head just to pray and not to talk...

by Anisha S.Structure determines function.  A phrase drilled into the heads of many pre-med students alike, as we learned about the wonders of fibers arranged in parallel groups to make a joint stronger, the chambers of the heart working to send blood to the body, and...

by Kristie R.“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” -Psalm 145:9   Stepping into SMI I did not know what to expect. I knew the program would be an enriching experience as it included all of my passions: ministry, underserved urban...

by Mary R.As a small town girl who is more used to tuning out croaking frogs at night than loud music and firecrackers, living in North Philly has been an adjustment. Our first couple of days here brought hours of orientation talks where we heard some stories of the...

by Silas B.“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!‘For who has known the mind of the Lord,or who has been his counselor?Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’For...

by Layo F.When I initially applied for SMI and even up until when I arrived at the train station, I didn't quite know what to expect from this experience. I had visited Philadelphia a few times but I had never heard anything about Kensington or its surrounding areas....

A Report of the Philadelphia Summer Medical Institute, June 18-July 9, 2022 By Holly Favino, Program Director   On a sunny day in July a pair of Christian health care students and their interpreter knocked on doors of tightly packed row houses in Kensington,...

by Dani C.SMI 2022 was truly a surreal experience. Each day was spent growing in my faith, overcominghardship, and learning about God’s grace, love, and mercy. From the apparent struggles evident in the powerlessness of low income areas to the resilience of the locals...