SMI Student Blog

Browse the SMI Student Blog Posts

The blog entries below were submitted by past participants of the SMI program during their time in Philadelphia. There are also some yearly recaps from our Summer Program Director.

SHADOWing in the LIGHT

SHADOWing in the LIGHT

Hi everyone! My name is Kai Inguito, and I’m a rising second year medical student at Jefferson. I would like to share about my time SHADOWing at SMI. One of my career interests in medicine is to become a primary care physician who works and lives in the community....

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A Paradoxical Beauty

A Paradoxical Beauty

In the two weeks that I have spent living and serving in North Philly, I have been so deeply blessed and yet deeply challenged as well.   Our medical team has already spent many hours in Kensington and the surrounding area knocking on doors and meeting people on...

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Beautiful Feet

Beautiful Feet

From left to right: Brian Schonewald, Nadeen Kamel, Jessica Bedele     How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God...

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Until We Reunite in Heaven

Until We Reunite in Heaven

The stories, testimonies, struggles, challenges, and lessons that were birthed from this week are a pure testament of how good the Lord is, especially to those who are overlooked. One of the characteristics of God that has been so evident in my life is His ability to...

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Let Yourself be Loved

Let Yourself be Loved

One of the key parts (if not the most important) of my testimony is when I accepted Jesus into my heart at seven years old.  Since then I have had many trials and areas of growth in my walk with Christ, and one of those lessons that I have learned along the way is...

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Unqualified for Missions

Unqualified for Missions

From left to right: Nadeen Kamel, Stephanie Ko, Brian Schonewald   My name is Brian Schonewald, I am a second year medical student at Cooper Medical School and I am utterly unqualified for ministry. Since high school, I have known that God is calling me into...

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Glass Shattered Streets

Glass Shattered Streets

Glass Shattered Streets By Larissa Dean . Look around and you can see the pain. Where the greedy take and what’s left remains. On these glass shattered streets. . But on these glass shattered streets, there is beauty beneath. Life still rises from the cracks in...

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Being Broken while Fixing the Brokenness

Being Broken while Fixing the Brokenness

From the beginning, I thought SMI would be about me changing other people’s lives. Coming into Kensington, I’d imagined myself having the answers to the people’s spiritual questions, to teach the Scripture, and to share my testimony to convert the lost. In my own...

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God in the Unexpected

God in the Unexpected

What a day and what a God we serve. Admittedly, today did not start the way that I wanted. I doubt anybody’s version of a great morning is walking out to their car with a busted window and stolen items. Praise God that nothing valuable was stolen, but at the very...

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From Bullet to Better

Kelsey walked down the street, saying, “We have an appointment today! We have to be at this lady's home at 10 am.” We walked up the stairs and knocked on Rosa’s* door. “Hola! Vengan aqui. Gracias por venir.” (Hello! Come in. Thanks for coming.) After her screen she...

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A Letter to Heaven

Dear Heaven, Meeting you was the highlight of my day. After knocking on a row of unanswered doors, the sight of your sweet smile and sparkly eyes greeting us at the door of your babysitter’s home was refreshing. Thank you for acknowledging us. I enjoyed learning about...

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Wounds

Sometimes it is visible. Sometimes it consumes the mind. Sometimes it is reflected in in their eyes. Through our door to door screenings, this mission trip has shown me painful stories and deep wounds. I saw the hurting gaze of a homeless man with an open wound...

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Beautiful Things Out of Dust

“Okay, which street should we do next?” I asked my partner, Miriam. “Let’s do this one,” Miriam said, pointing to the next block. As Miriam and I turned the street, we immediately saw an old lady sitting on her porch steps on the left side of the street. We approached...

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Glimpses of the Creator

Everywhere I go today, I know there will be people. Particularly here in an urban setting, humanity is inescapable and that can make it seem ordinary – commonplace even. And perhaps because of this, it is all too easy to lose sight of the beauty, wonder, and...

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