Riverside, Calif. (July 19, 2018) – Riley Phillips wanted to finish her time at California Baptist University by serving others. Therefore, after graduating from CBU in the spring of 2018, Phillips took part in a Global Health Engagement (GHE) project to China over the summer. Her time spent overseas provided a valuable insight on how she could serve and love others from a different cultural background.     

“The trip recalibrated my heart, taking me from the hectic place of my senior year and placing me in an environment that necessitated my trust in God,” Phillips explained of her GHE trip. “The service developed a soul-peace and habits that have followed me back home.”

The College of Health Science at CBU sent out four teams this summer to serve in various health care roles in China, East Africa and the Philippines. 

The trips are part of GHE program, which provides students an opportunity to serve by offering health care services while gaining course credits. Global service is part of CBU’s commitment to live out the Great Commission.

Phillips, a communication science and disorder graduate, spent three weeks in China. Her group assisted with the care of special needs children in addition to offering trainings for workers, parents and volunteers who also provide care.

Phillips said that the trip also gave her another perspective on how health professionals administer care.  

“[The trip] showed me how to carry myself in a professional manner internationally. It [also] provided me with the opportunity to work alongside an interpreter and gave me a chance to put my book knowledge to work as I assessed and played with kids of all ages,” Phillips said.

Like Phillips, Miguel Garcia-Salas, a communication sciences and disorders senior at CBU, found his service in China insightful.

“I learned that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. We relied on a spirit of collaboration to best help every child,” Garcia-Salas said.

Garcia-Salas said that by the end of the trip the team assisted more than 200 children.

Each member of the team had their limitations but they also each had strengths, Garcia-Salas explained.

“When we combined those strengths with a selfless attitude, we formed a fantastic team,” Garcia-Salas said.