REAL PEOPLE: Mone’t Waller and Her Mission Trip to Africa!
How do you pay it forward? By doing exactly what Mone’t Waller did last year, and help others. A member of the well-established organization, 410 Bridge, Mone’t and others participate in mission trips to Kenya, specifically the Nggamba community. The 410 Bridge organization offers trips to several different countries in need. Each person on the mission trips have different skills, but all come together for one thing, to be of service to others. What’s more, you can get involved as well. Read on to find out how. Be inspired and help those in need. You’ll feel better. Trust us!
GLITTER: Have you always been involved in charity work?
MONE’T: Yes – I’ve organized and participated in various types of charity events for as long as I can remember. I’ve always had an interest in helping people and often look for opportunities that are a good fit for me. I have recently become involved in a non profit organization called Well Spring. This organization is dedicated to serving
survivors of child abuse and sexual exploitation. In the past, I have also volunteered for other organizations such as Learn and Serve America, Feeding America, The Neiman Marcus “Give.Share.Care” program, and the American Red Cross to name a few.
GLITTER: As the leader of the security team to Kenya, what did you have to do?
MONE’T: As the leader of the security team my duties were to research all pertinent airport and travel information, organize and create a system for our supply suitcases, and to keep count of members as we traveled. This was mostly planning logistics.
GLITTER: I know you also did children’s ministry. What did that involve?
MONE’T: As a part of the children’s ministry I spent time with the children of the Nggamba community; I got to know them and their families, attended their church, and visited their homes for dinner and tea. We read stories, played recreational games, and just spent time LOVING the children. That itself was an awesome experience. The children were so affectionate and were fascinated by the many things that we would
consider simple such as our jewelry, or a purse; they especially liked my camera!
GLITTER: Do you have a background in nursing or how did you learn how to triage
patients if not?
MONE’T: I don’t have a medical background and the beauty of this trip is that I didn’t have to in order to be involved. There are so many ways that we can be a blessing to our brothers and sisters and contribute other talents that we may have. The medical volunteers were gracious enough to teach me how to triage. It’s a great learning experience for everyone.
GLITTER: Why did you choose Ngaamba, Kenya for your mission trips?
MONE’T: The 410 Bridge offers various mission trips to several different countries in need. This was my first mission trip and being of African decent it was important to me to start out by visiting the country where my ancestors are from. This was a very personal and important experience for me.
GLITTER: How involved was the church in your ministry?
MONE’T: The church is kept abreast of the progress each trip makes and actively prays for all the missionaries and the people in the communities that we reach. The actual medical clinic that we worked out of was built from donations primarily from Northpoint Ministries. The clinic is set up with a few rooms for treatment, a pharmacy, and
an area for triage.
GLITTER: How long are the trips to Kenya?
MONE’T: Usually approximately 11 days but can vary depending on the mission and trip.
GLITTER: How long have you been doing service trips with The 410 Bridge?
MONE’T: This was the first trip that I participated in but I plan on doing many more trips in the future.
GLITTER: How can others get involved with The 410 Bridge?
MONE’T: By visiting the site www.410bridge.org and starting the application process. There are definitely some amazing options that people can choose from.
