Finding Purpose through Serving

He thought he was just going on a short-term trip to support his wife. Instead, the course of his own life changed

All photos courtesy of www.joshuadrakephotography.com.

By Erin Gieschen

Palmetto Medical Initiative’s short-term mission work in Uganda is all about serving the community there. But rarely does any team member come home without having been changed in some profound way—whether in the realm of vocation, faith, or worldview.

Before Eric Prestridge went to Uganda with PMI, he’d never thought much about how the rest of the world lived—or how he could actually make any difference. But his wife Jennifer, a medical student, had long dreamed of going to Africa to use her skills, so Eric decided to take a week off from his sales job and go with her in a support role. It was the first time he’d done any kind of volunteer work, and as he interacted with the patients and learned about their lives, his outlook on his own life began to radically shift. He found himself questioning his ultimate purpose, and what he was doing with the gifts God had given him.

After returning home with a renewed excitement for following Christ, he took the plunge. He enrolled in school to be trained as a PA (physician assistant), and got his first volunteer position: cleaning up in the emergency room. “I actually love it,” he says, laughing. “Even though I’m emptying the trash and doing all kinds of random things, I know I’m making it possible for the doctors to be even better enabled to help patients and save lives. A career change does seem huge—and it was totally unexpected—but we’re so excited about serving others together now.”

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