HSU PA Students Bring Healing and Hope to Peru’s Underserved

The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21) served as a spiritual metaphor for one student in the Master of Physician Assistant program at Hardin-Simmons University as she and her classmates traveled to Lima, Peru.

Payton Lord (R) poses with a fellow HSU physician assistant student, Jennifer Scott.

There, in crowded clinics where patients had traveled for hours to be seen, students joined God’s mission to bring healing, dignity, and love to people during a weeklong mission trip in the spring 2025 semester.

“We were able to selflessly serve the people of Peru, both physically and spiritually. This trip reflected everything our program stands for,” said first-year student Payton Lord of Austin, Texas.

Partnering with Joni and Friends, this marked the nonprofit’s first-ever medical mission trip. Lord—along with recent HSU Physician Assistant (PA) graduates and her fellow classmates—helped care for more than 500 patients, many of whom live with disabilities and lack access to even the most basic care.

“Some patients waited more than eight hours to be seen,” said Ashley Wood of Boerne, Texas. “But instead of frustration, there was so much joy. They smiled, thanked us, and just appreciated that we were there. It was humbling and eye-opening.”

Through language barriers and long days, the HSU team leaned into a rhythm of service grounded in faith. Each morning began with a Bible study in Colossians 3, and each night ended with reflection and prayer.

“The Holy Spirit was present everywhere,” Lord said. “Even though the church services were in Spanish, and we couldn’t understand every word, we still felt connected. It grounded us in our purpose.”

That sense of calling extended through every blood pressure reading and physical exam. Supervised by recent HSU graduates now serving as providers, the students saw firsthand how their education was preparing them to serve with skill and compassion.

“This trip deepened my confidence as a future PA in so many ways,” Lord said. “I learned how to communicate with patients despite a language barrier, a practical skill that will help me in any health care setting. I also saw how important compassion and selfless service are in our role. Watching the newly graduated PAs work with such confidence and preparation was a powerful reminder of how strong our program really is.”

Working with patients who spoke only Spanish was a challenge, but one that the students met with empathy, creativity and teamwork.

Ashley Wood (L) and Noah Collins (R) pose for a photo between patients.

“It was discouraging at times to feel limited in my ability to understand and connect with patients,” Wood said. “But my training at HSU helped me overcome those barriers by emphasizing patience, empathy and making the most of every available resource. I leaned on translators and focused on nonverbal communication to build trust and ensure that each patient still felt heard and cared for.”

And despite exhaustion from treating more than 100 patients some days, the students remained committed to loving each person as a child of God.

“This experience changed the way I view cultural competency in medicine,” Wood said. “Knowing that some patients traveled over eight hours and waited all day to be seen made me want to ensure that, despite our exhaustion after treating more than 100 patients, each person still received the time, attention and quality of care they deserved.”

For Collins, the gratitude of the communities they served was unmistakable.

“The community, especially in the churches, was very appreciative of our presence in their city,” he said. “To hear about what we were able to do in such a short amount of time while establishing long-term services really spoke to them about our heart for medical missions.”

With over 500 hundred patients treated of which 135 patients gave their lives to Jesus through outreach with Corazones Unidos, the impact of the trip will ripple far beyond a single week in Peru.

“It was the greatest representation of ‘loaves and fishes’ I’ve experienced firsthand,” Lord said. “Just when we thought we were running out of eyeglasses that would work for the patients, the Lord provided for us.”

The students agreed that HSU’s mission-focused training was central to their experience.

“This experience absolutely affirmed my decision to choose HSU,” said Noah Collins of San Antonio, Texas. “For anyone exploring grad schools, I’d strongly recommend putting a missions- and service-focused university at the top of their list.”