tangiFaith
TWO WOMEN Written by Betsy O'Leary
Photo by Riyen Helg
Two seniors at Southeastern Louisiana University, Hallie Kent and Maddie Grippi, have an incredible story to tell. Hallie, the daughter of Douglas and Amy Kent of Amite, is a Health Sciences major, and member of Phi Mu sorority, and Maddie is majoring in Health Systems Management and is a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. They recently returned from a life-changing trip to Kenya where they shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Kenyan people. This opportunity of a lifetime arose from the students’ affiliation with Greek InterVarsity, a Christian-based group that addresses the intersection of faith and Greek life. Members since their freshman year, they met another InterVarsity student from LSU who told them about the opportunity for select students to travel to Kenya over Christmas break. Both applied, never dreaming they would be accepted. But they learned they were chosen to partner with the Kenyan group Focus, the African counterpart to InterVarsity.
We’re Going to Africa! The students then informed their parents they would be traveling halfway around the world. Hallie’s parents had trepidations about their only daughter going to Kenya for six weeks. But they respected her faith and believed God led her to this opportunity. Maddie admitted her own parents didn’t think that she would really go. But once she got her travel visa and vaccinations, they knew Maddie was fully committed to the trip.
October/November 2023 | 11 October/November 11
