WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart recently talked with Rachel Parkes, a Mount Vernon native and Mount Vernon Nazarene University graduate, about her journey into ministry and her work in Eswatini.
Click HERE to listen to the conversation!
Growing up in Mount Vernon, Rachel was involved in local schools, community events, and sports before earning her nursing degree at MVNU. During a 2017 mission trip to Eswatini, she discovered God was calling her to overseas ministry and to serve vulnerable populations. After graduating from MVNU, Rachel earned a Master of Public Health degree from Cedarville University and made several trips to Uganda before eventually being led back to Eswatini.
Rachel helped co-found Palm Grove Health and Wellness Initiative, launching the ministry in April of last year alongside other healthcare professionals who shared a similar vision for ministry. As Director of Operations, she oversees fundraising, communications, administration, outreach, and team development. Palm Grove’s mission is to see Christ-centered initiatives bring thriving sustainability to communities, with a focus on helping entire communities grow together through challenges and hardships.
Click HERE to learn more about Palm Grove!
One of Palm Grove’s current areas of ministry is serving children with disabilities and their families. Rachel explains that cultural stigmas can sometimes cause these children and families to become isolated from their communities. Through home visits, the ministry provides encouragement, counseling, health education, wellness checks, and practical support while building relationships that communicate love and belonging. Although Rachel is no longer practicing bedside nursing, her nursing and public health training allows her to educate families, advocate for children, monitor medications, and connect people with healthcare resources.
Rachel says Palm Grove’s greatest needs include financial support, prayer, encouragement, and people who are willing to learn more about the ministry in Eswatini. She also shared about the country’s culture, food, festivals, landscapes, wildlife, and welcoming people. Community members can learn more about Palm Grove at an upcoming gathering at The Gathering Place on Monday, October 12. Rachel hopes the event will give people an opportunity to hear more about the ministry and learn about the lives and communities being served in another part of the world.
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