Shannon Montgomery

This morning the media team and I wrapped up our work from the past two weeks. I went into this project never having been at this site and not knowing anyone who had done it in the past. So I didn’t know what to expect. But in hindsight it’s clear to me that this was exactly where God wanted me.

We started every morning in the media shed to load up our cameras with sim cards and batteries to fuel for the eventful day ahead. This past Wednesday, we trailed behind the Appropriate Tech site, capturing the team as they delivered one of 400 water filters that had been installed in the homes of families nearby. It was mind-blowing to think about how many lives have been impacted by the work of that team, and we were able to capture the memories through our photos.

At first I was expecting that the media site would be just walking around taking photos as if the “more important” roles in the other sites were already full. God has shown me the significance of having photos of the work that has been done and the lives that have been impacted through Students International. Throughout these two weeks, my team and I have had the privilege of visiting each of the ministry sites multiple times, taking countless photos of each. When I heard I would be serving in the media site for this mission project, I was excited but felt like I would be doing less than others. Flying to another country for two weeks out of my summer to take a bunch of pictures didn’t sound as meaningful as, say, one of the clinics where you work hands-on with patients in the area. I didn’t realize the significance of photographing these moments until this morning when I was flipping through the hundreds of photos I had taken throughout the past two weeks. Memories I had already started to forget, I was suddenly reminded of Lisa with tears in her eyes after being reunited with friends she wasn’t sure she’d get a chance to see again; Madeline with the biggest smile on her face, surrounded by the school kids; Riley, a student from the other church, taking blood pressure on a patient for the first time, and so many more. Now I get it and thank God for this amazing experience.

 

2026-07-03T22:22:16-04:00