Student raises funds for missionary family

Story by Destinee Marking, Contributing writer

Life as a college student has its challenges, but imagine completing school in the United States while your parents and siblings live in Haiti.

Chantry Carroll, senior from Murray, Kentucky, lives with this reality.

In 2013, his family sold the tire store they owned in town, and once they were not tied down anymore, Carroll said they “were really just open to wherever the Lord led them.”

Despite never having completed mission work before, the family found themselves inclined to move to Haiti in September of 2014 after communicating with someone who had visited there numerous times.

Now missionaries, Jason and Jennifer Carroll work to enrich lives and educate the people of Haiti. Jason drills wells to provide clean water, and Jennifer takes care of the family and teaches preventative dental care.

Every Winter Break, Carroll flies to Haiti to spend time with his parents and four younger siblings – two of whom were adopted from Haiti.

Carroll said it is not easy to spend the rest of the year away from them.

“It’s really difficult, mainly because it’s really hard to communicate with them,” Carroll said. “ I have to communicate over Facebook messenger or FaceTime.”

Although it is a challenging experience, Carroll said he knows it is worth it because his parents are changing lives and his family as a whole is growing in response.

Last December, Carroll’s parents partnered with a nonprofit organization based out of Nashville called Healing Hands International.

According to its website, “the mission of Healing Hands International is to extend the love of Jesus Christ to a lost and hurting world, allowing God to use our hands to carry out His healing work.”

Carroll is also working with Healing Hands International to host a ‘Walk 4 Water’ 5K on campus April 15.

“My major is nonprofit leadership, so this is what I’ve been preparing to do – fundraising work like this,” Carroll said.

Carroll’s goal is to raise the amount of money needed to build a well in Haiti which is $7,500.  

“For all of us, it has really changed our perspective on a lot of things,” Carroll said. “This has been incredible and really humbling.”

Click here to donate or participate in the Walk 4 Water 5K. 

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