w _j (L 0 w (L SPLIT NATIONALITY LAURA WALDRON FINDS HOME IN MISSIONS ABROAD WORDS Cassitfy Colbert e'Y Rachel VanCuren I I PHOTOS Evan Sivearingen For many Harding students, moving to Searcy was their first big step away from their hometown. However, leaving home was nothing new to sophomore Laura Waldron. lthough she was born in the United tates, Laura spent the majority of her childhood in Honduras and Mexico. Her mother and father were missionaries and the founders of Mission preach, a nonprofit organization centered on spreading the gospel in Hondura . One of the many memories Laura had about growing up in Honduras was when her family shared the Bible with people who had never experienced it before. "A family told us about [their loved] ones who have never heard [about] God," Laura said. "So, we packed up our backpacks, hiked into the valley where their village was and shared the gospel with them." According to I aura, growing up in a missionary family was a very unique experience. "We did a lot of medical missi ns where we delivered babies, helped in minor surgeries and other things that typical teenagers my age were not doing," Laura said. Donna Waldron, Laura's mother, agreed, adding that having Laura and her brother, alumnus Harrison Waldron, grow up in a mission field strengthened their relationships with God. "Our children became leaders in ministry and had service opportunities unlike anything they would have had in the [U.S.]," Donna aid. According to Donna, becoming a mi sionary family also helped keep their family close-knit, especially between Laura and Harrison. The family's closeness was tested when Harrison was in a near-fatal accident, causing him to be hospitalized. "When Harrison had his accident in August 2015, there was never a que tion in anyone's mind that Laura [wouldn't] remain by his side until he transitioned home," Donna said. \'(!hile strengthening her relationship with Harrison, Laura also grew closer with alumna Hayley Waldr n, Harrison's wife. "[Laura] was already close to Hayley, but the five months they spent side by side, hoping and praying over Harrison bonded them into sisterhood," Donna said. According to Hayley, although the accident was difficult for their family and they at times struggled with their relationships with one another, working together was the most important thing to do. "It would be a lie if I told you it's been rainbows and butterflies, but e ery tough time has brought new healing and stronger relationships amongst us all," Hayley said. Through the Waldron's missi nary work and Harrison's accident,Laura, Hayley and their family learned the best ways to remain close. "I ove will overcome," Hayley said. "[The] Waldron family is a te tament to that truth." I Harding's mission mindset is nothing new for sophomore Laura Waldron. Growing up in three different countries with her family as missionaries, Waldron became comfortable in multiple setting and culture.// Photo by Evan Swearingen
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