Tripster Testimony: Emily Vondrak
Every college student hears— ad naseum—that these will be the most formative four years of their entire lives. It’s a time, they’re told, that will shape them and their future. For many, college is just another four years in the classroom, but for Emily Vondrak, these graduation card clichés scribbled yearbooks sentiments became a reality.
Vondrak’s cross-Atlantic journey to Tanzania began in Sioux City, Iowa, where she attended Briar Cliff University. Determined not to sit idly by and watch her college years come and go, she jumped headlong into several student organizations, including Enactus, a group that would eventually present her with a life-changing opportunity.
The Enactus team at Briar Cliff is part of a global college student organization focused on using business skills to make the world a better place, and they partnered with STEMM to work on the Zidisha Project. The Zidisha Project emphasized educating and supporting women living in Mbuguni, Tanzania, and equipping them with business skill they could use to become independent and providers for their families.
Vondrak’s involvement with this project paved the way for her to engage in international ministry. “When I had the opportunity to travel to the STEMM village with my Enactus team,” said Vondrak, “I truly felt like God was calling me to leave my comfort zone and explore His world. I had never left the country before travelling to Tanzania, and the trip absolutely opened my eyes and ears to God's calling.” That January in 2016, she worked closely with the women in the Zidisha project, listening intently to their needs and ultimately changing the course of the project to better support them.
Not only did Vondrak gain a new perspective on God’s magnificence while on safari, she felt Him open her heart and mind to the people of Tanzania. “It was almost surreal to witness a culture so different from my own, but also see the similarities we all possess as humans made in the image of God,” said Vondrak, “We are still united by [our love] of food and music, by children running and playing, by our desire to protect and care for each other, and, above all, united in our faith.”
The moment that underscored these feelings—and forever imprinted her mind and heart—happened during a water balloon fight with the children living in the village. As the balloons flew across the sky and the sound of laughter joined them in air, Vondrak realized in that moment that “they weren't orphans, and we weren't separated by geography, skin color, or anything else—we were all just kids having fun and experiencing pure joy.”
Life was never the same for Vondrak and in the best way possible. God’s calling on her life continued long after she returned home, and she even felt prompted to switch her major from business, marketing, and sports management to nonprofit marketing. She went on to earn her Master of Science in International Business with a concentration in Sustainability and Social Impact. The experiences of serving in our Tanzanian village sparked a God-inspired, life-long desire to serve others, and she now works as the director of development and public relations at The Gospel Mission in Sioux City.
If you ask her, she’ll tell you that making a trip to Tanzania would be one of the best decisions of your life. She thinks everyone should “take the time to learn more about other cultures— especially that of Tanzania—and travel to them if they are ever given the chance.”
We hope that Emily’s story of faithful leaps and listening to God’s still, small voice inspires you to take a trip to our village and spend some time using your talents to serve others. Message us on social media or contact our office to learn more.