Kansas nursing student joins Center for Health and Hope on mission to India and Sri Lanka
A deep desire to help others led Mackenzie Reinert to begin her nursing studies at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas — a United Methodist–related institution committed to preparing students for lives of service and leadership.
That calling recently took on global dimensions when Reinert, a 20-year-old sophomore from Kansas, was selected to join a delegation of the Center for Health and Hope on a January 2026 visit to India and Sri Lanka. Thanks to an anonymous donor, Southwestern College made it possible for Reinert to experience firsthand the global nature of health care and compassion.
“For me, nursing has always been about caring for people where they are,” Reinert said. “This trip helped me understand that in a much deeper way.”
Reinert traveled with Center leaders and medical professionals, including Executive Director Justin Levy and Burton Golub, M.D., a retired infectious disease specialist, as they visited partner projects supported through ecumenical churches and community organizations. The delegation worked closely with the Church of North India and the Church of South India, whose congregations have long been involved in ministries of healing, education and support for people affected by HIV and poverty.
India continues to face one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world, with an estimated 3.14 million people living with HIV – the second highest total globally – according to India’s National AIDS Control Organization. India has made considerable progress toward the UNAIDS 90/90/90 targets, with about 81% of people with HIV diagnosed, 88% of those on treatment, and 97% achieving viral suppression.
When asked what most impressed her during the two-week journey, Reinert did not hesitate: the children.
Her heart especially went out to young people living with HIV — many of whom were infected at birth and only learned of their status in early adolescence. In Kolkata, fifty children live in a church-supported home where they receive antiretroviral medication, schooling, and daily care. Shared Reinert, “You could see how important adequate nutrition is while taking medicine. Pills alone are not enough.”
Some of Reinert’s most meaningful moments came during quiet moments spent together with the children – spending time in a local park, sharing smiles and laughter, and even joining them on a short ferry ride on the Hooghly River, a rare outing for many of the residents ​
of the children’s home. “It was powerful to watch the children and visitors from the Center care for one another,” Levy said. “The shared humanity we experienced was palpable and one of the highlights of the trip for all of us.”
​
At Kolkata’s Sister Florence School of Nursing, sponsored by the Church of North India, Reinert joined an AIDS workshop with nursing students, responded to questions about HIV prevention, and shared informal conversations about her own calling to health care. Dr. Golub addressed students’ questions about HIV transmission and treatment, while Levy emphasized that stigma and discrimination remain among the greatest challenges facing people living with HIV.
“Medical advances have transformed HIV from a death sentence into a manageable chronic condition,” Levy said. “But stigma still kills. People are isolated from their families, pushed out of communities and afraid to seek care. Our work is as much about addressing dignity as well as combatting stigma.”
​
The delegation also visited Kolkata’s red-light district, where women engaged in “survival sex” participate in the Center’s period-poverty initiative. The program provides sanitary supplies while creating opportunities for education about HIV
prevention and reproductive health.“Mackenzie connected naturally with people wherever we went,” Levy said. “She listened deeply, asked thoughtful questions, and showed genuine compassion. That kind of presence matters.”
​
In Chennai, India, Reinert visited income-generating projects operated in partnership with the Tambaram Community Development Society, including sewing programs and small street businesses run by women living with HIV. She also met families struggling to provide adequate food for their children.
A highlight of the India visit was the inauguration of a new grief-support project at Egmore Wesley Church, where clergy and lay leaders gathered from across the region. Church officials expressed hope that the program would expand throughout the diocese, underscoring the vital role faith communities play in addressing both physical and emotional healing.
The trip concluded in Sri Lanka, where Reinert and her fellow travelers visited three drug rehabilitation centers and an HIV drop-in program serving young gay men facing intense stigma. ​
Despite global progress in reducing HIV, Sri Lanka is experiencing a sharp rise in cases. Between 2010 and 2024, new infections increased from 121 to 824, a 48% jump in 2024 alone, with men – especially those aged 20-24 – most affected. Around 5,700 people currently live with HIV in Sri Lanka. This surge contrasts with a 40% decline in new infections over the same period, highlighting growing transmission in the country.
For Reinhert, the experience confirmed her sense of vocation. “This trip changed how I see nursing,” she said. “It is not just about treating illness. It is about standing with people, learning their stories and being part of something bigger than yourself.”
​
Levy said Reinert’s participation reflects the Center’s commitment to nurturing young leaders through partnerships with United Methodist–related institutions. “When students like Mackenzie step into this work, they carry it forward into their careers and communities,” Levy said. “That’s how compassion becomes sustainable.”​
The Center for Health and Hope was formally established as a 501(c)3 in 2006. With a mission to help those impacted by HIV and AIDS, the Center supports programs of education, nutrition, care, and treatment in multiple countries including Kenya, India, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, and the U.S. To learn more about the Center, visit, https://www.centerforhealthandhope.org/
By Rev. Dr. Donald E. Messer, Centennial, Colorado, Chair of the Center for Health and Hope Board of Directors, Denver, Colorado, and member of the United Methodist Global AIDS Committee. He participated in the Center’s delegation to India and Sri Lanka January 14-25, 2026.
2026 Trip to India & Sri Lanka