Senior Lexi Johnston turns her passion for missions into Selah Clinic, a groundbreaking global health care initiative
For most nursing students, senior year is a whirlwind of coursework, intensive clinical rotations in specialized areas and post-graduate job hunting. But for Belmont student Lexi Johnston, her senior year is shaping up to look a bit different.
Johnston is on a mission to establish a health clinic in Uganda, a project that combines her
nursing education with her lifelong passion for missions in Africa. The clinic, named Selah Clinic and Community Center, aims to provide health care services and community support to underserved areas in Uganda while also creating opportunities for local Ugandans to gain valuable skills and sustainable careers.
As she approaches her final year at Belmont, Johnston is not just preparing for her nursing boards – she's laying the groundwork for a health care facility that will transform lives for years to come.
Discovering a Calling for Missions
Born and raised in Malibu, California, Johnston's passion for missions ignited early. In fifth grade, she and her mother connected with a missionary working in The Congo. Together, they made pencil pouches and crafted clay Bible necklaces for children there. By high school, Johnston had already co-founded a non-profit called Global Friends for Change with her parents, selling those same necklaces to raise funds for Africa New Day, an organization working to empower men and women in The Congo.
“I knew from a very young age that mission work is what God is calling me to do with my life,” shared Johnston. “But as the years have gone by, He's just continued to specify what that looks like.”
Johnston's path became clearer during her sophomore year of high school when she took her first mission trip to Uganda. The experience was transformative, cementing not just her commitment to missions in Africa, but specifically to serving in Uganda.
When she got home from her trip, Johnston felt a calling to pursue a more sustainable approach to her mission work. She realized a career in nursing could provide the practical skills and knowledge needed to make a lasting impact in Uganda — and combine her passion for missions with tangible, life-saving skills that address the pressing health care needs she had witnessed firsthand.
"I chose nursing after I felt called to missions," she says. "For most people, it’s the other way around.”
The Genesis of Selah Clinic
The vision for Selah Clinic came to Johnston in a moment of surrender. In January of this year, she was feeling discouraged by obstacles that seemed to be blocking a return to Uganda. After hearing the word “no” from parents and mentors one too many times, Johnston began to question if mission work was truly God’s calling for her.
"I felt as though my dream in pursuit of missionary nursing in Uganda was becoming greater
than my love for the Lord himself,” she shared. "I prayed, ‘Lord, if I never go back to Uganda, if I never become a missionary nurse in Africa, I still wholeheartedly trust you and love you.’"
Just weeks later, while having coffee with her best friend, Johnston experienced what she describes as a vision from the Lord.
"I just saw this vision of a health care clinic in Uganda called Selah Clinic," she recalls. "It sounded so crazy, but my friend told me, ‘Lexi, if it sounds crazy, say yes and then get crazy about your yes’." And that’s exactly what she did.
Encouraged by this revelation, Johnston took a leap of faith and emailed Dr. Greg Jones, Belmont’s president, seeking advice and support for her venture. To her surprise, he responded the next day, requesting a meeting to discuss the project in depth.
With unexpected support from both her parents, Johnston attended this meeting in the spring of this year, where she received the blessing of both Belmont and Pepperdine University to collaborate with her on the Selah Clinic. This project that had once seemed like an impossible dream was now rapidly taking shape, propelled by a network of supporters and mentors across multiple institutions.
Support from Belmont and Beyond
Once Dr. Julie Honey, dean of the Inman College of Nursing, heard about Selah Clinic, she quickly recognized that Johnston's aspirations didn't fit the traditional mold of a nursing student. Understanding the unique nature of Johnston's calling, Honey has become a strong advocate for tailoring the nursing curriculum to support Johnston's goals.
"Dr. Honey had recommended that we essentially rewrite some of the curriculum for my spring semester," Johnston explained.
This flexibility would allow Johnston to complete her preceptorship in Uganda, rather than in traditional clinical settings in the United States. Honey's rationale is clear: for students like Johnston with specific, non-traditional career goals, it makes more sense to provide clinical experiences that directly prepare them for their chosen path. This level of customization demonstrates Belmont's commitment to supporting students in pursuing their unique callings, even when they diverge from conventional career tracks.
The scope of support for Johnston's project extends beyond Belmont, reaching as far as Pepperdine University in California. Pepperdine President Jim Gash played a crucial role in connecting Johnston with key figures — most notably, he facilitated an introduction to Dr. Hillary Tumwesige, the leading physician and surgeon at Albertine Medical Healing Center in Kisiita, Uganda.
In getting to know and work alongside Tumwesige, Johnston has been given direct access to experienced health care professionals working in the very region she aims to serve, helping her to better understand Ugandan culture and tap into the needs of its people.
From Vision to Reality
Johnston's vision for Selah Clinic took a significant leap forward in Aug. 2024 as she returned
from a transformative two-week stay at Albertine Medical Healing Center. During her time working alongside Tumwesige, Johnston identified a critical need in the community: a specialized clinic focusing on children's health and obstetrics. This revelation has now become the cornerstone of Selah Clinic's mission, allowing Johnston to target her efforts where they're needed most.
In a surprising and exciting turn of events, Johnston was able to secure land for Selah Clinic during the final moments of her visit — in the car on the way to the airport, no less. The clinic will be situated on the same property as Tumwesige’s hospital, creating a synergistic health care hub for the community. Given that Tumwesige 's hospital was constructed in just two months, Johnston is optimistic about the timeline for Selah once funding is secured.
Looking ahead, Johnston plans to complete her nursing preceptorship at Albertine Medical Healing Center, further immersing herself in the community she aims to serve. After graduation, Johnston intends to move to Uganda, diving headfirst into establishing Selah Clinic.
Her vision, however, goes beyond providing health care; it's about empowering the local community. Johnston plans to partner with Albertine Medical Healing Center to train and employ local Ugandans to staff the clinic, rather than importing nurses from the United States.
As Johnston moves forward with her plans, she embodies a new model of global health engagement — one that combines professional skills, cultural sensitivity, a commitment to local empowerment and above all, a lot of trust in the Lord.
"I want to make it so abundantly clear that none of this is anything that I can take credit for because it is purely the provision, the miraculous grace and the divine ways that the Lord has intervened through Selah and through all of the many people who have already been such a huge part of making this heavenly vision come into an Earthly reality,” Johnston shares. “I am just so humbled and grateful and excited and expectant to see all that the Lord does through Selah.”
If you feel called to support Lexi and Selah Clinic, you can make a donation here.
To hear about Selah Clinic and Lexi’s story in her own words, watch the video below.
Learn More
Learn more about the Inman College of Nursing.