The foundation supports medical work in Nicaragua and scholarships for future caregivers, carrying on Suzie's passion to teach, heal, and help others. This foundation was created for many reasons, but the heart of it all is Suzie Smith. Suzie was taken from us sooner than we expected, yet we trust that her life and her passing were both in God’s timing. In the days since, we have learned to look b
eyond the pain of loss and to search each day for the opportunities God places before us to share His love, grace, and forgiveness. Suzie was an extraordinary example of how to live with compassion and purpose. As a flight nurse for 35 years, she met people in some of their darkest and most difficult moments. Her calling as a nurse was one of the ways God allowed her to reflect His heart for others. Suzie loved to teach, whether it was at paramedic schools, through first aid and CPR classes at church, or with her children and grandchildren. She often said she was raising up the next generation of first responders. Family members remember how she would sometimes find an animal that had already passed, often roadkill or one that died naturally, and use it to teach anatomy to her kids and grandkids, turning every moment into a lesson about life and creation. Suzie’s deepest passion, however, was the medical mission work God led her to in Nicaragua. She loved the television show MASH*, and she often said that Nicaragua was her own version of it. What began as a small, uncertain effort grew into more than two decades of service through Global Passion Ministries, providing cleft lip and palate surgeries, ENT procedures, and other critical care to those in need. The teams would even travel for days in dugout canoes along the Rio Coco River to reach remote villages. Suzie’s heart always brought her back to the people of Puerto Cabezas, where she poured out her love and skill year after year. When we said goodbye to Suzie in October 2025, we were left wondering what would become of the mission she helped build. She had been the backbone of the work, and replacing her seemed impossible. Yet within days, three nurses stepped forward and volunteered to continue what she started. God continued to provide, just as He always had. The outpouring of love, prayers, and support from the community was overwhelming. As people began donating, the idea for a nonprofit emerged. Suzie’s brother and brother-in-law helped put everything together, and before long, the foundation was born. Through this nonprofit, we are committed to continuing the legacy that Suzie left behind. She filled the world with compassion and light, and although her absence leaves a deep void, her influence continues to grow. The foundation will carry on the work in Nicaragua, ensuring care for the children and families she loved so much. It will also provide scholarships to support the next generation of medical professionals, continuing Suzie’s lifelong mission to teach, to heal, and to serve.
