Feature Family Member

Lisa Yunker, PT, Central Division

Name: Lisa Yunker
Position at T2K: Physical Therapist
Start Date: June 2006
Education: B.A. in Biology at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa; Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Iowa.

Where are you from? Well, I basically grew up in Iowa, though I lived in New Braunfels, Texas for quite a while before coming to Dallas.

How did you come to work with T2K? I moved to Dallas to attend Dallas Theological Seminary where I am currently working on a Master of Arts in Cross-cultural Ministry in order to prepare for mission work. I was looking for a job that would allow me to keep up my PT skills and offer the flexibility to be in school.

What is your specialty? I am one of the physical therapy field therapists. Prior to coming to THERAPY 2000 I worked for 8 years in an ECI program, so I’ve had quite a bit of experience working with little bitty ones, though now I enjoy working with a slightly older bunch.

What is your favorite part of the job? I absolutely love working with these amazing families. It’s so great to be able to share in the little everyday victories. I really appreciate the supportive and fun-loving staff at THERAPY 2000 as well.

What are your hobbies/interests? Right now reading is probably about the only hobby I get to engage in because I have so much of it to do in seminary! When things are more relaxed I really enjoy artistic stuff. I’ve done some drawing and painting, but more recently have gotten into computer graphics. As far as recreation, I just love doing things with people I care about, it doesn’t really matter what it is… bowling, skiing, ping pong, watching movies, whatever.

Tell us a little bit of where you’re going this summer. This summer I have the opportunity to go on a summer mission trip to Cambodia for two months. It will be my internship for seminary as well as training for what I hope will be a long-term career for me in missions.

How did you first get involved with this kind of trip? I have wanted for a long time to be able to use my physical therapy experience to minister to people in other places where help is not so readily available as it is here in the U.S. Cambodia is definitely one of those places since it has the highest rate of physical disability in the world. I hope to be able to engage in ministry to people with disabilities while I am on this trip, but plans are still in the works. It may just be preparation for doing that later. One of the ministries with which I know that I will be working is called Daughters of Cambodia which is providing holistic help for girls and young women who are trying to escape from human trafficking.

What goals do you have for yourself? For the short term I want to finish my degree (planning to graduate next May) and continue to prepare in all the other ways that I can for being launched to the mission field shortly thereafter. I would also like to network with other therapists who might want to do some short term mission work in the future. That way, when I get settled in some other part of the world, I can help to provide others with a life-changing experience while they provide their expertise and love to people who need it.