Nurse Maria English took a mission trip to Honduras, providing care and lots of hugs for Honduran students.
Maria English, an Akron Children’s Gastroenterology nurse, has been caring for kids for a decade. She recently put her nursing skills to use in the Central American country of Honduras, taking a medical mission trip made possible in part to the Akron Children’s Nursing Career Path.
Maria feels the call
Maria and her family attend First Christian Church in Canton. One Sunday in January, the pastor announced a medical mission trip being planned for the following month. The destination: a private Christian school in Honduras. The catch: a nurse needed to go, or the mission trip would be canceled.
“I immediately felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to go, like the pastor was talking directly to me,” Maria said. “But I have two small kids, ages 5 and 3, and I didn’t want to leave them. Plus, the trip was only a few weeks away – so there were work and financial aspects to consider.”
Maria decided not to pursue the trip, but she didn’t feel right about it. A week later, she talked to a different pastor at church. When she shared her concerns about cost, he asked if she’d go if he could get the trip expenses covered for her. In addition, she could put 16 paid “volunteer hours” from the Akron Children’s Nursing Career Path program toward this trip. Maria’s husband encouraged her to go, so she talked to her boss and made arrangements.
About the Nursing Career Path
Akron Children’s Nursing Career Path recognizes and rewards nurses for continuing their education and professional development. The program has two pathways, depending on what percentage of a nurse’s job is spent providing direct patient care. Each path features four levels – based on education, certification and years of service. Program benefits include continuing education and volunteer hours, a financial bonus and assistance with certification costs.
Maria provides a well check for a Honduran student.
Maria encourages her fellow nurses to take advantage of the Nursing Career Path. “You get to learn and improve your skill set,” she explained. “Plus, you get more money in your paycheck – and Akron Children’s will help you pay for certification-related expenses.”
Maria returns to Honduras
Maria has taken a mission trip before, and Honduras was among the places she volunteered. “I went on the World Race after I graduated from college in 2011, visiting 11 different countries in 11 months,” she recalled. “I graduated from college with an English degree and planned on becoming a librarian. While on the World Race, I felt God calling me to be a nurse instead.”
During the February trip to Honduras, Maria and another nurse named Donna gave head-to-toe well checks to 200 students at the Jardin de Gracia school. “The kindergarten kids who are new to school were cautious during their well checks, but the rest of the kids did fine,” Maria said. “We also provided blood pressure and blood glucose checks for the school staff. It was a busy week, but it was fun.”
Maria and fellow nurse, Donna, gave 200 wellness checkups during their week in Honduras.
The school, funded by American donors, serves the poorest kids in the community. About 20% of the students don’t have electricity in their homes. The kids receive free school uniforms, school supplies and healthy lunches that may be their only meal of the day. “The school is such a warm and loving place,” Maria shared. “When the gate opens at 7:15 a.m., every student who comes in gives you a big hug and says, ‘Buenos dias.’ It’s so sweet.”
The school has a water well, so students get clean water throughout the day. When the parents pick up or drop off their kids at school, they can fill jugs to take water home. Three days a week, the school puts a hose through the campus gate to offer water to anyone in the village. “It really puts things in perspective about all the things we have to be thankful for in America,” Maria said. “Like turning on the faucet for water, unlike the Honduran families who haul water home from the school in gas cans and bleach containers.”
People are the same
Maria’s takeaway from the World Race and the medical mission trip to Honduras is that people are the same everywhere. “We all have slight differences in our culture, but we all just want to feel loved,” she said, “All kids are excited to learn, and they love to run around and play.”
After their well checks, the students hit the playground!
Even though she’s been on two outreach missions, Maria doesn’t consider herself an adventurous person in her day-to-day life. However, she encourages anyone to take a mission trip if the opportunity arises. “If you hear that call from God in your heart, listen. Even if it’s scary or hard or you think you can’t do it,” she said. “It’s always worth it, and you can do greater things than you could ever imagine.”
