June 11th, 2016 by Cheryl Dalton
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Preparing to leave Roatan in 2 days.  My last Friday was a memorable surprise birthday party for Ms. Peggy. The staff planned the party for 2 weeks (her birthday was June 6th). We pulled off the surprise and enjoyed an evening of great food, laughs, hugs and tears. We even had a Ms. Peggy pinata.  My month in Roatan could not have been better. Each day held surprising gifts, many “holy ground moments” where I saw compassion and generosity beyond measure.  The friendships I have made here have imprinted upon my heart forever.

Here are some photos of my last weekend in Roatan. The photos are from Ms Peggy’s bday party, her medical and nursing staff and a beautiful Roatan sunset!

Clinica Esperanza is an ideal place to volunteer on Roatan Island, Honduras. Whether you are a nurse, a student nurse, a physician, physician assistant, medical student, premed student, pharmacist, pharmacist tech, public health/community health worker ….your gifts and talents will be well used and appreciated. Buenas noches y vaya con Dios.

June 4th, 2016 by Cheryl Dalton
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So I have had many people here tell me that my month on the Island will go by very fast. This is so true. I have finished my third week in Roatan and beginning my last week.  Thursday I accompanied a church mission team to the city dump. Many people (including families with young children) subsist on the items they find and sell at the dump (plastics, aluminum, and other items). 2 week earlier there was a huge fire at the dump that burned for days. This greatly impacted those who depend on the dump for their livelihood. They asked that I go to do some brief assessment in case they had some respiratory issue from all the smoke.  We dispensed cold water, a lunch (the church team brings lunch every Thursday), and a bag of flour, bar of soap and a bag of salt.  It was a sobering, humbling time.

One photo shows a woman walking over the smoldering part (still burning). I cant imagine the heat….as it was a very warm Honduran day.  Then yesterday I was richly blessed to go to Punta Gordo, the east part of the Island to visit Garifuna people.  Debi, my new missionary friend, has wonderful relationships with many families. We visited house to house and heard amazing “front porch storytelling”.  Then they gifted us with a 45 minute concert of African drumming and girls danced the Punta (you can youtube Garifuna dances).  We were so richly blessed. Adios Para Ahora,  Cheryl

June 1st, 2016 by Cheryl Dalton
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This is the week I have been anticipating with joy:  going into the community with the Community Health Physician and with the Community Health Worker visiting the Prometora Program.  Clinica Esperanza has 11 communities which have a “promotora” or community health worker.  There program targets children under 5 with a monthly visit for weight, height and brief assessment. The community health worker visits each community once every month, meeting with the prometora and doing the assessments with her.

Yesterday we went to a public school for vision screening for glasses.  The team consisted of 5 volunteers, Dr. Stacey, and the driver Estevan who helped with translation and with the flow of the screenings.  We screened 205 students!

Today I shadowed a physician at the Emergency Room Hospital Roatan. She works the mornings in the ER as an attending physician then afternoons in Clinica Esperanza. Having been an Emergency Room nurse for many years in U.S., it was a most interesting observational experience. Triage and controlled chaos were very familiar.  Again, I witness the exceptional collaboration between physicians and excellent clinical diagnosis without access to diagnostic testing. There is no CT or MRI or portable Xray.  There are limited diagnostic labs as well.  I was very appreciative of the experience today!

Photos: community area for Health Promotora; with permission: photo of Promotora Dora and some children to assess; photo of Hospital Roatan, ER, and a poster in ER for Mosquito illnesses. Adios para ahora,  Cheryl

May 23rd, 2016 by Cheryl Dalton
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So after an incredible weekend, week 2 is underway. They say time goes fast on the mission field, and that it does!  Saturday was an exceptional day.  I spent the day with Debbie. She and her husband are missionaries to Black Island people. They have lived her 8 years. Their first year was building relationships, just getting to know people and their struggles. After the first year they came to understand that having employment and being able to support a family was a priority need. To help meet this need they  started a business “Made in Roatan” where they have a storefront near where the cruise ships come in. They have 25 local workers who make crafts, jewelry, paintings to sell to tourists. They give the workers 100% of what they sell.  They disciple people in the shop, mentor and even teach their employees to minister to the cruise ship tourists.  Debbie teaches women to make jewelry at her house on Saturdays as she spends time building relationships.

So we went house to house on Saturday, visiting together or as I called it, ‘front porch storytelling’ which was so wonderful! Listening to their stories of hardship, perseverance, and true grit was just such a humbling experience.  For lunch we went to a local spot:  Madahs and enjoyed Island food, very much a Creole like dish.  While having lunch, a man started to play guitar and the entire place broke out in song…singing old spiritual hymns. It was amazing!  Sunday after church all the volunteers are able to go to one of the local resorts for beach time, snorkeling. I was just ecstatic when I realized my little camera that I picked up for the trip takes underwater photos…wow…what fun.  Today back to clinic….feeling much more comfortable as I get to know the staff.  I look forward to another amazing week in Roatan. Adios para ahora, Cheryl

May 20th, 2016 by Cheryl Dalton
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Week one at Clinica Esperanza has been nothing short of amazing. Roatan Island in Honduras is spectacular with clear Caribbean water, stunning reefs and the most beautiful people to work with.There are several different culture groups:  the Hondurans, who speak Spanish, the Black Islander’s who speak English with a beautiful accent, and then the Garifuna people, who speak Garifuna. There  are also  people from all over the world who come to Roatan and decide to stay. Cruise ships come in to the Island regularly as well.   Clinica Esperanza was started over 15 years ago by Miss Peggy, a nurse. The clinic has grown and is now a leading source for health care on the Island. The clinic averages about 100 patients a day. There is a pediatric floor, OBGYN, and then family practice.

I am working in the adult/family area which is so perfect for me because Chronic Disease management happens to be one of my passions. (God is so good!).  The most amazing of all is that I am working in collaboration with some of the most outstanding Honduran physicians. There are 4 who work in the adult area. The clinic also has an OBGYN specialist and a pediatrician who is also the Medical Director. The physicians are so generous of their time and so patient with all of my questions. (they are accustomed to having students and volunteers!).  I am so thankful for the content I learned in the INMED course to prepare me for this experience. Common diseases here include malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya (which I see daily), and a great variety of parasites…I brought my INMED reference books and use them often! Next week I have the privilege of going out into the community with the Public Health Physician who developed a community education program through the clinic.

Of course, I am also enjoying the wonders of the Island:  snorkeling on beautiful reefs, enjoying beautiful sunsets over the ocean (with plenty of DEET on) and eating some amazing Island food.  Adios para hora.  Cheryl

May 14th, 2016 by Cheryl Dalton
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I am feeling very thankful tonight as I prepare to leave very early in the morning for Roatan, Honduras. I am very thankful for many people who have helped make this possible. For my dear husband who is truly the wind beneath my wings. He has always encouraged me to reach for the stars, any goal I set, he was my inspiration to persevere. I am thankful to my very sweet church family, Golden Baptist Church. It is a small country church but is more generous and loving than any church family could be.  They generously helped with financial contributions toward my trip and the women’s Sunday School helped pack my luggage with toothbrushes, crayons,pencils,  books, puzzles and lots of band aides to go to Clinica Esperanza.

Some prayer warriors at church prayed for me Wednesday night….. there is nothing like being prayed for by men and women of God! I feel very empowered.  I am thankful to have discovered the INMED’s International Medicine & Public Health Hybrid course!. I completed the academic portion last year, not knowing where it might lead. I was working in a Primary Care clinic, and it was challenging to take even a week off for vacation, finding coverage can be difficult in the rural areas.  Then, without much warning, the clinic closed its doors, the end of May of last year.  I asked the Lord, what is next, as I know I am not one to retire 🙂  I have been in nursing for 39 years and still feel I have much to give!  That very afternoon I received a call from the nursing program coordinator for Crowder College,  asking if I might consider teaching in their nursing program!  Yes Lord, send me 🙂  so now I am teaching in the profession I love and I happen to work a 9 month contract which leaves me time for medical missions. It doesn’t get any  better than this!

And so, with a very grateful heart, I look forward to this exciting adventure! Buenas Noches, Cheryl

May 3rd, 2016 by INMED
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Hello! My name is Cheryl Dalton. I am a nurse practitioner at Golden, Missouri, and I’m starting my INMED service-learning experience at Clinica Esperanza in the nation of Honduras beginning in May 2016.