Nursing graduate Mary (Kutyn, ’14, ’21) had traveled to Zambia as part of her studies at TWU, while Matt Wakutz (’15) led a global projects trip to Israel and Palestine. Since then, Mary and Matt have applied their nursing education and desire to serve the world to helping people in crisis, including serving in Cremona, Italy during the earliest months of the COVID-19 emergency.
In a time when most of the world was locking down at home, Mary (Kutyn, ’14, ’21) and Matt Wakutz (’15), both nurses, were off to Cremona, Italy, the site of one of the most intense COVID-19 outbreaks at the time. It was a scary season full of uncertainty, but they found comfort in the belief that God had called and equipped them for this moment.
Late in 2019, the couple felt an intense desire and calling to join the Samaritan's Purse Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). Both Mary and Matt say that it seemed like a natural fit for them as they had always had a heart for mission’s work and for using their nursing skills to serve others around the globe, which was one draw for them to study at Trinity Western in the first place.
"...I think Trinity Western—being so focused on global outreach and getting involved in the world—motivated us in this type of work and provided opportunities to start living that out.”
“One of the things that was initially so appealing to me about applying for nursing at Trinity Western was the travel study they offered to Zambia,” says Mary. “Matt also led a global projects trip to Israel and Palestine during his time there. Since graduating we have continued in this kind of work doing various medical missions. I think Trinity Western—being so focused on global outreach and getting involved in the world—motivated us in this type of work and provided opportunities to start living that out.”
“As followers of Christ, we both believe that we are called to stand up for and put others ahead of ourselves.”
When they officially joined DART in November of 2019, COVID-19 wasn’t on their radar, but they knew the decision to join would likely put them into dangerous situations at some point.
“When we learned that Samaritan’s Purse was responding to the need in Italy by sending a field hospital and team of staff to run it, we gave our availability to deploy,” says Mary. “Not to sound like we took the decision lightly, but when we became part of the DART it was our expectation to go into potentially risky situations to support those in greater need.”
The first few months in Northern Italy proved to be a surreal experience for Mary and Matt. The couple left a virtually empty airport in Toronto, drove through empty roads in Italy, and arrived at a busy field hospital in the parking lot of a local hospital that had become too overwhelmed to accommodate everyone.
"...It was the desire of our hearts to love God by loving His people as well as share that love of God with others, particularly people experiencing such crisis."
From there, the Wakutzes provided medical care to COVID-positive patients on twelve-hour shifts in head-to-toe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while communicating with the locals through an interpreter. Although the situation felt dire at times, Mary and Matt were encouraged as they witnessed patients getting better and some learning about Jesus for the first time while being ministered to by people from other countries.
“As followers of Christ, we both believe that we are called to stand up for and put others ahead of ourselves,” says Mary. “We both got into nursing and gained this specific skill set so that we would be able to serve God in ways exactly like this. It was the desire of our hearts to love God by loving His people as well as share that love of God with others, particularly people experiencing such crisis.”
Both Mary and Matt say that their faith is foundational in their lives. It was the primary reason why they chose to study at Trinity Western, it led them to serve in Italy when it would have been easier to stay home, and it was what kept them going in the scariest moments of working with a new disease while having very little information.
“It can be a very challenging environment. But it also opens the door to so many incredible opportunities for both work and serving locally and globally."
“This [peace] can only come from God. We were able to reflect on our reason for being there and call on God to meet us in our fears and needs. He was present every day and evident in ways we had not experienced before,” says Mary.
After one month in Italy, the Wakutzes returned to their home in Langley and—after a two-week quarantine—resumed their regular jobs.
Though working in the medical field can be extremely challenging and is not for everyone, Mary and Matt are thankful for the opportunities they’ve had to serve others and God in the world, through the profession that they have been trained to do.
“It can be a very challenging environment,” says Mary. “But it also opens the door to so many incredible opportunities for both work and serving locally and globally. Neither Matt nor I would go back and choose a different career.”
About TWU Alumni
Whether you’re a recent graduate or one of TWU’s original alumni pioneers, you belong here. Our desire is to nurture an engaged and flourishing global community of alumni who are serving God and people in the various marketplaces of life. We invite you to stay connected, proudly represent TWU, and participate in the University’s vision to equip graduates for life. Learn more at TWU Alumni.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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Words by Jonathan Fehr ('09) Director of Alumni Engagement and Communications.