Hospital Visit
Currant Location: Battambang, Cambodia
Our first time going to the hospital I was not quite sure what to expect. I knew that we would primarily visiting with those with AIDS, but not much else.
After a briefing from Jessica ( one of our local missionary contacts), the six of us and our translator entered the hospital.
We split up into groups. Jessie, Casey and I walked down the in front of the rooms, where we were eagerly greeted by a Khermi man. He said his hellos and welcomed us into his room. He just stared talking to us in Khermi as we tried to figure out what he was saying. He pulled out a book with Bible stories in it and started showing us the book, he then put it down and then knelt on the floor and put his hands together as to pray. He looked up at us and we joined him, we knelt down and prayed for eachother, neither one of us having a clue what the other was saying, but it was obvious the Lord was in this man. After we all got up he brought out pictures and through charades we attempted to figure out who everyone in the pictures were. By that time our translator came in and helped us out a great deal. Thank God for translators.
The love this man has for the Lord is amazing. Every time I got to the hospital he is in someone else room, helping those who need extra care. A couple of people in his section of the hospital are in the late stages of AIDS and have difficulties.
Hospitals in Cambodia are different, the doctors do give them medicine and some attention, but usually the family of the patient moves in and are the primary care givers .It is interesting to see whole families living in a hospital room. If one does not have family to come live with them at the hospital they get neglected. This man and his wife loving helps and visits with them. He says he does it because of the joy of the Lord.
The joy of the Lord, his zeal to share Christ with others, is truly beautiful. It is breath taking to see what the Lord is doing in this hospital, how the patients have become a community, coming together to take care of one another. In the midst of their own pain they choose to take care of others, and put their needs above their own. This man has a family, a wife, two daughters, one who is two years old and has special needs, yet as he is taking care of his family he is careful not to neglect the needs of those around him.
“Dear Children let us not love with words or with tongue but with actions and with truth.”
1 John 3:18
