After handing out clothing at the hospital we were invited into one of the woman’s room, which she shared with four other older ladies. What happened in that room was absolutely incredible…
I was following everyone else with an armload of clothing for another patient, and took a quick detour to drop off those clothes and then climbed the stairs to join the rest of the group in Rabina’s room. As I walked in the door , I looked around and there was someone at every bedside and I didnt know where to go. Rabina saw me and invited me onto her bed, we just sat there and sung some songs as Tabia (our new German friend) played the guitar.
I looked across the room and straight opposite me was this old lady who just looked sad. So I waved to her and she smiled, then Rabina introduced me to Alexandra. With a hug and a kiss on both cheeks we became friends. One thing about all this was that it was all happening in the Romanian language – and i am really good at pretending i understand what is being said. So Alexandra starts talking to me pointing at things and either smiling or frowning so I “Da” or “Nu” in hopefully the right places. After a while we just sit quietly on her bed and I start rubbing her back.
I was thinking of all the things my own grandma likes – a back rub, a foot massage, hand massage and getting her hair brushed. And I wanted to do this for her. I went to ask Daniella, our translator to see if she could ask if i could brush this lady’s hair. Daniella asked and we found out she didnt own a brush or comb and hasn’t brushed her hair in over four years.
So once again we went back to sitting in silence. Tabia started playing some songs again so i started singing along with her. And i look over at Alexandra and she had tears rolling down her cheeks. I hug her tight and keep singing.
While all this is going on, in another bed next to ours is almost the rest of the people surrounding an old lady who was on her death bed and she was so frightened to die she kept clinging on day after day. She would sit up one moment and then be fast asleep the next. Amy was praying with this woman and gave her the most incredible gift she could – The opportunity to give her life to Jesus. This woman was ready and as she prayed for Christ to become her saviour a peace just poured over her and she finally looked content.
We all rejoiced with her and then the translator came back to Alexandra while everyone else continued to pray for the other ladies in the room. Alexandra was telling us her story of how she came to the hospital. She had been in the hospital for four years and then as Daniella was listening to Alexandra speak she started crying. She told us that her daughter had been murdered by her son in law, that she just couldn’t take it anymore, she wished she had died with her daughter, she was just in so much pain, so much grief. We all cried with her and I just hugged her close.
As she spoke, it was broken up between sobs, she just didnt want to go on anymore. She wanted to die. Her granddaughters were supposed to come and pick her up, but they never came. She has to pay the hospital every month from her pension of 300 Lei a month (approx. $100USD) which she has to go to the station to get the money and food for when she gets hungry because she doesn’t get fed enough at the hospital. She was just so tired, so lonely and living in despair.
We were able to give her HOPE! Alexandra that day accepted Christ as her Lord and Saviour. What does that really mean to an old lady who is sick in her bed and is ready for death? It means that she is forgiven, she is set free of her burdens, and she can die in peace knowing God will take all pain, sickness and despair and give her eternal life. That when she dies she doesn’t have to worry about where she will end up. It means she will spend eternity with a God that will provide for every need she has.
And once again that day. I felt like I was God’s love!
