Hospital ministry in Tanzania was an amazing experience. We got to spend 4 days going to visit the sick people. We started out in the children’s ward which is my favourite. My group visited children with urinary problems, burns and one boy had been in a bad car accident. We saw a lot of children with tumours too. It is very sad when you realize that they can’t get proper care if they don’t have enough money. One father said he had been waiting in the hospital for a couple weeks and his son still hadn’t been looked at or cared for. He had been saving for a year just to get him here for his tumour on his head. After talking to the parents and children we would pray for them. My heart was breaking and yet I felt some sense of joy and peace in these children.
Another day we went to the women’s ward. We got to see beautiful women who were sick and in pain. Some had malaria, which for us we just take some medication. For them they don’t get properly treated and are in the hospital for days or weeks. I spoke beauty and God’s love over these women.
The last day I spent in the men’s ward. That was hard for me as I find it hard to speak words to them and know how to speak to them. One man in particular stuck out as he was depressed. He was having some health issues along with losing a close friend in a car accident. He spoke of being depressed and suicidal. He had a lot of life issues going on too. I kept asking God what could I offer this man? Without saying anything I prayed joy over him. My friend said she felt that I needed to declare joy in this man’s life. So without much else I did just that.
This hospital is such a sad place and not somewhere I would want to be for long. My heart is heavy for them and I continue to pray healing over every one of the sick people there.
