A taste of pastoral visitation
Angie, that is the name of the girl I visited last friday.
She is only two years old, but contacted a strange disease that puzzled even all the doctors in Singapore. Her body is deteriorating, doctors said that 80% of the chance she cannot survive, and yet, they do not know what is the virus attacking her. They only know this: the virus is as deadly and contagious as AIDS.
They were staying in KK hospital since the previous friday. Every day, the cost of hospitalization is around 1000 SGD. Money, seems to be not a problem to the well-to-do family from Medan who now resides in Pekanbaru. But, money, cannot buy everything. He pleaded, he begged to the professors who visited, that money is not an issue; but against an unknown disease, the doctors are as helpless as he is.
They returned to Pekanbaru yesterday, awaiting the medical report. The report that may ban their entrance to Singapore again, because if proven that the disease is as deadly, it will bring harm to other people with her as well.
I visited Angie last friday, together with my fiancee. She looked lively, except for her lost of voice due to dehydration. She refused intake of food and drink. She enjoyed our company, and smiled a lot, but her expression changed immediately whenever a nurse came into the room. She feared another injection. She feared another bitter medication. Her tiny little arms are full of bruises.
I could sense that she was hungry and thirsty. We were holding a banana, and she wanted to peel it. And we were encouraging her to do it. Half playing, and coaxing, she peeled and put the banana in her mouth, and then her experience changed. She bit the banana, but immediately pull out the entire banana. The throat pain must be tremendous.
The family tried to feed her fruit juice. It was orange juice. She refused and revolted. The father has to hold her down, and used a syringe to slowly suck and pour out the juice in her mouth. she was in pain. but after two, three suckions, she relaxed and I can see the eagerness in her to suck in the juice. She must be really thirsty, but the pain is so strong that she hesitated to admit it. The first rounds of suction have lubricated her throat and ease the pain, and then she could finish the entire 50ml of drink. We are proud of her.
And yet, at the same time, I feel pain within me. Angie is not exactly a polite kid. But she is still a kid. Why should she suffer such a pain, a pain that caused her fear to even eat and drink? and what kind of disease she is having? I am not sure. I can only commit all these to the Lord. I prayed for Angie, together with the famiy in mandarin. The Buddhist family willingly accepted my prayer.
I left the hospital. If this is what it will look like to be a Pastor. I pray that God will grant me wisdom and strength, sensitivity to be able to react and feel, as the patients, people whom I should care for.
Please continue to pray for Angie (not her real name), I pray that her report will be favorable and that her illness will subside. The doctors do not know what it is, but our God is all-knowing, and He is able to save. Life may have all sorts of problem, but we only need to come to God and let Him know about it.
Have you talked to God lately?
She is only two years old, but contacted a strange disease that puzzled even all the doctors in Singapore. Her body is deteriorating, doctors said that 80% of the chance she cannot survive, and yet, they do not know what is the virus attacking her. They only know this: the virus is as deadly and contagious as AIDS.
They were staying in KK hospital since the previous friday. Every day, the cost of hospitalization is around 1000 SGD. Money, seems to be not a problem to the well-to-do family from Medan who now resides in Pekanbaru. But, money, cannot buy everything. He pleaded, he begged to the professors who visited, that money is not an issue; but against an unknown disease, the doctors are as helpless as he is.
They returned to Pekanbaru yesterday, awaiting the medical report. The report that may ban their entrance to Singapore again, because if proven that the disease is as deadly, it will bring harm to other people with her as well.
I visited Angie last friday, together with my fiancee. She looked lively, except for her lost of voice due to dehydration. She refused intake of food and drink. She enjoyed our company, and smiled a lot, but her expression changed immediately whenever a nurse came into the room. She feared another injection. She feared another bitter medication. Her tiny little arms are full of bruises.
I could sense that she was hungry and thirsty. We were holding a banana, and she wanted to peel it. And we were encouraging her to do it. Half playing, and coaxing, she peeled and put the banana in her mouth, and then her experience changed. She bit the banana, but immediately pull out the entire banana. The throat pain must be tremendous.
The family tried to feed her fruit juice. It was orange juice. She refused and revolted. The father has to hold her down, and used a syringe to slowly suck and pour out the juice in her mouth. she was in pain. but after two, three suckions, she relaxed and I can see the eagerness in her to suck in the juice. She must be really thirsty, but the pain is so strong that she hesitated to admit it. The first rounds of suction have lubricated her throat and ease the pain, and then she could finish the entire 50ml of drink. We are proud of her.
And yet, at the same time, I feel pain within me. Angie is not exactly a polite kid. But she is still a kid. Why should she suffer such a pain, a pain that caused her fear to even eat and drink? and what kind of disease she is having? I am not sure. I can only commit all these to the Lord. I prayed for Angie, together with the famiy in mandarin. The Buddhist family willingly accepted my prayer.
I left the hospital. If this is what it will look like to be a Pastor. I pray that God will grant me wisdom and strength, sensitivity to be able to react and feel, as the patients, people whom I should care for.
Please continue to pray for Angie (not her real name), I pray that her report will be favorable and that her illness will subside. The doctors do not know what it is, but our God is all-knowing, and He is able to save. Life may have all sorts of problem, but we only need to come to God and let Him know about it.
Have you talked to God lately?
posted by Suhandy Yao Wei Xuan @ 9:33 am
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