Hospital Ministry:verbatim

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Verbatim#2 David Thang Deih Lian Date of Visit to the Patients: April 07, 2009 Time of Visit: 1:30 -2:05pmPlace: Benguet General Hospital: Surgery Ward Diagnosis: Diabetic Visit: Initial-Up Patient: JA (53yrs) Religion: Catholic Introduction I entered into Surgery Ward and met a man whose name is JA. He was lying down on the bed and reading the New Testament Bible. Actually, I was afraid of talking to him at the first time of visiting him because he seemed very angry himself for the experience that he is going through. I prayed and asked the angel of the Lord to watch over me and the Holy Spirit to give me discernment. Then, I visited and talked with him. We had a great time. However, I was not able to talk with him much on the first visit because I discerned him that he needs to take a rest for the recent medication he has taken. I say a word of thanks and good bye, and asked him to visit again. Now, it was the third time of visiting him. It was Tuesday. I could sense that he is recovered from the pain of operation that he took last Friday. As soon as he saw me, he raised his hands and welcomed me. We had a great time of talking and it was the time that he opened up his feeling that burdened him. I could hear his earnest speech and see the tear which shows his brokenness; the brokenness so as to sincerely repent from his past failures. I personally experienced that Holy Spirit is moving in the two of us because we can understand each other in spites of language barrier. I encouraged and prayed for him at the last moment of our conversation. I was very touched and blessed through this visit. The Conversation C= Chaplin P= Patient C1: Hello Sir Good Moring. How are you feeling today? P1: I am OK today. Take a sit brother. I thought you will come in the afternoon. (He was smiling and gave me a chair to sit) C2: Yes, Suppose to be. But I have class this afternoon. As you have told me you will be leaving this afternoon, that’s why I come here to see you. P2: Thank you very much brother. (He is sitting on his bed and looking at me into my eyes.)

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C3: Do you still feel pain? P3: No, no more. Praise God. I am very ok now. C4: I am glad to hear that. P4: Thank you brother. (I discern that he wants to talk with me more) C5: Every time I come here and visit you, I see you reading the Bible. I observe you that you are really a good Christian uncle. P5: (He is smiling) I read it because it helps me. It makes me free. C6: (I make my voice very gentle and soft) Uncle, you are saying that when you read the Bible it helps you and makes you free, is there anything that you want to share about your life that makes you fear or burdening. I really want to hear about that if you would allow me. (He bows down his head and says nothing. But I just wait for him to response on what I have said.) P6: I feel God’s forgiveness. (His tears are coming out and pause) I read Bible because I feel very lonely. When my health is good, I have many friends but now I am like this, no more friends. Every time I feel lonely in my home also I read Bible as a medicine and it helps me. C7: I am listening and I hear you uncle, May I asked a question? P7: Yes, brother. C8: How does its help you when you read the Bible, what kind of help? May I know? P8: No problem. I was very materialistic. I wanted to be rich and I had pride. I despised poor. I didn’t care about religious things. And I didn’t care about my relatives when they came to see me for help. At that time I had money and many friends. But suddenly, I had this same sickness. I took operation and they cut my right leg. Because of my sickness and conditions, I was rejected by my friends little by little; they did not visit me anymore. I texted them but no reply. Even I felt that I am very far away from my relatives and even from some of my family members. My life really started bored. I blamed myself that I deserved for what I have Done especially not for treating my relatives and family members well. I started to hate people and stopped communicating people. And no choice I often read my Bible which is the only friend I had to read it. And little by little, I started to find happiness and understand God’s forgiveness. That makes me free from being blaming myself for not treating people well especially my relatives and friends for being poor. Actually, this is the second time of my operation and they cut my other leg last week. (full of tear are in his eyes)

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C9: I see, I see, I hear you uncle. So now, you feel that you’re free from blaming yourself not for treating your relatives and family members well and at the same time you overcome of rejection and being bored because of reading the Bible, the Word of God. P9: Yes it is, brother. Oh, I feel more freedom when I share to you these things. I feel that I am really earnest to God. I believe he knows my heart and forgive me. C10: Surely, He knows your heart and your feeling. He knows your sincere repentance and He forgives you. Do you want me to read the Scripture for you. P10: Yes, brother. C11: 1John1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. This is the word of the Lord. No matter what we did in the past, if we confess our sins sincere to God, he will forgive us, and not just forgiveness but also purify us from all unrighteousness as a new person in his sight because he is a faithful and just God that He will do as he promise. P11: Thank you very much brother. C12: And you’re never alone, there is someone who is always with you. P12: God. C13: Yes, God is always with you. And he is our father who always understand us and care for us. P13: Thank you. And I know the song that (He sings) I have a father, he calls me his own, he’ll never leave me, no matter where I go, he knows my name, he knows my every thought, he sees each tear that fall and hears me when I call. ( He is about to cry) C14: That’s very good song and that’s true that he knows us well. Have you watched about father’s love letter. If not, do you like it? P14: Not yet. Yes, I like it brother. C15: Ok. I’ll give you later. It’s a very inspirational presentation about father’s love. I’ll give you. This is my number: +630159726345 P15: Thank you very much brother. I will never forget to day April 07 for being with you and let me share about my life that I kept it in my heart and that’s always burdened me. I feel release today after I share it to you. Thank you brother. (He shakes my hands)

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C16: Thank you very much for giving me your time too uncle. I will always pray for you too. Oh, its lunch time. Would you like me to pray for you now before I leave? P16: Yes brother, continually pray for my perfect recovery and to be a good person from now on. C17: Ok, Let’s pray… Our heavenly father, we come to you, our rock and salvation, asking for your peace and perfect recovery for my uncle. Thank you so much for your care and love. Thank you so much for the healing and also the family, nurses and doctor who care for him. Continually, guide him with your Holy Spirit to be a good person to whom he encounters with. Grand him the desire he has in his heart. Always be closed with him in time need. In Christ name we pray. Amen. P17: Thank you very much brother.

Evaluation of Ministry Focus on the Person’s Story: My patient was undergoing operation for Diabetic and he was under the situation of losing his left leg after losing his right leg some years ago. He felt rejection and he blames himself that God punishes him because of the sins that he committed which I have mentioned in P8. Focus on the Person’s Theological Concerns: My patient believes that God punishes him for what he has done in the past. But at the same time, he also believes that God is loving and forgiving God. He often felt that life is boring when he feels no one cares about him. He uses the Bible as the resource for his healing. He rare goes the Church because of his condition. However, he has his personal devotion and always read Bible. Focus on the Person’s Psychological Concern: The first and second day of my visit to my patient, he seemed very angry about himself or to someone. He even did not talk well to me. He even did not give a chair to me. Later, I discern that my patient felt rejection. However, he did not open up to me because he feels guilty about himself that he does not want other knows. But I discerned that he still has a great hope for the future. Focus on the Ministry’s Story: I was strongly reminded of my visit to the Yangon General Hospital to take care of my Church mate who has the same problem with my patient right now. I felt full of compassion on him. I wish I was God and heal him.

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Focus on Your Ministry: I really want to help my patient if I could. I discerned that he felt angry for what is happening to him and also I am really scared that my father will be like that. I can’t imagine that. I did my Pastoral care, but I felt that our relationship was more likely father and son relationship. Sometimes, our language barriers cut our conversations and sometimes it makes us laugh and concentrate. It makes closer with one another. Moreover, the more we explore one another, later I know that his real need of healing is not physical healing anymore but soul healing that has burdened him for many years. I also had experience that I need soul healing five year ago when I lost my brother. Physically, I did not eat and I became very weak. People counsel a lot to eat and to take etc…but what I need is not food and to take care of myself. I need inner healing. As I listened to my patient, I formulate my goal of discernment. While taking time with him, my goal of discernment has shaped and also I could immediately apply on discerning his need. For my patient, it helps him on talking the forgiveness of God. Focus on Learning Concerns: I visit my patient everyday because I want to develop my goal of discernment since we, each of us have language barrier which means I need to use my gift of discernment to know his need. It is a challenge for me to identify his feeling and need by using my discernment. Looking back on my patient story, he blamed himself for the things what is happening to him which means he believe his suffering is cause by his sins. The central problem what he has experienced was “REJECTION.” My seeking of supervision is that: -what are the methods of counseling if a person is being captured by “REJECTION?”