Mission Fields in the Northern Hemisphere

Hospitals and housing for senior citizens

In 2020 I experienced a massive stroke and was confined to hospitals for close to six months. There, I lived with suffering patients and various medical personnel. Many hospital staff were new Canadians and minorities from all over the globe—assisting me were medical staff originating from the global south (Asia, Africa, and Latin America). They were physicians, nurses, laboratory technicians, dietitians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, porters, and other vital staff.

Many had left their homelands because of suffering, including political oppression, regional conflicts, and natural calamities. Many had migrated to North America seeking better economic opportunities and educational advancement and were here contributing to the building of a strong nation.

Of course, they saw me in pain, and with tears, but they also heard me pray and praise God for my life. At the hospitals, particularly the University of Alberta Hospital, I also witnessed patients who transitioned peacefully to eternity, even to the very end expressing their faith in Jesus Christ. I was surprised that, often, the patients and the staff were open to talking about spiritual life.

In the course of my time in the hospitals, I was given the opportunity to talk about Jesus to several of the staff who worked with me. I thanked them for their compassion, care, and competence. Before my discharge from the hospitals, I gifted them with DVDs of the Life of Jesus in the Gospel of John. They gladly received the gifts and my thank you cards. They even let me pray for them. One of the supervising nurses and unit managers said to me, “Tira, thank you for bringing light and joy into this unit.” Other nurses, originating in Somalia, Rwanda, Tanzania, ...

Continue reading...

from Christianity Today Magazine
via