Zimbabwe #6

Glimpses of heaven, just a sweet phrase to help capture what our day at the hospital looked like. There are so many stories to I could share but today reminded me that we serve an amazing God who has His hands in the midst of the details.

There were many surgeries that took place today and everyone got to serve in other departments. We had Susan in housekeeping, Connie (W) in the kitchen, Catie was serving with the IT guy, Glenn and Betsy were assisting in the ward with bedside ministry, Deb was observing surgeries, John and Connie (A) were utilizing their gifts and expertise in the theatre (operating room), and I was in Physio assisting with casts getting put on and getting removed. A sweet moment while in Physio - I made a new friend who is 14 years old and she has Cerebral Palsy (CP). With CP kiddos at CURE, they put a cast on their patients to help straighten their legs. This sweet friend had asked if I could stay with her while removing her casts and putting new ones on. For those that do not know, I have a background working as a tech for both PT/OT and in something called Child Life. This opened a sweet space for me to assist in helping her cope, knowing that for her, getting casts on and off is painful.  It also allowed me to know what the PTs were doing and why they were doing it. For her, being that she was 14, there seemed to have been this stigma that she is too old to cry when it hurt. Her invitation  allowed me to share in an opportunity for her to cope in the best way that she knew how, to cry. This reminded me that kids globally can, and do get scared with medical intervention and I can come along side them, meet them where they are, and provide space for them to feel their feelings in the midst of the healing. They say at CURE that Physio is where they make kids cry, and now I know first hand that it is true. These kiddos experience growing pains,  healing that is happening within their bodies, but in the midst of that, the Lord sees their weeping, meets them where they are at and provides space for them to feel. Meeting this sweet friend was a God moment, reminding myself that He sees us and keeps us.

After we all had our time in our different departments and it was time for our children's ministry time, today was a little different, we had the Spiritual Director, Ward Pastor, and Child Mentor all lead us in song to start off our time with these mom's and kids. If there was a moment that I feel would reflect heaven well it would be that moment, singing along with an acoustic guitar, not thinking about anything besides the praise and worship to the Lord. It is hard to put into words how the presence of the Holy Spirit in that room, and really the hospital as a whole, so you will have to trust me when I say that this hospital and the people there reflect the body of Christ so well.

Today's events reminds me of a song that shares "we will feast in the house of Zion, we will sing with our hearts restored, He has done great things we will say together, we will feast and weep no more." Throughout the tears in Physio and worship in the playroom, today was a reminder that while these kids are hurting and their caregivers are hurting, we get to live in expectancy for them to be running and playing without pain and tears, and for that I am so excited. If today was a glimpse, here's to what eternity will be like!

One last day at the hospital tomorrow, pray for all of hearts as we all close a very impactful week here at the hospital.

- Rachel for the team