One often wonders about how much good can a short term team do, but we often forget that impact is measured in people not volumes, schedules and often not in sermons.
I have come back from the dinner with the team that is staying with us now and have been deeply touched by the story that one of the ladies shared. She has served in the hospice and had some special time with one of the patients. I am piecing together this sketch – the glimpse into life of the patient – Xhosa lady. I don’t even know her name, but I will call her Nkolo…
“ My name is Nkolo, I have lived in the Cape all my life. My family has moved away and all those who were close to me are dead. I am 68 years old, ill and all alone… I spend my days looking at faces. They come and go – some kind, some cross & I will never know who I will see next, for you see, I am a patient in hospice care, terminally ill & dying.
“I love watching faces. They fascinate me – the emotions, wisdom, life… sometimes you can see person’s life reflected on their face. Sometimes we get strange faces. The last 2 weeks one face keeps on coming back. She is young and pretty and speaks funny. My English is very limited – I spoke Xhosa all my life. I think she keeps on saying she is from another land, far away land. She takes me for walks in my wheel chair & reads me out of her big thick book. Some of the words are strange, but comforting. Her presence brings me peace. She often prays for me to her God, & I pray too… to go to the place where I am not alone.
“ Last night some more faces prayed for me & I have reached my hands out to that unknown God & asked Him to keep me close… That night was the first night I slept through in a very long time…
“This morning I opened my eyes to the sound of voice reading. It was the strange face again, reading out of her thick book.
I’m asking God for one thing.
Only for one thing
To live with Him in His house
My whole life long.
I’ll contemplate His beauty:
I will study at His feet.
“Listening to that, I lifted my eyes to Him, and reached for Him. He smiled at me and called my name. I have lifted off the pillow and followed Him. As if from far away I heard reading:
I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness
In the exuberant earth.
Stay with God!
Take heart. Don’t quit.
I’ll say it again:
Stay with God”
The lady’s passing on has been gentle as she was listening to Psalm 27 being read to her. She has gone to meet her Creator. The Lord, who cared enough to send someone from far away to spend the last 3 weeks of her life with her. He did not leave her forsaken nor forgotten.
We are very thankful that when the harvest is ripe the Lord sends the labourers. It is so wonderful to see people’s lives touched through someone who is willing to go… And when the Lord calls … would you go?
I have come back from the dinner with the team that is staying with us now and have been deeply touched by the story that one of the ladies shared. She has served in the hospice and had some special time with one of the patients. I am piecing together this sketch – the glimpse into life of the patient – Xhosa lady. I don’t even know her name, but I will call her Nkolo…
“ My name is Nkolo, I have lived in the Cape all my life. My family has moved away and all those who were close to me are dead. I am 68 years old, ill and all alone… I spend my days looking at faces. They come and go – some kind, some cross & I will never know who I will see next, for you see, I am a patient in hospice care, terminally ill & dying.
“I love watching faces. They fascinate me – the emotions, wisdom, life… sometimes you can see person’s life reflected on their face. Sometimes we get strange faces. The last 2 weeks one face keeps on coming back. She is young and pretty and speaks funny. My English is very limited – I spoke Xhosa all my life. I think she keeps on saying she is from another land, far away land. She takes me for walks in my wheel chair & reads me out of her big thick book. Some of the words are strange, but comforting. Her presence brings me peace. She often prays for me to her God, & I pray too… to go to the place where I am not alone.
“ Last night some more faces prayed for me & I have reached my hands out to that unknown God & asked Him to keep me close… That night was the first night I slept through in a very long time…
“This morning I opened my eyes to the sound of voice reading. It was the strange face again, reading out of her thick book.
I’m asking God for one thing.
Only for one thing
To live with Him in His house
My whole life long.
I’ll contemplate His beauty:
I will study at His feet.
“Listening to that, I lifted my eyes to Him, and reached for Him. He smiled at me and called my name. I have lifted off the pillow and followed Him. As if from far away I heard reading:
I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness
In the exuberant earth.
Stay with God!
Take heart. Don’t quit.
I’ll say it again:
Stay with God”
The lady’s passing on has been gentle as she was listening to Psalm 27 being read to her. She has gone to meet her Creator. The Lord, who cared enough to send someone from far away to spend the last 3 weeks of her life with her. He did not leave her forsaken nor forgotten.
We are very thankful that when the harvest is ripe the Lord sends the labourers. It is so wonderful to see people’s lives touched through someone who is willing to go… And when the Lord calls … would you go?
