The Good News Hospital in Mandritsara (HVMM) is a hospital proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. The team working there are making the Good News known. But what does that look like – proclaiming the gospel in a hospital? Those of you who have visited your local hospital may find it difficult to imagine gospel proclamation there.
Well, the gospel is proclaimed at Mandritsara in two ways – by life and by word. The staff at HVMM are all Christians. When patients and their relatives look at the lives of the nurses and doctors and others, their hard work and service, their caring attitude, their compassion and kindness, they can see Christianity in action. They can see the reality of the gospel being worked out in daily life. That is a powerful testimony.
But that is not enough. The gospel must also be proclaimed in word. People need to hear the good news and how they can be rescued, forgiven, renewed and made ready for heaven. And this happens every day in the Good News Hospital. Indeed, each day starts that way.
When patients arrive at HVMM, the first place they come to is a covered waiting area next to the administration department of the hospital. Outpatients sit here while waiting to have their notebooks stamped by the receptionist and their details registered. They will come back here at the end of their visit in order to pay the cash clerk.
But, before all this, the first thing that happens each weekday morning at 7.30 in this waiting area is a 15 minute gospel service. Patients who have already arrived are joined by the outpatient, laboratory, x-ray, pharmacy and administrative staff, and doctors. as the message of the Bible – Good News – is shared.
Members of staff who are gifted in speaking – like Theophile, the Xray technician, or Euryaldys, the hospital director, or Marco, one of the surgeons, or Issidore, one of the hospital evangelists, or one of the missionaries – take turns in leading. First a hymn will be sung – hymn books are available for staff and patients. Then there will be a short, simple message based on a Bible passage. And finally, prayer will be offered to the Lord, seeking His blessing on the day and on His work in the hearts and lives of the patients, and on all who work for Him in the hospital.
Similar services are held at the same time in the medical ward, the surgical ward and the maternity ward. Services are also held at the weekend in the wards, and another service is held there each evening.
And there are many other ways in which the gospel is made known – as hospital evangelists visit patients’ bedsides, as doctors speak with patients during a consultation, as nurses speak with patients while doing a dressing, as those working in pharmacy give a tract and a final word as the patient picks up their medicines.
So, throughout the hospital the gospel is proclaimed day by day in word and by life.
Praise the Lord for the freedom to proclaim the gospel to patients and their relatives at HVMM, and pray that this freedom might continue.
Pray for those who preach in the daily services, that their words might be simple and clear, especially for those who know nothing about the gospel or the way of salvation.
Pray for patients and their relatives that they might listen carefully to the messages, and be drawn to put their trust in the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, turning from their sins.