Dawn to Dust/Morning to Night Part III

As I talked to Ms. Tong, she shared with me that more and more medical staff are using the chaplain service. They have a chapel and have services there on Wednesday. I asked what would be different here than in the US. She said in this particular area because it is more country that when someone dies that 20-30 people may come and need to be attended to by the chaplain. The intern chaplains do not go on call at night or on the weekends but goes with a staff chaplain. She also said that if a person in the hospital becomes a follower of Christ and wants to be baptized that the chaplain would not baptized them but ask a local pastor to come to do this. There are two reasons, that pastor will be willing to do a Christian funeral and will be able to request that their ashes be allowed to be placed in a Christian crematory. She said if people can not afford a funeral that there is a room in the hospital where the casket can be taken for a small service to be held by the chaplain. The room had Christian symbols and could have accomodated 10-15 persons. Outside where the casket will be taken to the vehicle there was a box of sand for relatives who are Buddhist to light incense for their loved one.

I was touched by their openness to recieve me and their compassion to serve when patients may question even more than I have found in hospitals in Indianapolis. They are in many ways missionaries in their own city .... missionaries of compassion and grace.

healing the hurting in Hong Kong hospitals