What is a Mission Hospital?

- by Dr. Pradeep Ninan   (pjninan@gmail.com)

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What is a Mission Hospital?

These days, it has become politically incorrect to ask such questions! The fashionable response these days is to say that a mission hospital is any hospital in which a Christian doctor works.  And, indeed, there is a lot of truth in that statement.

A Christian doctor can work in any place God has called him to. If he is in the centre of God’s will for his life, and accomplishing the mission that God has given him, he will be a God-ambassador, and a missionary in the sphere in which God has placed him.

Today, however, I am asking a different question. What happens when an entire hospital wants to be a mission hospital? Does God have a mission for a hospital?  Is there a God-mission in which an entire hospital can participate?

Over the years, it has been my privilege to work (for varying lengths of time) in about 10 such “mission hospitals” scattered over 5 states in North and North East India. In addition, I have visited, I think, at least another 10 mission hospitals scattered over North and South India.

You could say that mission hospitals have always held a fascination for me, especially as I have watched, studied and learnt from the way they function, and reflected about the purposes they accomplish in various parts of India.

Recently, I have been thinking again about the question, “What is a Mission Hospital?”  I have dusted off an old PowerPoint presentation I made in 2007, and re-written it as a blog post. I find that writing often helps me clarify and focus my own thoughts and opinions. This is a work in progress as I seek clarity and personal direction. Please feel free to comment and respond. As we discuss, perhaps, more clarity may emerge

I think this may be part of a series of mission-hospital related posts to come....let’s see how long the creative juices keep flowing!

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

(Bilbo Baggins in The Lord Of The Rings by JRR Tolkien) 

What Is a Mission Hospital?

A hospital that claims to be a mission hospital is making a very powerful statement: It acknowledges that God has a plan for a region, and claims to be a part of God’s mission and to be collectively trying to accomplish God’s purposes in its region.

That is HUGE!

As I see it, God might have three purposes for a Mission Hospital. He would want it to:

1. Seek His Kingdom Mt 6:33

2. Serve the poor and marginalized Is 58:5-7, Is 1:17, James 2:1-9, 15-16, Job 34:19, Luke 3:11

3. Glorify His Name by running on the basis of principles put forward in His Word 1 Cor 10:31, Col 1:10, 1 Pet 4:10-11

Understanding God’s purposes is crucial if we are to fulfil them.

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.

"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.

"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.

"--so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.

"Oh, you’re sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Chapter 6)

1.      A Mission Hospital must be Seeking God’s Kingdom. (“Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”)

This means that a mission hospital would not just be finding its vocation and purpose in treating the sick and working on the prevention of sickness. The focus of the hospital would be on seeking God’s kingdom.

The hospital would support and participate in the extension of God’s Kingdom, not just through evangelism, outreach and discipleship, but, equally importantly, through promoting Kingdom values like, for example, social justice and equality (across the sexes, castes, economic statuses). For example, a mission hospital would actively work against bonded labour and slavery, exploitation of the poor and the ‘lower castes’ and tribals and women. A mission hospital would speak up for those who do not have a voice. A mission hospital would get involved in these issues, because it has a higher definition of “Wholistic Health”.

Some mission hospitals may, additionally, also have a specialised role in a specific area. For example, a training institution seeking to be a mission hospital would seek to establish God’s kingdom by advocating in its spheres of influence (and passing on to its students) Christian values and paradigms of compassionate, ethical and competent care.

2.      A Mission Hospital must seek especially to serve the poor and marginalized. (“Let the oppressed go free”)

The priorities of a mission hospital would be radically different from the usual priorities in planning Health Care.

In a mission hospital, policy decisions would always be taken with the poor in mind. This is because God seems to have a preferential option for the poor.

The rich and poor would both be treated with dignity and get the same quality of care –the same amount of time in the OPD, same attention, respect, explanations, and reassurances. No patient would be sent away because of financial reasons. Treatment protocols would be poor friendly; diagnosis would be based on history and clinical examination, avoiding unnecessary investigations, and unnecessary and unnecessarily expensive drugs. Pharmacies would be poor friendly, stocking low cost, generic medicines rather than expensive brands. Specific strategies to help the poor may vary from hospital to hospital, but it would be clear to all looking on that the poor are the focus of the hospital.

Since there are so few serving the poor, a mission hospital would not be threatened by nursing homes, corporate hospitals and medical colleges. Its target population and priorities are very different!

3. A Mission Hospital would seek to glorify His Name by running on the basis of principles put forward in His Word. (“That in all things God may be glorified”)

 For example, the finances of a mission hospital would be clean and transparent. There would be ethical policies in place regarding, for example, cuts, bribes, referrals, private practice, etc

The hospital would work on the paradigm that Christian employees of the hospital are also equal members together of Christ’s body, the Church! All levels of staff would be encouraged, as fellow-children of the Father, and fellow-heirs of the promise, to share in the vision and participate in the mission of the hospital. Hospital policies would promote this equality among the staff. For example, all staff would be free to express opinions, communicate with the administration and have fellowship together with them. The hospital would function as a team, and not as a one-man show.

The hospital and staff would be actively involved with the local church. There would be a clear understanding that the hospital is only a part of God’s body, fulfilling only a part of God’s mission in a place.

The leadership of the hospital would be in the hands of servant-leaders who are genuinely fired-up with a passion for seeing God’s Kingdom come, and have a genuine care and concern for the ones under them. They would continuously ask their target population and staff members, “How may we serve you better?”

Wow! Does this sound really idealistic and unrealistic?! Is it possible to run such a hospital in this day and age?

Let me venture to speculate on ways in which hospitals that start off with noble intentions to be mission hospitals lose their way.

Mission hospitals lose their way

1.      When the emphasis shifts from seeking God’s purposes for the hospital to following man’s ideas. 

2.      When the hospital begins to imitate others, rationalising bad decisions saying, ‘Everybody does this!’, instead of finding God’s will, and leading the way.

3.      When the emphasis becomes survival and the hospital spends its energy reacting to the urgent needs that keep popping up. (‘We need to “somehow keep this hospital running”’)

4.      When the emphasis becomes “Healing” instead of “Seeking God’s Kingdom”

5.      When the emphasis shifts from serving the poor.

Let me suggest what might happen when a hospital begins to really seek to be a “Mission Hospital”

Matthew 6 : 33 (paraphrased for the mission hospital)

When a mission hospital seeks to fulfil God’s purpose for it, and begins to seek God’s Kingdom first, it will be flooded with poor patients in the OPDs. Wards will be full and staffed with committed people, and the community it serves will be transformed. Every resource it needs to serve God’s purposes will be added on.

Luke 6 :38 (paraphrased for the mission hospital)

As it gives to the poor, it will receive all that it needs: good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

Let’s keep talking......

Incarnation

 

A reflection based on one of the beautiful devotional sharings that Dr. Arul Anketell led at the EMFI National Conference 2012 

The mystery of mysteries! The eternal God - creator of all that is - seen and unseen - becomes flesh, becomes one of us, takes on the form of a created being... forever forth!

The amazing and heart-wrenching enfleshment of our Lord Jesus is described in a 7 fold way by Paul in his letter to the Philippians (Phil 2.5 ff):

1.      He emptied himself Jesus did not hold on to the glory and honour that was rightfully due to Him. He refused to grasp that which was His - but let go of that out of love. Self 'dis-glorification'!

2.      Taking the form of a slave Man was meant to be free - but all around are people in chains. Jesus became a doulos - a bond-slave to set us free by his chains.

3.      Coming in the likeness of man This was no avatar - a form that can be cast off later for another form - our Lord Jesus has become permanently human! Jesus - God eternal becomes a flesh and blood man - and continues to be one while keeping His eternal divine nature as well! Oh glory!

4.      Found in appearance as a man People did not see anything special about Jesus. He had no special outward sign to him. Isaiah said he had no beauty to attract us to him. His enemies in the garden needed to sign of a kiss to figure out which of the men was Jesus!

5.      He humbled Himself True humility must lead to death. Jesus constantly lowered Himself out of love.

 

6.      He became obedient to death Jesus gave up all His self-rights and submitted Himself to His Father. Not my will but yours. This was costly obedience. Jesus became the first sacrifice who was both worthy and consenting in all ways.

7.      Even death on a cross The death Jesus suffered was the worst possible, the most shameful and painful way of dying. Only the wounds of God can speak to our wounds - and overcome the wicked mess we have made of things.

Our attitude, our actions, our lives should be the same as our wonderful Lord Jesus. As we serve among people broken by a host of issues - of which HIV is often a late symptom - our only real hope is in this Living Lord Jesus - who loved us enough that He came into this world to save sinners - of which I am the worst!

May our lives live out the incarnation! May people who are 'sin-positive' (100% of this planet - Rom 3.23) awake to the glorious hope of King Jesus! May we, our brothers and sisters and all those around us rejoice in this great hope and love!

p.s. a version of this appeared in the Jeevan Sahara Kendra prayer bulletin – please write to andisheba@yahoo.co.in if you would like to be added to the monthly JSK mailing list.

Is the term ‘missionary’ helpful in our generation?

I attended the Graduate seminar ‘Pioneering Urban Missions’ led superbly by Dr Varghese Philip at the EMFI National Conference 2012 and thought I would share a few reflections after the interesting discussions that we had.

The focus of the seminar was to hear from a variety of people who had found themselves practicing medicine in the urban setting and for us as a group to open our minds to the possibilities of serving God in India, not just in the traditional ‘mission setting’ in remote rural areas but to be a blessing wherever God has placed us.

"Does God only care for those people in rural areas?"  The answer: "Of course not", but have we as a medical profession in the past concentrated more exclusively on rural areas, because the needs are so great, and perhaps become somewhat closed to the needs in urban areas? Have we in our own hearts, thought or decided that the rural areas were more important to God than the urban areas? I confess that at times, having a strong call to seeing access to health come to rural areas, I have been guilty of wondering why we as doctors were not all so concerned and rushing out to serve the poor in rural India... God has challenged me sharply on this!

Those speaking had a wealth of experience to share with us, from working in urban slums through church community development programs to working in their own private practices, and as they spoke it was amazing to see the influence they were having in seeing God’s Kingdom extended through being the hands and feet of Jesus.

It struck me afresh that God is working right now, in all areas and all sectors of society in India, and we will be called and placed exactly in the right position by God, ‘for such a time as this’. Some will be called to the huge medical needs in rural areas where health care access is woefully absent, but at the same time, some will be called to the urban areas. In urban areas there are vast pockets of material poverty and marginalisation, but at the same time imagine the influence and impact that ethical medical private or government practice in urban areas could bring as influencers of our cities, maybe people in high positions, visit for medical care and find something more, finding Jesus’ values in that place. What a light in the city that could have far-reaching effects for the nation of India. 

I qualified as a doctor 11 years ago [not sure if that classifies me into a young or middle aged doctor - perhaps depends on the reader?!], but as we delved into ‘missions issues’ in this seminar then it seemed to be that the new generation of doctors, either working now or coming up as students will bring with them a new wave of practicing medicine in a contemporary way for their own generation. New innovative ideas, understanding the differing cultural issues coming with a more modern and changing India, and it excited me to see God at work through different types of practice.

In the discussion time, different people were bringing up issues that I felt were relevant to us all as doctors in India today. I will just paraphrase a couple of the main issues discussed here: 

“Did working in private practice in an urban area mean we were less devoted to God or not seen as ‘extreme’ a christian as someone who has served on the rural mission field sacrificially for the past 40 years?” 

“Can you be a ‘missionary’ outside of a mission hospital setting?”

These were genuine concerns of those in the room, some poeple felt guilty that they were not able to serve in rural areas, and how refreshing to hear the honesty of those asking and answering the questions.

As I personally reflected on these important points I began thinking about the term ‘missionary’ and whether this is still a helpful term in our generation?” Perhaps I am making a controversial point here, but somehow I felt that using the term ‘missionary’, as well as having great meaning behind it, can potentially generate some negative connotations to the listener. If you are not a follower of Jesus, does ‘missionary’ generate unwelcome thoughts that the missionary doctor is here to forcibly convert or impose views onto them rather than genuinely deliver compassionate health care? Does the word ‘missionary’ strike fear into some of the hearts of those christian doctors who are not called to work in remote rural areas and therefore feel somehow that they have failed for God?

So as I summarise, the challenge for us all is to to simply be the ‘hands and feet of Jesus’, wherever He has placed us to be. Let us have flexible, creative minds to be open to how God can use each one of us, whether in rural or urban areas, and lets shine a light into every sector of society. Rather than being known as a ‘missionary’...  perhaps we could simply be known as doctors in India who love the Lord and want to see the gospel demonstrated through our actions, with integrity, love and compassion to all we meet.  

Dr Mary Cusack - paediatrics

7 Aspects of Jesus’ Healing

From the Seminar:  Faith, Science and Healing - facilitated by Dr. Jaison TM and Dr. Arul Anketell.

The EMFI Biennial National Conference was a rich time of learning and challenge for the 500+ who gathered at the Joe Beach Resort near Mahaballipuram.   We are starting a series of reflections from the conference with this post - and hope that many will contribute.

Here is a snippet from a rich seminar for graduates led by Dr. Jaison TM.  The two hours just slipped away!

7 Aspects of Jesus’ Healing

1. Motivated by Love (2 Cor 5.14)

Jesus was moved with compassion.  The love of Christ compels us.  We see that Jesus did all that He did out of love - He left heaven and emptied himself of all but love!  We need to see this in our lives too.

2. Eye to Eye Contact (Mark 10.21)

Jesus looked at him…  Jesus is us – how much we need to look at those we are working with.  How often our practices find us looking at papers and reports rather than the patient.

3. Attentive Listening (Job 21.2,  Luke 8.18)

Job tells his friends to listen carefully to his words.  The needs of the suffering need to be heard and paid attention too.  Jesus did this.  The woman with the issue of blood told him everything.

4. Wise Words (Luke 4.22)

Jesus spoke words that changed the destinies of those who were being healed by Him.

5. Comforting Touch

Mark 1.41  Jesus was filled with compassion and reached out his hand and touched the man suffering from Hansen’s disease.

Mark 1.13  When meeting Peter’s Mother-in-law who was suffering from fever, Jesus went to her bed, took her hand, and helped her up.

How important it is for us to touch those we are healing.

6. Prayerful Life (Luke 4.42, Luke 6.12)

Jesus was known to withdraw to lonely places to pray.   Praying for the patient precedes praying with the patient.  How much we need to follow the example of our Lord

7. Serving Feet  (Luke 22.27, Mark 10.45)

The master came to be one of us.  Instead of lording it over us, he stripped himself and served.  All through Christ’s life we see this.  How different from so many of our health-care settings today where the doctor has the highest position and everyone else is subservient.

Following Jesus in Health Care

Jesus told His disciples to ‘follow me’ – following Jesus in healthcare means not only going to where He went (in the cities, towns and villages) and meeting the people that He met (Luke 4.18-19) but also following Him in how He served.   As we see how Jesus cured people may we too be used as His hands and feet to bring healing, restoration and shalom!

EMFI Biennial National Conference 2012

Inactivity kills as many as smoking!

Its official.  Inactivity kills.  A recent article in the Lancet estimates that inactivity now causes the same mortality world-wide as smoking does!

That's 5.3 million deaths per year attributable to the lack of exercise.  5.3 million people dying every year because we are not getting enough exercise.

Is this something that is just plaguing the West?  Hardly. 

India has an estimated 40.9 million cases of diabetes.  We host a mind boggling 118 million cases of hypertension (if all the hypertensives in India formed a country it would be the 11th largest in the world - right after Japan's 127 million).  An estimated 8-10 percent of our above 30 years urban population has coronary heart disease already!  (All figures from Prabhakaran and Singh 2011).  


In the same series, the Lancet calls for physicians to include 'exercise' as one of the vital signs (Khan et al. 2012).  Exercise can no more be seen as a pleasant diversion.  It is clear that it is vital for our health.

In India we are seeing a sea-change in our country's disease profile - and a lot has to do with what we call 'progress.' The WHO now estimates that 53% of deaths in India are now from non-communicable diseases (WHO 2011). One of the key reasons for this increasing burden of disease is our increasingly sedentary lifestyles - combined with the stresses that our ever more aspirational life-styles.  

The tripling of our average per capita income from Rs. 19,040 in 2003 to Rs. 53,331 in 2010 (World Bank 2010) has not resulted in an immediate improvement in urban health outcomes.  In fact, we can argue that   aspirational issues of ‘modernity’ may be contributing to our national epidemic of suicides.  We have seen national rates of suicides increasing from 7.9 to 10.3 per lakh in the last 2 decades (Vijaykumar 2007).  A leading study estimated 187,000 people die of suicide in India each year – with the largest number among youth.  Most sobering of all – a 15 year old male in south India has a 3.5% chance of dying of suicide over a 65 year period (Patel et al. 2012). 

So what are we to do?

Well, we can start by being healthy in body and mind ourselves.  There is no use for death health-care practitioners.  The age old saw of prevention being better that cure is never more true for us today.

Get up and walk.  20 minutes every morning.  Get to bed on time.  Pray.  Spend time with the Lord.  Eat moderately and at the right times.  Model a balanced life of work, worship and leisure.  If we are not able to do this, how can we advise others to so?

The Bible tells us that 'your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own!' (1 Cor. 6.19). Our bodies are very important in God's sight. Paul tells us that "We know the body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." (1 Cor. 6.13). What an amazing statement - Jesus Christ is 'for the body!'  Doesn't that liberate us to serve Him through our health-care?  Through our work in restoring and repairing His creation - as well as making sure that these bodies do not fall ill in the first place?

Let us not fall into a platonic trap of seeing only the 'spiritual' as important.  The Christian message that we believe is that Christ is Lord of all. We worship Him not only when we sing songs - but when we have a brisk walk and are good stewards of the beautiful bodies He has graciously given us.  We worship Him when we set our minds on things above - and do not allow ourselves to be conformed by the things of this world, but rather are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12.2).

And we have a task as guardians and promoters of our health in our nation to share these truths with those around us. Can we see a new generation of doctors who step out of being body-mechanics to addressing life-style issues.  A new set of interactions with our patients and neighbours and church-members where we see the Shalom of the Kingdom lived out in every area of our lives - and reap the benefits of health rather than distruction?

Inactivity kills as many as smoking!  The campaign against smoking has world-wide reaped rich dividends in lives saved (though there is still work to be done of course).  Lets get moving!

Missionary doctors in the Himalaya

Challenging words from a missionary doctor couple who have been an inspiration to many of us!

Christian Medical Distinctives

Dr. Santosh Mathew (seated right) sharing the stage with Dr. Manoj Jacob (standing)
and Dr. Lata Mathew at the Whole Person Care plenary workshop (EMFI Conf. 2010)

Dr. Santosh Mathew from Ashok Hospital, Mumbai writes:

The EMFI Conference was a blessing to me personally.

The inspiring messages from Dr Vinod Shah, Rajkumar Ramachandran, Dr. Muralidharan edified me.

Dr. Vinod Shah took a session on Christian Medical distinctives.

Here is a brief synopsis of what he said:

Christian Medical Pracctice is much more than a career or job, it is a calling, a vocation.

When we view Medicine as a Job it causes Weariness and Dehumanization

When we think it is a Career, it causes Professionalization Competition and Neurosis

When we consider it as a Vocation, it Builds knowledge of God and Deep happiness and fulfillment

Another difference lies in the Christian doctor focusing on Healing rather than merely curing. A cured person can be still hurting. Healing goes beyond the disease.

A Christian Doctor has a Patient orientation rather than a professional or a commercial orientation, and this patient orientation is of course subject to what the Christian doctor understands is God’s will. For example a patient may ask for an abortion because she feels it is the best option but the Christian Doctor knows it is against God’s will.

There are three common orientations possible in the way a Doctor looks at a patient:

1. Patient orientation: How can I best help him/her?

2. Professional orientation: How can this patient help me learn the most?

3. Commercial orientation: How can I make the most money out of him?

Christian medicine is not about great performance, rather it is about relevance!!

Christian medical career is about realizing one’s potential not competition with colleagues

Competing with oneself rather with the others.

A Christian doctor is the “master” of time rather than a “slave” of time. One redeems “time” by doing the right thing rather than always doing the “urgent” things.

Good doctoring is not about efficiency/Output. A slave of “time” can be defined as someone who focuses on “output” and forgets the “outcome or impact”.

Attitude to knowledge also differs in a Christian Doctor: Rather than using knowledge as a power tool, He is known for his willingness to share.

He or she uses knowledge to love versus Knowledge for power.

Understanding suffering

Christians believe that suffering is “redemptive”

Indian religions believe that suffering is “punitive”

The Christian God is with us in the pit sharing our pain and suffering.

Attitude to death:

Death is not a defeat for the medical fraternity.

Accepting the praise of patients: A Christian Doctor is prompt in giving the glory to God

Attitude to the unlovely/invisible and the marginalized

A civilized culture is one that looks after the “weak”

• The economically poor
• Socially powerless-women
• Old
• Jobless
• Handicapped
• HIV/AIDS, Leprosy

A civilized society is one that looks after the powerless.

The following are the Christian distinctives in medicine:

1. Having a vocation rather than just a job or a career

2. Healing rather than just curing

3. Having a “patient” rather than a professional or a commercial orientation

4. Doing relevant things rather than exotic things

5. Competing with oneself rather than with others

6. Master of time rather than slave of time.

7. Using “knowledge” as a tool to “love” rather than as a “power "tool.

8. Sees suffering as “redemptive” rather than as “punitive”.

9. Gives the glory to God rather than accepting the praise of patients.

10. Sees “invisible” people

Ranchi Welcome

Welcome to Jharkhand! The EMFI National Conference got on to an excellent start with a spirited tribal dance led using the traditional mandar drum. The dancers sang a song of welcome as the delegates were led to the opening meeting of the EMFI conference.

At the first tea break the welcomes continued! Feet were washed in the traditional way - and many smiles and hugs were shared as we participated in tribal culture - which mirrors the act of our Lord washing his friends' feet!

A new general secretary was welcomed! Dr. Manoj Jacob was welcomed into his new responsibility - along with Manju he takes up the challenge of leading the EMFI movement. It was a privilege to thank God for the work that Dr. Ashok Chacko has done during his 4 year stint - and we are so grateful for what Ashok and Vinita have brought to so many.

We welcomed the Holy Spirit. God spoke powerfully. Through song and word. Through speakers and sharing of testimonies. Through the same thoughts coming over and over again. Intimacy with God. Hearing His call. Sharing the joy of Jesus. Reaching out. Living the abundant life. Seeing God's Kingdom come.

We welcomed new friends - and old! The conference was a time to meet and greet - and talk and fellowship. What a blessing to be with each other. What sweet communion as we shared our thoughts (and some of our sorrows), as we explored dreams and laughed, as we discussed and opened up.

How good it is when brothers live in harmony...

EMFI Ranchi Conference Theme song

EMFI Theme Song: May Thy Kingdom Come

When my heart heaves with your compassion,
When my eyes fill with your tears
When my soul moves with your emotion
They Kingdom come

When I touch the sick with your hands
When my feet run toward your mission
When my being immerses in your Spirit
Thy Kingdom come

May Thy Kingdom come
On earth as it is heaven
May Your will be done
Through me
I surrender all, before your Kingly throne
May thy Kingdom come
May thy Kingdom come

Till we see Your face in each other
Till we love each other as our brother
As our Lord, obeying His one Master
Thy Kingdom come

When we stand adorned in heavenly armour
Joining hands, upholding one another
Marching forth, soldiers for their Saviour
Thy Kingdom come


May Thy Kingdom come
On earth as it is heaven
May Your will be done
Through us
We surrender all, before your Kingly throne
May thy Kingdom come
May thy Kingdom come

(bridge)
Them who know their God
Great things they will do
To extend His Kingdom
To give Him His glory

-Dr. Suneetha Varghese

-------------------------------------------

A beautiful song written especially for the EMFI National Conference by Dr. Suneetha Varghese. We were led in this inspiring song by Dr. Suneetha and her husband Dr. Sujith Varghese.

The Vargheses are serving at Broadwell Christian Hospital in Fatehpur and report wonderful things taking place there. They will be down to only 2 doctors next month - them! Can someone join them? Lets pray and see God's Kingdom come in Fatehpur - and across our great Nation of India!

Take your candle, go light the world...

The end of an amazing experience of unity and challenge - the whole Ida Scudder Auditorium at CMC Vellore full of light and voices singing together as images of God-honouring medical work were projected... A small taste of heaven.

May your Kingdom come and may your Will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.

Leadership

Dr. Vinod Shah on leadership:

In the account of Namaan being cured who are the Leaders...

Administrative Power was held by:
- King of Assyria (Ben-Hadad)
- King of Israel (Joram son of Ahab)
- Commander of Assyrian Armies (Namaan)

Agents of Change:
- servant girl (nameless)
- Elisha (not thought of by the Israeli King)
- Namaan's servants and aides (nameless)

How much of the time we strive for positional leadership. If only I were .... (fill in the blanks - Director, Head of Department, my own Boss, Chief Minister, Important etc.) then I would do ....

But all through history we see that we don't need high office to affect change.

Christians who want to change the world don't have to have a high position. We can be agents of change like the servant girl - who remains nameless - but who had clearly won the trust of her mistress and master - through the weight of her character.

We can be right at what seems to be the 'bottom of the heap' and still bring about change.

Don't tell yourself 'I can't do anything'

Jesus tells us: "You are the light of the world" - we are called to enlighten a world that is in darkness.

Jesus tells us: "You are the salt of the world" - we are called to preserve that which is good - and bring taste to that which is tasteless.

Christian health care leaders need to exercise moral authority rather than aspire solely for positional authority.

Moral authority has to be earned, however.

No short cuts. Integrity. Honesty. Caring. Esteeming. Building others up. Consistency.

Indian Missional Blogs

Do you ever want to learn more about what different people in the front-line of Medical Missions in India are experiencing?

Enter the world of blogs.

Real time accounts of what is happening. Slice of life - fly on the wall - end of exhausting day write-ups... and more.

Here are a few choice links for you to chew on (in no particular order). Click on the link to get to the blog!

1. Views from the Mathews - Drs. Arpit and Amy Mathew share their lives and experiences in a mission hospital in Shillong.

2. What gives - Dr. Chering Tenzing's views on life. She is currently at Herbertpur Christian Hospital in Dehra Dun district.

3. Manali Hospital - Dr. Philip Alexander tells us about the happenings in the hills through the lens of the Lady Willington Hospital in Manali!

4. The Learner - Dr. Jeevan Kuruvilla shares about serving at Nav Jivan Hospital in Jharkhand.

5. Around and About - Prolific (!) writer Dr. Shantanu Dutta's wide-angle views of the world.

6. Chai Chats with the Eichers - Andi and Dr. Sheba Eicher on life and service with people with HIV in Thane, Maharashtra.

7. EMFI Mizoram blog - maintained by Dr. Chhana Ralte at the Durtlang Mission Hospital, Aizawl. Lots of inspirational stuff with a Mizo flavour!

8. Shrink's Views - Dr. Dheeraj Khattula's adventures as a missional psychiatrist.

Please contact us about other links - we would love this to be a launching point for you to taste what different folks are experiencing and sharing.

And do send a note to the different medicos serving in these challenging situations! Every prayer and encouragement helps! One way of doing so is leaving comments on what they have expressed in their blogs...

Happy reading!

Shadowing Dr. Jesus

As learners let us follow Dr. Jesus on his rounds.

At the very start of his action-packed book, the gospel writer Mark tells us how Jesus came home to Simon's house in Capernaum. What an honour and joy this must have been for Simon Peter.

But there was a problem. Simon's mother-in-law was sick. She was in bed with fever. So they told Jesus about her.

So many people around us are debiliatated by illness. Simon's mother-in-law would not have wanted to be in bed - and certainly not suffering from her fever.

Today with the advent of analgesics and antipyretics, most fevers are treated as minor events. Just 100 years ago this was hardly the case. One never knew what would happen over the course of the fever. Fevers were monitored carefully, with a dread should they 'linger.'

Jesus listened to those who told him about Simon's mother-in-law. In one short verse we hear: "So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on him." (Mark 1.31).

How much of the healing that we all want to be part of is captured in those few words. As we shadow Dr. Jesus we must carefully observe every part of his therapeutic and restorative work.

He went to her. How often we expect people in need to come to us. Jesus heard. And went. He goes to the place of the problem, rather than waiting for people to appear at his darbar, at his clinic, at his convenience.

[He] took her hand. That personal touch. The touch of love. He did not wave a magic wand, but let his own hands touch hers. How much we need to learn. How quickly we ward ourselves off from people, hiding behind our desks, hiding behind our professionalisms. How much people are hungry for the loving touch. Jesus reach out and took her hand.

[He] helped her up. Jesus gives dignity and support to help Simon's mother-in-law to regain her own stance. Instead of lying supine and in feverish pain, Jesus has helped her to stand. Oh that we would do so too. How often we neglect to help people up. How quickly we can make people dependent on us and our skill sets, rather than giving people the tools to be healthy and wise on their own.

Now we see the two twin results of Jesus' actions:

The fever left her. The disease is gone. That which troubled her and incapacitated her has now left. As Christians who are in the healing profession - we know the tremendous joy when that which has troubled our friends who are ill finally departs.

... and she began to wait on him. This is the part we usually ignore. End of disease? End of story. But the healing process is not just an absence of a pathogen or the elimination of a root etiology. Healing means wholeness - and what does the person do after the illness? In the case of Simon's mother, she was able to joyfully serve - immediately! How wonderful to see a person bursting with health - health not just enjoyed by the now-well-person, but channelled into serving others. Our work of healing is to help the dear people we serve... themselves in turn serve others! And what better person to serve - than the Master Himself?

Values for Kingdom Healthgivers

A post by Dr. Manoj Jacob:

When we as Christian Health Professionals look around us we see a different value system which seems attractive and "glamorous" but the end is heartache and trouble when God's values are compromised. The people of Israel faced the consequences when they decided to have a king like the nations around them and rejected God as King! God warned them in advance but they were not convinced.

The prophet Jeremiah reminds the people of God.. that “God's plans for them are for good and not for evil…..to give them a future and a hope" (29:11)

Isaiah echoes a similar promise by saying, "He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure" (33:6)

All that we need for our lives and profession is available if we use the right key!

Compromising on godly principles may bring temporary "benefit" but the long term consequences are disastrous.

As Christian health care professionals what an opportunity we have to bring comfort and healing to a hurting world! Only Jesus can give hope and meaning to the lives of people who are desperate. .

I like what Dr Varghese Philip once said: "unless Christians be the salt and light, society will disintegrate!"

May we be His channels of blessing to the many people we meet each day and be the 'salt and light'. May God give us the courage and strength to persevere!

Cleaning the spring

Water is so vital to life. We all know that. Many of us work in situations where access to clean drinking water is far from ideal. We see the suffering of disease which springs out lack of clean water for drinking, bathing and washing.

Spare a thought for a startling report on the BBC website which reports that 77 million people in Bangladesh are being poisoned with arsenic - from the water that they drink.

image by Kameehan - [IMG]http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad94/kameehan/bhatiary0003.jpg[/IMG]

The study quoted estimates that 1 in 5 deaths were attributable to aresenic poisoning - caused from drinking water which has been pumped up using the simple hand-pumps that we are so familiar with in rural India. The aresenic occurs naturally it seems - but large scale use of hand-pumps has now exposed most of the population to this poisoning.

How ironic that access to water has brought with it a poison. Unseen, undetected it was being drunk along with the water for years before the effects started showing up in the population.

We face similar situations both literally and figuratively in so much of our practice.

Many things seem good - but bring hidden costs. The consumer lifestyle which so many of our aspirational countrymen have embraced - with its luxuries and comforts - has also brought some of the highest rates of heart disease.

We also face hidden poisons in a spiritual sense. How many times do our relationships seem to be flourishing, when all along we are drinking small doses of bitterness and resentment. The little doses add up to major damage.

Likewise, what goes in the mind may be small thoughts - but they allow bitter roots to dig deep into us - and surprise us later with bitter fruit.

When the prophet Elisha had just begun his public ministry, he was faced with a challenge:

The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive."

"Bring me a new bowl," he said, "and put salt in it." So they brought it to him.

Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.' "

And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. (2 Kings 2.19-22 NIV)

Notice the situation and its parallels with so much of what we deal with today. A city which was in a good location. So many of our cities and places of habitation are just that - places which offer many advantages.

But a silent and horrible poison which caused damage to humans and the land. We face so many of these - don't we? Polluting effluents, various levels of chemicals from agriculture and pest-control, the massive byeproducts of vehicles and power plants, human and animal wastes - all in levels far beyond the 'normal'.

As mentioned before, we can also see this at a spiritual level. Broken relationships, greed that runs out of hand, ethical standards that are broken with impunity, pollution of the mind and heart.

So what is to be done?

Elisha speaks the word of the Lord into the situation. He uses a new bowl and salt - presumably obeying what God had told him to do - and cleanses the foul spring.

Is it too much to look forward to the person of Jesus and his command for us to be salt and light in this world? He is after all the one who gives living water!

Could we see humble followers of Christ offering themselves as clean vessels and speaking the Good News into situations that seem hopelessly befouled?

I think we can. And that is at least partly why you and I are alive today.

Let us let our Master use us for His healing work!