Monday, November 2, 2009

Prayer Walk

On Sunday night, the missionary family and a number of our hospital staff gathered together to pray through the new hospital. After 2 yrs of building, 5 yrs of planning, and many yrs of praying and dreaming of what could be, the new hospital is ready to be used for God's service. Bill reminded us of some of the first missionaries to Papua New Guinea who started the work here and had a vision of what God could do here. The work of Nazarene Hospital has been going on since 1967, now it will just be in new buildings, and by His grace it will continue for years to come. Steph reminded us that the buildings, made of concrete, plaster, paint, and hours of work, are just a building without Christ. Christ is the cornerstone of this place. We are His hands and feet bringing forth His love and truth with the Holy Spirit binding and uniting us together as we do His work.
This evening was a special time as we prayed through the wards for the nurses, the patients who will occupy the beds, the wasman who care for them, the chaplains and their ministry, the volunteers who come, Dr. Todd Winters and the Nazarene Hosptial Foundation and others who support us, the maintenance workers and the work they do, the cleaners, the surgery team, the babies we care for, the ones who will come to know Christ, the doctors who care for the patients, the clerks and business office folks, the pharmacy and the medicine that would heal by God's grace, the machines and equipment that support our work, the lab and xray staff and the work they do, those who worked to build this hospital, unity, PNG to be transformed, the love of Christ to be apparent in the lives of all who work here, and much more.
The move will start on the 4th and continue through the 6th. Pray for the move and the transition as we get use to doing things in our new hospital. Unfortunately, I won't be around for the move. I am heading to Thailand for a Samaritan's Purse conference with Becky. So Friday on call was my last time to work in the old hospital, and when I come back I will start afresh in the new hospital.