This is our team shortly after arriving at the hospital. Pastor Guillermo Lopez is on the left. Our youth are in the black T-shirts. Hospital volunteers are on the back row dressed in red and pink.
We began our visitation by setting things up. This involved moving some furniture to accommodate the special needs of the children who were able to attend.
In this picture, you can see the children as they came to visit with us. Most of them were hooked up to IV drips and other mechanical contraptions.
All those wires and tubes didn’t stop us from meeting some great kids. We quickly got down to one of the main reasons we came – to make new friends.
Another reason was to help the children take their minds off their pain if for even just a few minutes. Those kids were so brave. Our youth were blown away.
Another reason for our trip was to encourage the patients. Here, you see a boy opening one of our gifts to the children. The inscription on the T-shirt reads:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
The perfect scripture.
Another reason we went was to preach the word of God – to both the children and their parents. These people are shut in, often for weeks at a time. It is hard to get out and go anywhere for long if your kid is sick. And if you are a patient, you can’t go anywhere at all. As a result, these people relished the opportunity to attend our worship services.
What the hospital said about our Youth
“Your students came prepared to do some terrific activities with the patients. The kids were great! They patiently helped the children paint their T-shirts and also helped them with their cross activity. Not only did these students help the patients with their activities, they also arranged the tables and set up for the activities. Afterwards, they helped clean up and put the tables and chairs back, and assisted some of the patients as they left. Most of the patients were hooked up to IV machines and the students were very careful as they walked around the room.
“I was very pleased to see these young people commit their time to helping these patients. It shows great character and compassion for others ... Their thoughtfulness was greatly appreciated … Thank you for the prayers for the patients and their parents, and for taking the time to talk to all of the parents. I hope that they will come back and spend some time with us again.”
How you can help
We plan to help out at the hospital every month. Several more youth have already volunteered to help with this important new ministry. If you would like to be a part of this effort, you can contact us here.
