A HEART FOR HOSPITALS
By Christopher Quah
The hospital ministry is a ministry of compassion and love, but it is also one that needs tenacity, long suffering and patience. Sister Sybil has been labouring in this ministry for more than 23 years. Since 1995 till today Sybil has been faithfully going over to Hospital Kajang to minister to the patients there.
“In 1995, while I was working in TNB as an account clerk, I felt the prompting to start this ministry, to reach out to the people in this hospital. God had put in me a desire to pray for the patients in this hospital. Since I was in the government service I had a long two-hour break on Fridays. So I brought Pastor Ann, a pastor of my church at that time to be my ministry partner. We started going to the hospital, level by level doing quick prayer rounds, and giving out tracts. As we continued, the ministry started to pick up and soon we were joined by others,” Sister Sybil recalls.
But then Pastor Ann went on transfer, and the others who had come in also stopped. It was a challenging period during that time for Sister Sybil.
“I suddenly found myself alone in the ministry for about two years from 1999 to 2000. It was a period of silence. This was a time of testing I believe from God. I kept praying for an increase of people to join me in the ministry. But there seem to be no answer. So I reluctantly continued with the hospital ministry. I recalled that I grumbled a lot during that time, as I was unhappy of doing it all alone. Yet as I faithfully went, I saw many people coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. My heart was slowly changed and the Holy Spirit motivated me to carry on. I developed a love for the lost that was deeper than before. Having the knowledge that there is a heaven and there is a hell, I believe that God wanted to use me to speak about Him,” Sybil commented.
She later said that after those two years of serving alone, God finally started sending people to work alongside her in the ministry. In fact, more and more volunteers came to share the gospel with her.
“More people join me, and now we have quite a big group. A bigger group means we are able to help many people who are suffering and are opened for prayers. We shared the love of Jesus to them through prayer and even trying to meet their needs,” she explained happily.
After Sybil retired from the government service, she changed the hospital visitation day to Tuesday.
“The reason is because there is prayer meeting after the hospital ministry on that day, and I live in Seri Kembangan which is far from Kajang. As such I only have to travel down to Kajang on Tuesday during the weekdays. We choose Tuesday because our Tuesday prayer group is also Tuesday. Since I stay a distance away I could cover both on the same day,” she adds.
The change of the date has not discouraged people from coming to volunteer. In fact, Sybil’s group of hospital ministers have increased.
Sister Sybil also encourages everyone to be involved and that the hospital is an open harvest field and is easy to win souls. “In the hospital people are sick and desperate. Therefore, they are always open to prayers. Many souls were saved through these small visits. Some of the doctors and nurses even asked us to pray for them. Don’t be surprised when it is the patients who are the connection to other ministering opportunities.
Many times I have been asked by a patient to also pray for their family members, which gives me the open opportunity and share the gospel,” she proclaims.
In fact, Sybil testifies that every week, there are usually salvations that happen.
“Almost every week of our visit, there will be always one or two who will accept the Lord. My volunteers and I do not claim glory for these souls that are saved. The one who brings the salvation is our Master Jesus. We are just His vessels. What we do is share the love of Jesus to these people who are in need. Even when there are days with no salvation, I always remind myself that salvation belongs to Jesus. Our job is to share His love, and eventually it will find a place in their life. Whatever is being sown from God’s words will bear fruits. One person will sow another waters, but the work will be completed by the Holy Spirit. So all glory to God alone,” Sybil elaborated.
The highest number of salvation she ever witness was 8 people at one time. It was when a whole family accepted Christ in the hospital. One of the testimonies that Sybil experienced herself was of a woman who came up to her in the hospital and told her that she was well because of Sybil’s prayers.
“She said I was well because you prayed for me. But I could not recognise her. Now, that her mother was sick and warded as a patient in the hospital, she wanted us to pray for her. Another testimony was that of a Punjabi lady. When we prayed for her, she kept saying that she saw Jesus. The Lord appeared before her. Both she and her daughter began to cry and immediately received the Lord,” Sybil testified.
Despite all these successes, Sybil said that there are also a lot of challenges. Among them is time. The ministry is fixed on Tuesday 1pm – 2pm, not many can join consistently due to work. Another challenge she added is that those patients who accepted Christ needed follow up. But since the visit is only once a week this is quite impossible.
“Thankfully, those from our church, especially the Tamil and Chinese sections volunteered to help do the follow up. All we do is to pass them the details of the patients, such as the names and their phone number and they will do the needful,” Sybil said.
She also explained that they have to be very careful in reaching out to the patients.
“Because this is an open area hospital where all the patients are placed together in a dorm like environment, we would need to be mindful of those of the majority race which we cannot preach to. We have to check the name of the patients first before asking them. One of the volunteers made a mistake and approach a Muslim lady which caused quite a stir. The Kajang prison also sends their prisoners for treatment here and no one is allowed to talk to them. So before we evangelise we must find out the identity of the patient first. Once in a while some nurses may question us also. Usually the newer ones, asking us what we are doing. So we have to inform those in charge from time to time,” Sybil added on.
The hospital ministry has come very far since 1995. They have even branch out to visiting orphanages and old folk homes.
“I’ve been in this ministry for 23 years. I am 73 years old and I will keep on going till God calls me home,” Sybil quipped.
As such Sybil hopes that more and more volunteers will be able to join her and share the love of Jesus. This as well as prepare a new generation with hearts for the hospitals.
