Most people are familiar with only the medical care provided here at CMB but tend to forget the emotional and spiritual support we also provide. While the doctors and nurses tend to the physical needs of patients, the chaplains faithfully serve alongside them sharing the Gospel and tending to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families and of the hospital staff.
The Spiritual Care Department features four chaplains and several volunteers. Let’s take a closer look at how our chaplains Sanvilien Donis, Sony Deshommes, Robenson Dorelien, and Luckner Paul provide support and care.
·What do you do as chaplains at CMB? Our job is to provide spiritual support and pastoral care to the patients and their families and to the staff. We are here to offer everyone who comes to the hospital the Good News of the Gospel. We give out Bibles and hymnals to new followers and help connect them with a church in their home area. We also serve as intermediaries for churches and other organizations who come distribute food and supplies at the hospital. For those who qualify for the Poor Fund we advocate to facilitate the assistance for them.
Describe your typical day. Our days begin with morning chapel devotions with the patients from the clinic followed by staff devotions. After our inpatient rounds start. At midday we have prayer which is relayed over the public address system to all the wards, the clinic, the lab, and the offices. We generally finish off with one-on-one visits to the staff or follow-up calls to old patients. We also do home visits once a week. The most special part of the day would have to be morning devotions; there is just something about starting off your day with singing and praying to the Lord.
How do you provide spiritual and emotional care to the staff? We lead daily staff devotions, provide personal consultations, support in the event of the loss of a loved one. We visit them at their place of work and love to get to know their families too. We pray for our co-workers that God would use every part of their work for His glory. We celebrate birthdays and other milestones with them and make sure to let them know they are welcome to stop by for a friendly chat, a cup of coffee, or a song request.
What do you like the most about your work? It is encouraging to meet a previous patient or their family member and be reminded of a message shared during their time at the hospital. Sometimes it will be months or even years after they had been at the hospital that you'll run into them. They might even forget your name but they'll remember how you prayed over them. Recently we met a man who had been hospitalized for several weeks and who was a firm Voodoo believer. The Lord touched his heart and miraculously during his hospital stay he requested that we prayed with him and publicly declared himself a Christ follower. However, his physical outcome was not great, and he passed away sadly. He specifically requested that we led his homegoing service, and it was truly an honor to do so.
What are your greatest challenges? Our biggest challenge would have to be when a patient decides to start following Christ and their family openly opposes and makes all kinds of threats. The opposite has also happened where the family desperately begs a patient to accept Jesus into their heart but they refuse. Not many people know and understand the scope of our work. Praying with and sharing the Gospel with patients is our primary focus, but there is much more to our work.
Any ongoing developments for the department? Yes, several. We are looking to start back with the Sunday night service in the hospital yard. We also hope to start visiting and praying with patients in the operating room and having one of us chaplains on call. The annual staff retreat used to be awesome, and we do hope we can get back to organizing it soon again. It is also our hope that the local churches would partner with us to get even more involved.
Our chaplains are a vital part of the care team; they act as evangelists, counselors, advocates, and encouragers as they bring forth the Word of Life to patients and families. Their work helps improve clinical outcomes and enhances staff morale.
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