Dave Mitchell: Hospitalization Leads to Ministry

David Mitchell, pastor of the Waipio Grace Brethren Church in Mililani, Hawaii, is still recovering from open-heart surgery earlier this year. Here is an excerpt from a recent report he gave on a post-op treatment and subsequent ministry opportunities:

ALOHA. I was put in the hospital for a week and just returned home about three hours ago. I did not expect this, but it happened, and for a week they drained fluid from my lung cavity and then did surgery where they go in and scrape the lining of the lung cavity and then spray what is actually talcum powder. Thus the lung is supposed to fill up the cavity preventing fluid again. We'll see. Thanks for praying.

Something good...I had about four opportunities to share Christ. Two different days, two different Catholic chaplains came in to my room having a card that said I was a Catholic....and wanted to give me "Holy Communion."

I shared with them that I was a pastor but not a real religious guy.... Confused, they waited for the next statement..... "but that my faith was built on a relationship. A relationship with Jesus Christ." They both stayed and listened.

One of the nurses was raised for awhile Southern Baptist and then Buddhist and Catholic. She did not like the New Testament because of some of what it taught , one of which was tithing. I explained the NT did not teach the OT law of tithing and that led into other questions and when they wheeled me to the main lobby this afternoon to come home, she yelled goodbye and said for all to hear, "Hey, that man taught me the Bible this week."

This week physically was more painful than my heart surgery in February and I was glad to leave, but in other ways sad because while I may have "enlightened " some of these people, when I left, I left them just as lost as they were before I shared with them and my heart is heavy.

Pray for the wonderful church here. The Waipio GBC in Mililani, Hawaii , is seeking a new pastor that will love and care for these dear people on a long-term basis and they in turn can and will love and care for him and his family as they have done so lovingly to my family and me.