Two pastors and one sister from Kunshan Christian Church in Jiangsu Province participated in the terminal patients care training of Nanjing Rengu Care & Attention Home on March 28-29, 2017. The theme of the training was "Beauty and Goodness: the Plan of Life."
According to an article on the WeChat of Kunshan Church, Pastor Zhou Jiacheng, director of Haven of Hope Christian Service of Hong Kong, and two nurses were the keynote speakers at the training. They talked about the caring for terminal patients, how to understand death and the existence of life correctly, and how to ease pain for a limited time so patients could spend remaining days peacefully. It was a new subject in the medical circles and society at large.
Pastor Zhou began with "Talking about life in a relaxed way" so that students could understand how the world views death. People of different religions have different emotional states before death. He also carefully explained how to arrange the funeral, body, and belongings after death. Zhou said that visitation from the church is actually visiting hearts. They need to listen and say the right things, help the patients review a beautiful life, assure their values, and express love to them sincerely.
The two nurses used videos to explain to students how medical personnel take care of and treat terminal patients through medical, nursing, physiological, mental, spiritual, and other aspects, so that patients can have dignity in their final moments. It also gives them comfort and maintains their physical, mental, and spiritual states.
Zhou also gave attendees half a day to learn his "Laughter Therapy" as a healthy exercise. He taught them over ten techniques, including a happy laughter, praise laughter, thanking laughter, and prayer laughter. Laughter has been scientifically linked to health, and the Bible says that a cheerful heart is good medicine.
Kunshan Church values terminal care ministry. They have set up an office for chaplainship in Jen Ching Memorial Hospital to provide good service and loving company to terminal patients.
On September 10, 2012, the Amity Foundation officially signed with the local Department of Civil Affairs to conduct the Amity International Philanthropy Valley Program. The unveiling ceremony was on November 8, 2012.
Translated by: Grace Hubl
