But the Serukam experience has taught me, it's not so much of imposing limitations on yourself, or let outside limitations bother you.
Let me try and set the story of Bethesda Hospital as well as I can, just to bring my point across. This hospital is located in Serukam, a small town/village located 1 hour from the nearest town called Singkawang, which is located 4 hours from the nearest city Pontianak. When I first heard about the city Pontianak, I was thinking of something similar to Kuching. But Kuching and Pontianak is really really different. Pontianak has a population of about 900, 000. Kuching nearly 600,000. However, facilities wise, Pontianak roads are as best like Green Road - slightly patchy and bumpy. The houses look really different. While it is quite uncommon to see rusty zinc roofs in Kuching houses nowadays, it is quite a common sight in Pontianak. It's quite easy to guess what building or who owns the building in Pontianak. If there's a wide compound, gated, tiled roof, concrete structure, it most likely has a Indonesian flag in front and it is a government building, or a government official's building. If it is gated, well lighted, tiled roof, it is most likely a rich businessman's. The rest are a mixture of small to huge zinc roofed houses, minimal lighting. Those are the middle class. Leaving the town, the houses become smaller, zinc roofs rustier, and soon enough, concrete replaced by shabby wood or weaved bamboo, zinc replaced by attap. Electricity poles diminish, more and more people seen bathing in the 'rivers'.
The activity of the area is mostly agricultural. A lot of paddy and corn planting, old school way. Burn and plant - yes, the source of the Kuching haze. I've seen it with my own eyes. Acres and acres of burning land in this dry season, to clear the land for new crops. But I could see why. There were really no police for about 30 minutes drive, and the families. They are really poor. How else would you expect them to clear their land? Get a tractor? You must be mad.
Anyway, back to the topic. This hospital was set up 35 years ago. The plot used to be a rubber plantation. So imagine a place. All green. No buildings whatsoever, no electricity, no clean water supply. No medical care for that entire area. The nearest hospital at that time was a few days walk, and does not offer adequate healthcare. Which is why dukuns are evermore popular, despite the fact that a lot of their treatment or 'jamu' contains high doses of steroids, heavy metals or other toxic material. Really intense health needs, with many children dying of malnutrition, diarrhoea, adults dying of TB, all without any ability to pay.
So tell me, what are the limitations involved in building a hospital in this area? Limitations? I was thinking more, 'Are you even crazy enough to dream of a hospital in this area?' Why can't we settle for a small clinic? How can you run a hospital without electricity, trained staff, water, drugs, medical equipment, money?
Oh, okay. You've got one doctor, one nurse, and a container from the US with medical equipments. But still!
I hope you get the picture. I really couldn't see how the big things could be build. Even an adequate clinic would be hard enough. You are telling me a hospital with a surgical theatre, A&E, lab, pharmacy, beds?
Fast forward to the present day. Through many challenges, whether it was financially, lack of all sort of resources - human or materials, problems with relations with the government, the challenge of educating the locals about their health, or disease etc, the hospital is still up and running. In fact it has progressed so much, it has 3 air-conditioned surgical suites (though the electricity can sometimes be a bit unstable), 90 beds (some VIP - more money to subsidize the poor), 2 surgeons, an opthalmologist, a radiologist, a paediatrician, a bunch of super capable general doctors (super capable meaning these doctors are actually capable of doing anything from diagnosing TB to doing surgeries), and at least 100 nurses. X-ray machines, ultrasound, labs. It really is amazing they have all that in a small place called Serukam, where the town consist mostly of the hospital and its staff. Oh yes, and it even has it's own electricity supply from a hydroelectric dam 19 miles away. That was long before the Indonesian government decided to supply electricity to the area.
How did it even get there? Saying that there were no limitations for this hospital to progress is a blatant lie. There were uncountable limitations. So many needs so little help. But yet it's doing great things for God, by God's grace, even to this present day.
So yes, it really thought me about limitations. We are not to ignore limitations. But it is simple. When you see a limitation, though our natural instinct would teach us to stop going forward and just do whatever we can that doesn't require us to get past the limitations, our reward would be far greater if we face it, and overcome it. If there's no electricity, get electricity. No buildings, build buildings. No money, raise funds. No nurses, train nurses. No doctors, train doctors. No water, get water. It's not easy, but limitations are not impossible to be overcome. Most of them are meant to be overcome, by God's grace. Do whatever it takes, use whatever God has given you, grit your teeth and pull through. Keep to the vision, and continue and dream big, even if the walls are everwhere. Persevere with all your heart. Fight for your God-given dreams. Then, they will be reality.
As the parable of the talents go, to some, God gives 5 talents, to some, He gives 2. And to some, He gives 1. He gives according to our capability, and all we can do is not demand for more, and complain that it's not enough, but to use whatever which is already given wisely. The founder of the hospital didn't start off with that many staff. He was given little at a time. He waited on God. He depended on God. He used whatever he had at any given time to bless the area, and train more people, multiplying his resources. And God gave him more, more, more, more than he could ever imagine when he started off.
Despite all that, even till today, the resources are still really well spent, centred on the patients and the community. Every rupiah accounted for. With electricity and water supply done, they could have easily said, no more cold pail baths for me (you know the type of bath where water is stored in an area and you get a small little pail and splash it all over yourself?), no more hot wooden house for me. I've done so much, i want a heated shower, an air-conditioned house. After all, they deserve it, they brought the dam into existence. But step into the missionary doctor's house, you'd find it still in it's humble state, even when the hospital has improved leaps and bounds. They really lead by example, sticking to their motto 'To serve, and not to be served' well. At the end of the day, they realise, it is not them alone who made the difference, but by God's grace alone. And that continual realisation leads them to continue in their humility and service.
Every promise we can make
Every prayer and step of faith
Every difference we can make
Is only by His grace.
Every mountain we will climb
Every ray of hope we shine
Every blessing left behind
Is only by His grace
Grace alone Which God supplies
Strength unknown He will provide
Christ in us, our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone.
Every soul we long to reach
Every heart we hope to teach
Everywhere we share His peace
Is only by His grace.
Every loving word we say
Every tear we wipe away
Every sorrow turned to praise
Is only by His grace.
As a side note, i just realise i'm getting more and more wordy by the day. and i'm still a teenager...if you want to know more, see more, please. facebook available. :D
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