MacKay Hospital shows

Mary Livingstone

MacKay Hospital is located in downtown Taipei and is founded by the famous missionary to Taiwan, George MacKay. On a typical morning it’s packed with harried, worried people waiting in long lines to see doctors and others waiting to pick up their medicine or take care of their bills, so on this particular Monday morning, the sights and sounds of our band and children’s dance group drew huge crowds to partake of the joyous Christmas spirit! The music, wafting throughout the first floor lobby area, ignited hope and happiness in old and young alike, from hurrying outpatients to the sick in their wheel-chairs. We, the Tamshui branch of The Family International in Taipei, have had a long term relationship with the Christian volunteers of this hospital as we perform and visit the sick in both of their hospitals about 4 times per year.

This year our Christmas program was special thanks to Activated Ministries in the U.S., we had 500 Christmas music CDs and 500Christmas Activated magazines including children’s activity magazines to distribute! The CDs and magazines literally flew out of our hands to the thrilled recipients!

In the midst of the program, a young woman with her child in a wheelchair approached me, it was none other than the receptionist of our dentist friend who regularly supports our work. Her daughter had been admitted to the hospital recently due to a stomach problem and was doing better. Later, when we visited the children’s ward, we happened upon their room and they were happy to receive the special gift of Jesus’ love, as well as a CD and magazine!

Visiting the sick in their rooms is what we enjoy most as it gives us a chance to interact personally with not only the children, but also with the parents or grandparents who are there watching anxiously over them. After singing Christmas carols for the children and giving them the CDs, magazines, crayons, and stuffed animals, most of them were happy to pray with us for Jesus’ free gift of love and healing. In one room, lay a very sad little 6 year old girl, completely paralyzed from the neck down; however, after hearing our Christmas carols and receiving our gifts, her mother was thrilled and astonished as her daughter broke out into a wide smile bringing tears to our eyes and making it worth it all!

In addition we also received from Activated Ministries a total of 40 sponsored “Mottos for Success” desk calendars to place on the nurses’ stations around both hospitals for the encouragement of staff and patients alike. We also gave 40 of our beautifully illustrated inspirational book, “From Jesus with Love for Women” in Chinese to the MacKay Hospital Christian volunteers. They were thrilled to receive this very special gift.

Thanks again to Activated Ministries and all the wonderful donors who made this possible! You are helping us to make a difference in so many lives!