What you don't hear about missionaries: A story of my husband

This is a story about my husband, and only one instance of a thing he's done in Thailand that he would never write in a mission report or tell anyone.  He will be so embarrassed to have this written about him, but I just have to share this because I don't share enough how proud I am of him or how much I love him.  I know many things a missionary does goes seemingly unnoticed, and many things are never written in a mission report.  Here is just one thing that Jared has done I'd like to share with you.

This story needs quite a bit of prefacing, but I'll try to make it short.  There is an elderly missionary who has been in northern Thailand many years who has recently fallen very ill.  We don't know the entire situation of his background, but we know him through some friends.  Just a few weeks ago, he was so sick that we were positive he would be with the Lord soon.  However, the Lord thought otherwise, and now he is in the government hospital in our town.

Now when I say government hospital, this is nothing like the hospitals in America.  This hospital is affordable to all people of Thailand, and if you are dying, perhaps you can get better healthcare here compared to on the street.  We often joke that you will probably leave with something worse than when you arrived.  This hospital has no air conditioning and no private rooms.  The space is shared with several others with varying diseases and the care is very small.  Your family is expected to come feed, bathe, dress, etc. you as a patient.  You do see nurses at times, but I'm not really sure what their jobs are.

This brings us to the current situation for the above mentioned missionary.  We had never met this man until a few weeks ago when we got a call from his pastor in the U.S.  We were asked to go check on him.  Again, we don't know his entire story, but we do know that no one in his family is able to come take care of him, and he is too ill to make the trip back to the U.S.  There has been a lot of corresponding back and forth between us and the pastor, and we thought most of this man's needs were taken care of.  All we were asked to do was go check on him maybe twice a week to make sure his condition is not worsening.

So this is what my husband has been doing for about a month now.  I went with him on the first visit.  As the person next to me was vomiting into a grocery bag, I realized even though I wore a mask and gloves, this was no place for a pregnant person to be.  We decided it was not safe for me or the baby to go in the hospital any longer and Jared would do these visits alone.

The visits have been interesting to say the least.  This missionary has never met us before, and with him being sick his mind is not quite right, so he is not sure who Jared is.  Jared gets a lot of stares when walking around this hospital as it is very rare to see a foreigner in such a place.  This is where the poorest of Thailand go.  He gets on the elevator and feels eyes watch him the entire time.  As he is talking to the missionary, patients and families watch him as entertainment.

We had been told that someone was hired through the hospital to take care of this man.  At least, to feed him and offer him something to drink now and then.  We found out today, this has not been happening.  This absolutely broke ours hearts, and I was ready to storm in the hospital and demand someone do it!  However, my husband with his gentle, servant spirit, decided to go buy some rice, and go back up to feed the missionary.  He chose to go take care of a man that doesn't know him and probably will not remember him.  He was never asked to do this, and I don't think anyone expects him to, but this is my husband's heart.  This is why God felt he'd be fit to be a missionary in Thailand.  I am so thankful God blessed me with such a Godly man, who would sacrifice his health, time, and money, to take care of a stranger.

As Jared was leaving the hospital today, the missionary told Jared, "I love you."  Even in his illness, this man recognized that Jared genuinely cares.

Thank you Jared, and all missionaries who do acts of kindness everyday throughout the world, never expecting to hear a "thank you".