June 2015

As the photo's show, the Sinekamva Care-Centre (SCC)is making progress (albeit a slow progress!). There have been so many people who have supported this project - from welding clothing racks, donating furniture and signage, providing security for the Centre. Many have supported financially and prayerfully. Others have invested their interest in the project and many have donated clothing and necessities to stock the Care-Centre. I look forward to the opening of the Care-Centre in the next few weeks (keep watching this space). 


Each item of clothing in the SCC will have a Khathalela clothing tag attached to it. I chose the name Khathalela, meaning "we care," as that is the essence of the SCC. Creating a platform of clothing tags, adds that element of dignity and professionalism to the Care-Centre.  
  
Through Sinekamva's Kangaroo Mothercare Project (KMC) the following items have been handed over to the Maternity Ward: 2x Jersey's, 28x Beanies, 29x Booties, 7x Teddy Bears, 3x Blankets. This project remains a blessing to the mothers of premies been born at HH. 

I had the privilege of been a facilitator at this years Hospice Palliative Caregivers Course. Addressing the spiritual needs of hospice patients and their caregivers is always an important aspect of healthcare. A great piece of media to consider is the interview with Morrie Schwartz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LOdPzZW_aQ). A refreshing way to look at death and dying!

Earlier in the year, I directed the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program. The four participants represented Cameroon, Zambia and RSA. This was the first program to run in the Helderberg Basin (normally the program is run at Groote Schuur Hospital) and we are very excited for the future of more local CPE programs. Each program is either a 4 week or 11 week module. This is an excellent program for anyone wanting to improve the quality of their ministry and pastoral care.  
   
With all that's been going on, Sinekamva continues to provide emotional and spiritual support within the wards of HH. We are very blessed to have Charlie Klein helping with counselling on a Tuesday and Thursday morning. The biggest challenge still remains the social dynamics of patient care. Many of their issues are a direct result of trying social circumstances. God remains our guide as we listen, talk and guide each patient through their challenges.

Thank you for your partnership!

Sinekamva Care-Centre

The process on the extension to my office is taking shape. I am trusting that by month end all will be completed and the care-centre up and running. As the photos reveal, people have been so generous in providing Sinekamva’s Care-Centre with clothing and baby necessities. 

Sinekamva wants to express our appreciation for your generosity in support of this project. Your personal commitment is incredibly helpful and allows us to reach our vision of assisting needy patients that need care and love. Your donation of clothing and baby accessories helps us stock a clothing/necessity care centre which is centred on dignity-based solutions to poverty, without making patients feel needy. Every item of clothing that is offered through our centre will be thoroughly washed to provide the most dignified experience. The reality is that many patients arrive and leave HH with only the clothes on their backs – some without even the necessary toiletries. The Care-Centre creates the platform for identified patients to “shop” (free-of-charge) and select an item of clothing, thus giving them dignity/empowerment instead of a hand-out. Your assistance means so much the the patients of the Helderberg Hospital. 
Sinekamva wants to personally thank Seain for helping me sort through the bags of clothing.

Presently we are still requiring the following two necessities to enhance the purpose of the Care-Centre:
* Basic Toilet packs (tooth brush, tooth paste, face-cloth, bar of soap)
* White plastic coat hangers (this will be used to hang all the clothing in the Care-Centre).

If you would like to donate any of the above items or clothing, please contact me to arrange.

Currently, I am assisting with the Clinical Pastoral Care (CPE) program that is being administrated through the Christian Brothers Centre in Stellenbosch. CPE is professional education for ministry. It trains clergy, religious and laity persons in pastoral care  -  out of an intense involvement with persons in need, and the feedback from peers and supervisors, the students develop new awareness of themselves as persons and of the needs of those to whom they minister. From theological reflection on specific human situations, they gain new understanding of the human situation. Within the interdisciplinary team process of helping persons, they develop skills in interpersonal and interprofessional relationships. CPE is a method and standard of training that is well established in all five Continents. The focus is not on text books and lectures, but upon disciplined and supervised reflection on real life experiences with people who are hurting - what we call the living human document.  

2015 holds exciting times in her hand for Sinekamva, I trust that our journey together will be an adventure that God honours and blesses, as Sinekamva fulfills her mission - to provide pastoral care to hospitalised patients, their families and their carers in a professional, passionate and caring manner by focussing on whole person care—body, mind, and spirit.

IronMan 2015

Sinekamva is tremendously proud of LeRoux van Wyk who completed the IronMan 2015 on behalf of Sinekamva. Individuals had the opportunity to fund all legs of the race or partial km's. We are proud to say that LeRoux completed the 3.9km swim, 180.2km bike and 42.2km run in a time of 16h27m19s. Thank you to all the sponsors for being part of the race day! If you would still like to be a sponsor, the banking details are:
Sinekamva
Nedbank Somerset West Branch code: 106012Account Number: 2060 1742 44


A big thank you goes to LeRoux, his wife Marisa, and his children, Lukas and Amelia for their support and dedication to Sinekamva. 

June 2014

The diversity of my calling as a chaplain, lies in Jesus’ statement; “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

The social challenges that I encounter at HH are vast. Patients that never receive visits from family or friends. The new mother that has no baby items. The financially challenged. The cycle of addiction. The sadness of seeing a husband needing to walk to the taxi rank after the sudden death of his wife. All these coupled by their physical illness brings many a-challenge in restoring hope and faith.

Being able to give a new mother a jersey and sanitary items (her family have shown no interest in caring for her), puts Jesus’ words into practice, “...Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Emotionally and spiritually caring for her needed to take a practical step; “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” 

Thank you to all who have donated various items for the mom's and babies of HH. 
Know that each go out in faith and prayer.

April 2014

Hebrews 6:10

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

Every once in awhile it is good to self-reflect on one’s calling. This has been my journey for the last few weeks. Chaplaincy ministry is a unique ministry to evaluate. One doesn't receive regular feedback from patients and family. Neither can one evaluate the ministry through monetary means.

I came across the above verse, reminding me that been faithful with what God has blessed Sinekamva with is important for my morale and His continuous blessings on this ministry. Within the same week of reading this verse, a patient that was admitted to HH for an overdose attempt called me to thank me for the care that I showed her. She was feeling helpless, dejected, hurt, and angry towards life, her husband and God. She wanted me to know that I spoke life into her situation and that I displayed God’s presence – something that she wanted. That Sunday she committed her life to the Lord and although her journey is still a difficult one, she has hope and strength within her Maker. Doesn't God have His matchless way of providing answers!

On an administration level, I want to praise God for answered prayers - I have a fully-functioning laptop!

January / February 2014

As we begin a new year in partnership, I continue to trust the Lord's blessing over your life just as He continues bless Sinekamva’s ministry.

I have been counselling a young lady who lost her entire family (husband  and three children) including her sister in-law and niece, in a tragic motor vehicle accident in the beginning of December (View).

This has been a difficult journey for Jane* as she begins to deal with the loss of her family. As with so many traumatic cases, the pain of unanswered questions remains a difficult theological and emotional experience, while trying to believe in a loving and faithful Creator God.

Helping Jane walk this emotional journey has once again been a grounding experience to the sadness that life can bring and how quickly one phone call can change one’s outlook on life.

James speaks of life's uncertainties when he writes; "You don’t really know about tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for only a short while before it vanishes. Here’s what you ought to say: “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that" (4:14-15).

On a ministry need note; due to my laptop being six years old, I would like to replace it. If you are able to donate a laptop (new or used) please contact me or if you feel you would like to financially contribute to this, please reference donation as “laptop.”

This month Sinekamva was able to donate 16 gift packets to the KMC mothers and 20 toy items to the paediatric ward. Many thanks to all who have donated toys, knitted premature baby items and bought soaps, face towels and sanitary items for the gift packets. If you would like to help in this manner, please contact me for further details.  

*Not her real name.

Sept 2013

As Sinekamva nears the end of it's 6^th year (105 days till 2014!), God continues to bless my hospital chaplain ministry.

Training:

I had the opportunity to facilitate a training programme at Helderberg Hospice based on "The importance of Spiritual needs within a Medical Setting." The Why, What and How of healthcare spirituality were addressed and the following topics were discussed: The Church and Hospital Care, Why Spirituality is Important in Healthcare?, Definition of Spirituality & Religion, Dynamics of Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Pain, Grief Cycle & Unmet Spiritual Need Cycle, Five essential functions of Spirituality, Spiritual Measurement Tools, The Goals Of Spiritual Assessments, Signs of Spiritual Pain/Suffering, Visual Cues Indicating Possible Religious or Spiritual Beliefs and Practices, Spiritual Care at the Time of Death, and How To Effectively Use Spiritual Resources. 

This was a wonderful opportunity to expose the real and valid need of spiritual care for patients. The 25 volunteers were enlightened with valuable information in that patients are more than just an illness in a physical and emotional body, but that their spiritual narrative plays an important role in holistic care.

            Cape Town Baptist Seminary is looking to expand their psychology curriculum, to a more focused pastoral care curriculum. As I have been assisting them with lectures, this further opens the door for exposing the real need of pastoral care as a speciality. It has been my experience that newly graduated pastors receive a “crash-course” in pastoral care; however, anyone who is part of a church would know that competent pastoral care is vitally important for any church. This is exciting for both the Seminary and for myself.

The Teddy bear/wool drive

          The Teddy bear/wool drive has been a real success. As to date the following items have been handed out: Peadiatric Ward (10 Teddy Bears, 3 Blankets, 15 Jerseys, and 20 Beanies), KMC Ward (17 Beanie and Bootie sets, 9 Jerseys, 11 Beanies and 17 Booties.) Thank you to those who contributed to the wool drive. It has been wonderful to have the Parel Vallei High School students, who on a weekly basis, have given up their time to hand out the goodies to the children. If you would like to contribute teddies, jerseys or beanies, please drop them off at Somerset West Baptist Church, or alternatively contact me.

A Pastoral Walk

          I was asked to provide counsel and pastoral support to a gentleman who had been newly diagnosed with cancer with a very bleak prognosis. He had come down from JHB to visit his children, when he took ill and it was then that he was diagnosed. He was very successful in his work and was highly involved in the reconciliation aspects of our country. As we got to know each other, opportunities of life-reflection became evident in his life.  Over the following few weeks, the time that we spent together, was enriching as I helped him explore the relational side of his faith with Christ. A barrier of regret was still apparent in his life, and being a divorced man we felt that he needed to make peace with his ex-wife and his children regarding this. I encouraged him to speak the truth and seek forgiveness for his wrong-doings. This brought a lot of peace to his soul. The full pastoral cycle was experienced when the family asked me to conduct his memorial service. Although he passed on, I trust that the Lord will honour our conversations and that he is resting in God's loving arms. This reminded me of the importance of reconciliation with loved ones and how vital it is to die in Christ's peace.         

PhD

As I continue my walk though the chapters, I have begun to realise that non-fatal medication overdose is a grave issue facing the Basin. I am currently designing a holistic assessment tool that would incorporate the psychsocial-spiritual aspects of the patient. This will not only be important for my pastoral care, but the assessment will provide an holistic picture of the patient for the medical team. If you feel that you would like to financially contribute towards the PhD fees, please take note of Sinekamva's bank details and reference the donation as PHD.  

I thought you might appreciate these real doctor’s comments from hospital forms:

1. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.2. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.3. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.4. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.5. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.