a shocking evening

Hhm, it comes to story telling time again. Really, my life has become God and ministry orientated,and I don't share things between Chris and I because I am shy, and I don't like to tell the bits and pieces about my everyday life...so the next interesting thing to share will be related to my work... :)

Today there came a mentally ill patient to the Emergency Dept. He is an international student from a one of the Chinese speaking countries,studying a master degree in Adelaide Uni. I had particular interest in this patient because he is a Chinese, I thought I could communicate better with him.

He was detained in a special room guarded by 4-5 police officers. Apparently he threatened to kill ppl.

When I interviewed him, he told me in my face he hated all Chinese Malaysians because we spoke very lousy Mandarin. Because he was mentally ill I just let him say whatever he liked. But it was very hard not to take it personally..hmm

Later a lot of people came to talk to him, a lot of security guards and police were standing outside. He lost his control, started to punch the wall and his hand bled. He dropped on the floor and cried out in tears. He kept shouting he was just a student, not a criminal, he wanted to go back home etc etc

From the limited information that I managed to get from him,I gathered that he came from a broken family. He was a law student in a famous university but quit because of his mental illness.

What shocked me the most was when I found out his brother owns a very famous and successful franchise in Adelaide. Almost all Chinese students in Adelaide know this franchise.

Then I recalled I have seen his face just one month ago, in the shop, taking my order at the counter and handing me my order. He was joking and smiling at me in the shop.

It cut me deeply in my heart and I almost cried when he cried. A Chinese student with mental disorder, lives alone in a foreign country, speaks a different language, despised by everyone because of his mental illness, and now hurting himself.

I went to eat, I went to gym,I took the bus, I walked...but wherever I went, in my mind I could not get rid of the smiling face behind the counter, his smile was like sun shine, he handed me my order, he collected the money. He said goodbye and asked me to come again. The same person.

If only he grew up in a complete and healthy family, if only he knew God loves him. He was surrounded by so many people, if only I had the courage to pray with him and tell him about Jesus in the midst of doctors, nurses, police officers and other patients.

There is a 2nd chance, the doctors have decided to detain him in the hospital. Tomorrow I will visit him in the mental ward. I will try to tell him about Jesus.