Brenner Children's Hospital Now a Part of Dr. Sparky's Hound Rounds
Dr. Sparky, accompanied by his faithful ministry team, officially began his "Hound-Rounds" at Brenner Children's Hospital this month. I was priviledged to go with them and experience first hand the reactions of not only the children but also family members and staff as well.
I was blessed by the reception received from the personnel. They went out of their way to assist us and arranged to have staff members accompany us as we made our rounds to the differnet areas. They made sure that no child was left out. Even the children who were not allowed visitors got to see Dr. Sparky from the doorway. Each child, including the infants in intensive care, recieved one of the stuffed animals that had been prayed over by our children. The older children were given the special bags with coloring books, colors, and stickers.
It is difficult to put into words the expressions on these children's faces when they saw Dr. Sparky. To see their sad and fearful faces change to faces of pure joy and delight was truly awesome. One girl began to laugh to Dr. Sparky's antics. It was a different sounding laugh because she appeared to be hooked up to some sort of breathing machine, but it was still a laugh. Another little boy was walking slowly down the halls with his I.V. pole. When he saw Dr. Sparky he began to smile and wanted to have his picture made with him I'll never forget that pose with Dr. Sparky kneeling down to put his arms around this frail little child and seeing his face brighten up for a few moments. Every child appeared to be affected by our visit. Even the tennagers thought Dr. Sparky was cool!
Not only the children were touched by our presence. The family members laughed and joked with Dr. Sparky. He took their minds off of their circumstances for a while.
Even the doctors and nurses seemed relieved to have a break from their normal duties.
As I observed the reactions, I kept hearing verses like "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" and "The joy of the Lord is our strength." I felt a lot of God's medicine was being dispensed that day with long-lasting results. It was also thrilling to know that our prayer cloths (animals) were going to every sick child there and that our man of God was laying hands (through Dr. Sparky) on as many children as he was allowed to touch. I know that the healing power of God was imparted to many that day and I am believing for manifestations to follow.
I am excied to be a part of a church that is reaching out and making a difference in our area. The ministry team summed it up with this statement: "If we can make a difference in just one child's life, it's worth it all."
Judy Latham
Sparky and Friends have added Brenner Children's Hospital to their monthly visitation schedule. Now more than children will be blessed each month by this outreach.
