The first visit nearly didn’t happen. Then it nearly didn’t happen again.
A Door That Kept Closing
A friend had shared an announcement: the paediatric ward at a local hospital was looking for volunteers to spend time with the children staying there. With Christmas approaching, the first visit was scheduled for just before the holiday — but the children were discharged the very same day. A second attempt was set for April. Same story. The ward emptied just in time.
In January, though, the door finally opened.
Cuddly Friends and a Wordless Book
A regular CEF volunteer and another church member arrived together, ready for the day they had been preparing for. Members of the local church had been invited to bring a “cuddly friend” — a stuffed animal — for each child on the ward. The plan had originally been a Christmas surprise. January worked just as well.
The Wordless Book came along too. In a quiet room, with a young boy, a teenage girl, and three adults gathered around, the Gospel was shared page by page through this simple evangelistic resource. It was an unhurried, enjoyable time — the kind of moment that doesn’t feel rushed or rehearsed, just real.
Smiles in the Quiet Rooms
Afterwards, the volunteers tried to visit two more teenagers down the hall. Both were too anxious to spend time with strangers, so they stayed in their rooms. A small stuffed animal was handed to each one instead. The smiles that followed said everything words couldn’t.
There hasn’t been another visit yet. The ward isn’t always full, and other volunteers are on the rota too. But the willingness is there — and so is the readiness, whenever the next opportunity comes.
What God Does With Small Moments
It’s easy to measure ministry by numbers: how many children heard, how many responded, how many returned. But sometimes God’s work looks like one boy listening to the Gospel for the first time, a teenage girl receiving a small gift she didn’t expect, and an anxious face softening into a smile. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me” (Matthew 18:5).
Please pray for the children of this hospital ward — for healing, for comfort, and for hearts that are open to the love of Jesus Christ. Pray too for the volunteers waiting for the next call.
-Testimony from a worker in CEF of Portugal (Clara)
(Image:Adobe Express)
