A Xaverian missionary is called and sent to go wherever Christ wants. Therefore, a person who responds to this call enjoys his vocation. I never thought that my congregation would send me to the Philippines to take a degree in nursing program. I was told about this news when I was busy preparing for a comprehensive examination as one of the requirements to get a degree in Philosophy. I am not disappointed nor sad; however, being a Xaverian brother granted the chance of studying in the Philippines is a special opportunity to look at the wider world perspective. In addition, living in an international community is not only satisfying but also beneficial for teaching me lessons that I will carry throughout my life. When I arrived in the Philippines, I didn't expect to be busy. Day and night there are constant challenges compounded by the busy traffic. The heat and humidity are unbearable, but I think it is not far from the atmosphere in Jakarta. Many friends have told me about the situation of this country. I did not expect that the country where I will continue my studies is better than my home country. I just hope that I would be able to adapt to and learn many things like culture, lifestyle, and people.
As a Xaverian brother who is studying as a student nurse, I believed that many of us may have numerous questions regarding missionary nursing which may include the charism and spirituality of the Xaverians. What is the connection between being a Xaverian brother and a nurse? What are the significance of missionary nursing, the specific effects of spreading the gospel, and the effect on healthcare in the community as well as the effect on the nurse’s physical and spiritual life?
All of us know that nursing is a vast health field with many challenging factors that include not only to protect patients, promote health and well-being, prevent illness and injury, and alleviate pain and suffering, but it is also a particular field that allows to expand one’s present knowledge and enables continuous growth. As a Xaverian brother, I believed that what I chose (studying nursing) is to prepare myself for my future ministry. Wherever my congregation will send me I will always have a job because there will be always sick people. In this way, I can carry out the wish of our founder St. Guido Maria Conforti. He reminded us to look at Jesus, our example. Jesus understood our suffering when he died for us. It was not only the physical pain of the crucifixion that he suffered; he also suffered the emotional pain of denial by his friends, the social pain of being mocked and ridiculed, and the spiritual pain of rejection by God his Father. Jesus treated not only the physical diseases of people but also addressed their social, emotional, and spiritual concerns. Jesus touched the outcast and lepers for whom touch had been prohibited (Cf. Matthew 8:3). On this, Jesus is teaching me that I have to care, not only for physical bodies, emotions, and social concerns but also spiritual lives. I am glad that I am pursuing nursing as a means to bring health and the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not known him yet. As a Xaverian Missionary brother and future nurse. I am called to prepare myself spiritually, do daily personal meditation on the Word of God. My prayer and the time I spend listening to God will strengthen my relationship with God and allow me to advance towards my next steps. Being grounded in God’s Word and having a community of believers is essential for effective ministry that will help me when encountering the spiritual opposition that inevitably occurs when I seek to announce Jesus Christ.
Studying at Our Lady of Fatima University allows me to experience the situation of the Philippines. It has a strong sense of identity combined with a varied and multi-cultural history with its vision of “improving Man as Man”. The university instills in each student an atmosphere of academic excellence together with the social role and responsibilities essential of holistic healthcare practitioners and medical professionals. In this university, I can also prepare myself emotionally by understanding my own culture and looking at how that differs from other cultures. Learning to adapt to different ways of doing things and seeing how other people view the world is a part of missionary work. I believe that God has placed each one of us in our own cultures. I also believe that God reveals Himself in each culture. By learning and understanding another culture I think it’s better to present the Good News of Jesus in culturally appropriate ways. It also helps me to provide better nursing care and health education if I understand the customs, values, and beliefs of other cultures.
The diversity of religions within the world population challenges me to provide health care systems and to deliver culturally competent medical care. I learned from my studies that cultural competence is the ability of health providers and organizations to deliver health care services that meet the cultural, social, and religious needs of patients and their families. Strategies to move health professionals and systems towards these goals include providing cultural competence, training, and developing policies and procedures that decrease barriers to providing culturally competent patient care. This activity highlights the importance of cultural competence in clinical medicine and its consequences. For us Xaverians, especially me who am taking nursing, mission is towards everybody especially the non-Christians, and the fact that healthcare is more than just a way to reach the poor and suffering for Christ.
I hope that what I am studying will help me to be a fully human who can understand the situation of others especially the non-Christians and so come to their help. Finally, I would like to thank the patients, families, and relatives with whom I journeyed along this journey. Thank you for entrusting yourself to my care and for teaching me much about what it means to be a nurse, and what it means to be myself.
