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Cristine Masters
Nurse
Assignment: USA
Tell us about your ministry assignment

Currently, I am seeing patients at my location that include the homeless, former addicts, refugees, the urban poor, college students, and a few persons involved in nearby ministries. I am privileged to provide access to this breadth of patients. Very often I have the opportunity to ask my patients if I might pray for them as well as ask them about their spiritual history. I have found the consistent use of the spiritual history tool very helpful in our setting. While it does not seemingly offend, it gives the chance for reflection on one's spiritual state and I am able to emphasize that we are concerned with the patient's spiritual health and holistic health. Through the spiritual history, I am able to ask more about the person's support in the community and emphasize the role of supportive relationships, even those that are faith-based. This has spurred on good conversations over the weaknesses of the church and also the frailty of human relationships, while other times, providing the opportunity to speak about God's unfailing love. Further, this has provided the opportunity to discuss with patients the need to root our identity not in relationships, not in ourselves or accomplishments, but rather on the God of the Bible that does not change. Occasionally I am able to point our patients, and sometimes the nursing or medical student following me towards Scripture that points towards these Biblical truths. With a few of my long-term or chronic illness patients, I have seen them rejoin a fellowship or begin checking out a local church.

How many patients do you see in a week?

18-38.

Regarding MedSend...

As we take on more members of our family, we have less debt to worry about because of MedSend, and I do not have to be concerned about our finances as my husband is a high school math teacher in a charter school that serves the urban poor. This allows both my husband and I to serve the urban poor in our city. We are able to only pay our mortgage and have no other outstanding debt.