Many more medical missionaries served at Nazareth Hospital after Dr. Kaloost Vartan’s pioneering mission. One such evangelist was Dr. Peter Green, who served at the hospital from 1949 until 1950, along with his fiancé, Hope, and his sister, Gwen, both of whom were nurses.
Dr. Green was born in Harrow, Middlesex, in 1924. His interest in mission work can be traced back to his schoolboy days, during which he served as Mission Secretary at Mercers school in Holborn. However, upon hearing a radio broadcast in 1941, Dr. Green would truly feel an unequivocal call to medical missions.
The talk in question was by W. J. Stuart, then President of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society (EMMS), and was titled Healing for Body and Soul – Medical Mission Work. In his speech, Mr. Stuart proclaimed the need for the gospel to be spread and described how EMMS was making headway by training doctors who would focus on healthcare and missions work abroad.
The following words with which Mr. Stuart ended his speech deeply resonated with Dr. Green:
“One thing I am assured, that if you choose to work in the medical mission field, when you come to the end of your life’s work and are turning over the pages of the past, you will know that it has been indeed worthwhile, that the years have been well spent, and that had you to begin again, you would make no other choice.”
Dr. Green applied to EMMS thereafter and was trained between 1943 and 1948, thus joining a family of medical professionals who served in medical missions worldwide. During his studies, Dr. Green and his peers were given a taste of what to expect in their future work, as they were required to serve at the medical mission station in Cowgate, then one of Edinburgh’s most disadvantaged communities.
His time in Edinburgh would develop Dr. Green’s love of Scotland – he could often be seen in his kilt when out walking. Nonetheless, upon completing his training, it was time to move abroad. Dr. Green’s first mission was to the Nazareth Hospital, where he served for a year before being joined by his fiancé, Hope, and his sister, Gwen. Sadly, Dr. Green contracted an illness shortly thereafter, and he and Hope were evacuated to the UK. Gwen, however, continued to work as a nurse at the hospital until 1958.
With Dr. Green allergic to penicillin, his recovery from the infection he contracted in Nazareth was miraculous. He and Hope were married back in the UK and served in medical missions around the world, including in Palestine and Kenya. Dr. Green never stopped evangelising, even after retiring. A close friend reports that he wrote weekly evangelistic devotions and ran a weekly church service for staff and residents at the retirement home where he lived until his final days.
As Dr. Green’s son John so appropriately put it in a tribute to his father, Dr. Green was able to say, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.”
We welcome you to reflect on the year with us through our first Annual Review Magazine. It has been a challenging year, but one in which the Lord has kept us by His grace. We hope that you enjoy reading news from all areas of our work in the hometown of Jesus.
To view the publication in full screen, click on the box in the bottom right corner of the magazine viewer.
This month is one of profound transition for our School of Nursing, as Dr Amal Khazin hands over the Directorship to Dr Salam Hadid. Building on the foundational work of Nancy Martin, Dr Amal served in her post for 25 years and had a truly tremendous impact on the development of the school, where she herself re-connected with her faith in God.
When Dr Amal took over the school, it had only just started to offer its official Registered Nursing course. She has overseen the growth of this programme, as well as introduction of a BA degree option. Under her leadership, student numbers have grown alongside the quality of the programme and reputation of the institution. Perhaps the crowning moments of Dr Amal’s service have been the building of the modern School of Nursing building and the school’s academisation in 2010.
While it is difficult for us as an organisation to lose a leader of this stature and influence, we are immensely excited about welcoming our new Director. Dr Salam comes with an impressive track record of her own. She has a Master’s in Nursing Administration from Tel Aviv University and did her PhD through the University of Haifa, focusing on factors that influence the success of nursing students.
Throughout her career, she has balanced clinical work alongside academic. Dr Salam (pictured above) started out as an Emergency Department nurse at the Galilee Medical Centre before specialising in clinical pain management. Her desire to develop future generations of nurses led her to teaching posts at Safed Nursing School and later Safed Academic College, where she went on to become lead of their nursing programme before joining our School of Nursing this month.
Like Dr Amal, Dr Salam has a strong faith in God and asserts that this will be the basis of her leadership. With a strong background in nursing, academia and leadership, she brings a unique blend of skills and experience that will ensure the School of Nursing continues to thrive and develop. If you’re interested in learning more about Dr Salam and her exciting plans for the school, be sure to keep an eye out for our Annual Review Magazine next month, which will also include a full profile on Dr Amal among other interesting content about the Nazareth Trust’s various operations.
This past week, the Nazareth Trust hosted a digital consultation on Pastoral Care with Christian leaders from Nazareth. The theme of the meeting was Hospitality as Holiness and provided a compelling framework for our discussion as we reflected on the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, who brought healing, wholeness and holiness to people as a sign of the hospitality of God.
The challenge this poses for us as Christ followers in the midst of COVID-19 is how to extend the hospitality of God, which we have received through Jesus, to those who are sick and suffering from the physical, social, emotional and spiritual impact of this pandemic?
We enjoyed a fruitful time of discussion on how leaders from the Church and Religious Institutions in Nazareth and surrounding areas can strengthen and support the pastoral care of the Nazareth Hospital, as well as the French and Italian Hospitals in Nazareth. It was agreed that pastoral care to the sick provides a wonderful opportunity to express our unity in Christ as we seek to minister with his love and compassion to all those in need at this challenging time for Church and Society.
We agreed to follow-up this discussion with a list of actions to give practical expression to our reflections and are hopeful that this will result in a fruitful ministry of prayer and presence across the three Nazareth Hospitals, as we seek to extend the hospitality of God to all those who need healing and wholeness in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus of Nazareth!
On behalf of the Pastoral Care Team,
Frank Kantor
Spiritual Director
With great sadness we write to inform you of the passing of Amin Shurrush. He and his wife, Jane, who works within our SERVE Nazareth team, were involved in a roadside accident this past week. Jane sustained several injuries and is recovering at Nazareth Hospital.
The loss of Amin has been felt deeply throughout the Nazareth Trust, where he made a tremendous impact over the better part of three decades. He joined the maintenance team at the hospital in 1994 and served there for 24 years before moving to Nazareth Village three years ago. Village Director, Maha Sayegh, describes Amin’s daily efforts as having been essential to the project’s growth.
Upon joining the Village initially, Amin quickly found his way into the hearts of the team with his kind nature and unwavering commitment to his job. To discuss a project with Amin was to consider it done. Maha reflects that this was often literally the case, with her experienced technician always a step ahead when it came to planning.
His eagerness to excel in the workplace did not prevent Amin from looking out for his colleagues. He had their backs and could be counted on to evoke a smile during even the most challenging of times. He never missed an opportunity to serve, and for his service and kindness leaves a great legacy at Nazareth Village and the hospital where he worked before.
Maha’s sentiments are echoed by Amin’s former boss at the hospital, Nassim Eid. He remembers the way that Amin was able to bridge divides between people, a truly invaluable gift within any team. Mostly he did this by setting an example himself; he was quick to resolve disagreements with words when they were needed.
Amin took it upon himself to bring his colleagues together, almost always in attendance at social events and often the organiser of gatherings himself. He was considered by all a trust-worthy confidant and a wonderful friend. He loved his family dearly and took great joy in spending time with his grandchildren.
Aside from his work in maintenance, being married to Jane meant that Amin was also involved with our SERVE Nazareth volunteers. Some he took on to assist with projects at the Village, while many more he met over coffee or a meal in his own home. He made time for them, as he did for anyone in need. Having lived in the United States himself, he helped to bridge the culture gap for so many. Christine Farah, Jane’s colleague at SERVE and Director of the programme, reflects on how the volunteers found him easy to talk to, his manner warm and welcoming, his smile reassuring. He joked light-heartedly. He made them feel at home.
These few words are but a glimpse into the heart of a man who simply cannot be replaced. Amin will be missed terribly. We thank God for the time he gave Amin, and for that which Amin gave to us and all who encountered him. He will always be remembered at the Nazareth Trust.
Lastly, please keep Jane in your prayers, as well as their two children and the rest of the Shurrush family. Following the accident, Jane was taken to Afula and then transferred to our hospital on Friday, where we are grateful to have her in our care. She faces surgery in the coming days and a long period of recovery thereafter. The family has already expressed the profound feeling of support they are experiencing knowing that they are in the prayers of so many around the world. May we continue to lift them up to the Lord as a global community of Christ.
As Spring swelters into Summer throughout the nation of Israel, we bring you news about the COVID-19 situation and its effect on our operations and ministry here in Nazareth. While there are many positives upon which to reflect, the situation remains fluid and your prayers and support are greatly needed.
You may have read that over the past month the Israeli government has slowly been easing lockdown restrictions, with schools and parks reopening, as well as certain businesses, such as restaurants. The decision to proceed in this manner was taken after a drop in new cases of COVID-19 and deaths related to the illness. However, increased activity around the country has brought with it a new spike in infections, causing the government to review lockdown restrictions. We anticipate a more cautious approach until the infection rate again plateaus and declines.
For the Nazareth Hospital, where regular activities have begun to resume over the past month, these recent developments have our staff on high alert. We remain ready and able to support our local community as the designated COVID-19 hospital for the area.
While the outlook is that this difficult period, during which our income stream at the hospital is being restricted, will continue, we must continue to invest in our future. Plans are in place to complete the much-needed renovation of the Maternity Ward later this year and begin renovating the Labour Rooms. Aside from this, a key focus has been to connect with the newly formed government and its Ministries of Health and Finance to ensure that we retain crucial support at state level. Please pray over these matters at the hospital.
Amid the uncertainty that we face, our pastoral care team (pictured above) remains a consistent blessing as they continue to serve the spiritual needs of staff and patients alike who welcome them. The positive impact of their ministry strengthens and encourages us as an organisation. We hope that you, our supporters, take heart from their stories once more:
On one recent prayer walk through the hospital, our team were recognised and welcomed by two workers. “Thanks to God we are doing well and we have become more relaxed because of your visits,” one of them remarked. On previous visits, these workers had shared about their struggles with an increased workload due to COVID-19. The team were encouraged that something as small as a short visit and prayer had had an impact
Throughout the hospital, those to whom our team minister might not always share the same faith, but the value of prayer is understood, its impact felt and seen. The team were recently greeted warmly in a part of the hospital where the week prior they were told of several challenges faced by the department’s staff. “Our prayers from last week were partially answered already,” one worker declared. It was clear to the team that being able to share this news was a great joy for these staff members.
For some, the prayers of our pastoral care team build upon an active life of faith, while for others it is helping to reignite tinders that had perhaps begun to fade: “We haven’t done this for a long time,” admitted a member of the hospital staff. “This is what we need. Thank you.” In other parts of the hospital, staff are talking about the sustained impact of the consistent prayer around them. One staff member recollected the recent Easter season: “It was different this year – I was not focused on the show but on the prayers. I prayed for the first time from the heart. I think it is because of the corona virus.”
Still, many continue to endure a prolonged period of being stretched physically, emotionally and spiritually. “During this corona virus I have had no time to pray and read the Bible, because we are so busy,” explained one of our staff members during the team’s weekly visit to her department. “I even had to decide to stop doing youth ministry in my church, because I can’t give what I do not have.” After she shared her burdens, the team prayed and read scripture with her. We trust that in time her prayers will be answered, as has already happened for others.
As an organisation, we continue to seek out God’s message for us during this time of uncertainty and hardship. While our list of prayer requests seems to grow each week, there is much for which we are grateful. Our Director of the School of Nursing, Dr Amal Khazin, admits that running lectures remotely has had its challenges, but remains thankful that her staff and students are safe: “We feel we are blessed all the time, but I specially thank God that not one student or teacher got infected.”
Elsewhere in the hospital, our Head of Pharmacy, Marlene Hakim, is grateful that supply-line disruptions have not impacted her stock: “We are getting our medications. We have received [the] help that we needed.” Marlene is also thankful for the presence of the pastoral care team. Speaking to one of our team members, she said, “Through your coming, I’ve thought that maybe God is watching us and He could see the difficulties that I was in, because many people were absent who used to work with me… I’m sure He sent you to us.”
The feeling that God is working through this situation, particularly through the pastoral care team, is echoed by our Head of Nursing for ER, Wael Shomer. “The ER is a very difficult place to work… We are feeling the support from you and from the Lord,” he said to one of our team members. Wael emphasizes as well the importance of educating staff about what is happening: “In the beginning, all the staff, there was a high level of fear, but we have regained our trust in the Lord and our strength.” Together, with the help of the Lord, we are finding our way forward.
Thank you for taking the time to stay up to date with our work in Nazareth. Without your prayers and support, none of this would be possible. Please continue to pray over all areas of our work, including the Nazareth Hospital, the School of Nursing, our SERVE volunteer programme and the Nazareth Village.
Lastly, we would like to express our thanks once again for the invaluable life of Dr. Runa Mackay, who recently passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones. As a doctor in paediatrics and obstetrics at the Nazareth Hospital, Runa gave so much to the community of Nazareth over two decades and was a blessing in the lives of many more in need throughout the course of her life. A deeper reflection on Runa’s life’s work in Nazareth and beyond can be found on our website.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Mayhew
Chief Executive Officer
We are saddened to learn of the passing of Dr Runa Mackay, who dedicated her life to the service of others through healthcare, spending 30 years working in the community of Nazareth and its surrounds.
Runa found her way to Nazareth early on in her medical career. Having grown up in Hull, she graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1944 before working as a resident physician at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. After a brief role in paediatrics in the North of England in 1954, Runa made the move to the Middle East as a locum covering a friend’s role for 6 months at the Nazareth Hospital.
It was during this time that Runa began to feel that Nazareth could turn into her life’s work. After a year-long extension of her cover role, she joined the Nazareth Hospital full-time and delivered 20 years of service in paediatrics and obstetrics. Her time with the hospital came to an end following a sabbatical in India, during which Runa felt called to take her Christian medical witness beyond the hospital walls. She went on to work for the Israeli Ministry of Health as a District Medical Officer in a village near Nazareth and served in this region for the next decade.
Upon retiring in 1985, Runa moved back to Edinburgh and took up further studies in Arabic and Islamic Studies at her alma mater. She began spending the long university vacations working for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and in 1987 spent time working in refugee camps in Lebanon, especially Qasmiyeh camp, to which she returned five years later to complete a further two years of medical service.
Runa returned to Scotland in 1995, whereupon her book, Exile in Israel, was published, reflecting on four decades of living and working as a doctor in the Middle East. She remained active in multiple areas of charitable work throughout her retirement and in 2014 was recognised with MAP’s lifetime achievement award.
A life as well lived as Runa’s cannot possibly be captured in a few short paragraphs. Her career was selfless, her influence vast and her witness true. At the Nazareth Hospital and within the broader body of the Nazareth Trust, Runa will be missed terribly.
