◆文／龍樂德宣教士  
◆翻譯／呂巧婕
　　我們第一次拜訪台東基督教醫院是1969年五月的事，當時我們正考慮著要到亞洲展開長期醫療宣教服事。我們與譚醫師夫婦相處了兩天的時間，並被台灣鄉村美景深深感動。那時台東基督教醫院已經完工，但是住院服務還沒開始，譚醫師是唯一的醫生，醫院很需要有一位家醫科或一般內科醫師，但還不需要小兒科醫師。我當時很榮幸能在門診區簡短分享一則信息，我用英文演說，然後內容被翻成中文、台語及阿美族語。

   　 1970年，我在美國服完兩年半的兵役，神帶領竹安和我開始全時間的醫療宣教事工。神非常清楚地要我們帶著三個年幼的孩子在越戰時前往越南。在那五年，我負責管理一個一百床的基督教兒童醫院。在越南，於1975年三月被北越共產政權佔領前，我們都在越南服事。▲1970年龍醫師夫婦和三個小孩前往越南。

   　  1975～1976年間，為了替重返海外宣教崗位做準備，我在哥倫比亞聖經及宣教學院的研究所上課。求學期間，我接到了一通協同會董事打來的電話，他表示，葛理翰牧師決定將「天使：上帝的祕密代理人」一書的版稅奉獻給東基設立兒童病房，而現在醫院需要一名小兒科醫師。

    　接下來的一小段時間，我們募足資金，並啟程前往台灣。我們在1977年一月七號的半夜，抵達了濕冷的台北。▲1977年龍醫師夫婦帶著四個孩子抵達台灣。

　　我們先花了兩年的時間在台中學中文，1978年夏天，我們也在台東度過了暑假，我們在那裡使用了所學的中文，我也有機會在東基小兒科工作。1979年六月，我們搬到台東定居。譚醫師夫婦非常慷慨地把他們的家讓給我們，因為他們的孩子大多都已離家。這揭開了我們在東基服事將近廿五年的第一頁，台東很快地成為我們一家人的家。

　　很多人認為，在台灣服事對我們而言是種犧牲，尤其是在台東這樣鄉下的地方。我們從來不覺得這是犧牲，而是貨真價實的榮幸！首先，我們能服事神，再來，能在全台灣最美的地方服事可愛的台東人，這些都帶給我們莫大的喜樂。

　　在東基服事帶給我們許多的祝福，也帶給我們許多珍貴的回憶。除了擔任小兒科主任、醫務副院長和代理院長之外，竹安和我也帶了許多查經班、英文班、烹飪班和家庭成長班，參與許多醫院和教會的音樂和司琴服事、婚禮和愛宴、醫院和其他單位的聚會、家庭小組、也和教會和醫院的朋友有許多團契的機會。

　　我們與醫院同工和教會會友一起經歷了人生的各種滋味，學會「與喜樂的人要同樂；與哀哭的人要同哭」（羅馬書 12:15）。我們也因為有醫院同仁和教會會友陪我們走過一些艱難的時刻而深深被激勵。其中一個另人痛心的事件，是 Henry和 Angela蕭的兒子在1985年因一場嚴重車禍突然逝世，我到現在都還清楚記得當時的情景。那場車禍中， Leona  Dickinson 差點失去生命，但讚美主，Leona 現在依然很健康。我也記得許多過世的病人，但也因為其中一些人在過世前得以認識基督，與耶穌建立關係而感到喜樂。

　　蘇太太，前協同會聖經學院院長的妻子，晚年住在護士宿舍牧養護士、其他同工及病人。協同會聖經學院原本位於大甲，後來和台中的中台神學院合併。蘇太太的服事對許多人有極大的影響，而她在醫院禮拜堂舉辦的追思禮拜則是一個美好生命的見證。

　　擔任藥劑室主任四年的黃和美非常有傳福音恩賜。我曾經帶一位試圖服毒自殺的少女到藥劑室和黃和美談話，她便帶領這位女孩認識耶穌、得到永生。幾天後這位女孩就過世了。

　　能看見醫院的事工透過專業且充滿愛心的醫療服務和院內及社區的福音工作而成長，對我們而言是極大的喜樂、祝福及鼓勵。

　　我們在台東服事時，其中一些最難忘的時光是和東基同工一起工作的時刻，包括台灣同仁及短期或長期的宣教士同工，以及看見神如何透過醫療在台東做美好的工。

　　一開始，我們是台東唯一一個擁有新生兒和小兒加護病房的醫院。我們很榮幸能接下照顧只有六百公克重的早產兒美恩的任務。美恩是唯一一位我所命名的華人嬰兒，我將她起名為「美麗的恩典」，讓她的父母知「是神的恩典讓你們的孩子活了下來，而不是靠我在小兒科上的專業。」我們也很榮幸在2002年退休前能參加美恩的高中畢業典禮。▲1984年，六百公克的美恩。▲2002年，高中畢業後的美恩。

　　我們看到醫院的規模成長，員工增多，也看到其他大型醫院接收了原本會轉給我們的病患。

　　在東基服事期間，其中一個最大的挑戰，同時也是我最享受的服事項目，是能對台東小學的公共衛生有所貢獻。在我們進入幾所小學提供由世界展望會所贊助的完整健康檢查時，發現只有極少數的學校曾讓學童做健康檢查。我們也發現許多學童有一些健康狀況是需要進行治療或動手術的。於是我們進入離醫院最近的小學，提供免費健康檢查給全體八百三十五位學生，也意外發現其中廿六個學童有腹股溝疝氣的問題，但因為他們從來沒有做過健康檢查，所以都沒意識到有這個狀況。看到台東孩子這樣的需求沒被其他任何機構處理，我覺得即使身為小醫院，我們也應該幫助台東學童解決這個問題。1990～1991年間，在衛生署的支持下，我們踏進台東一百二十五所小學，為全縣共計二萬四千名小學生進行健康檢查（有些學校座落在全台最美的地方！）。我們發現有6％的學生有著急需立刻處理的身體狀況。除了東基的醫生，還有一些來短期幫忙東基的美國醫生協助執行健檢。▲學童健檢。

　　1997年，台東基督教醫院由協同會獨立出來，開始有自己的董事會。醫院的管理權責被交在呂信雄院長的手中，呂院長曾在美國接受完備的醫院管理訓練，在他和他的團隊帶領下，醫院不斷成長，讓我們深感佩服。自60年代就在醫院服事的宣教士成了最佳宣傳，為醫院募集擴大規模、推展事工所需之經費，使東基服務更多台東縣的弱勢族群。我們也看到許多台灣人慷慨地用各種方式支持東基，在這過程中，也讓台灣更多人知道成立東基是因為基督信仰的因素，和宣教士都還在的時候相比，現在知道這件事的人還更多了。

　　2005年，我很榮幸能返台參加信雄的太太，吳方芳女士出版「一粒麥子落在後山」一書的宣傳活動。這本書讓讀者感同身受的內容和方芳在書中分享的故事都令我讚嘆，同時也很感謝她寫下這本書。神的確還持續再結許多果子。

　　過去幾年，最讓我們開心的是，許多病人和與我們接觸過的人不只是受到醫療上的幫助，畢竟這只是短暫的，但更重要的是他們接受基督成為自己的救主，承擔他們的罪，因此得到了永恆的生命。我們很期待在永恆的國度見到我們在台東和台灣所親愛的年輕朋友和老朋友。

　　我們的孩子都把台東當作他們的家，他們都是在台東長大的。我們的兒子Dave是在台東協同會受洗的，他現在在華府當律師。我們的大女兒 Beth 一家（我們總共有十六個孫子， Beth 家有三個小孩）在台中馬禮遜美國學校服務了十八年。我們的兒子 Dan 夫妻在台北美國學校任職（他們也有三個小孩），只要有機會，Dan 就會回台東，並帶他在台北的朋友到台東見識全台最美的角落。我們的女兒 Becky 一家（他們有七個子女）在坦尚尼亞服事。2009年我們第一次整個家族團圓，地點是在我們孩子的「家」——台灣。我們向十五位孫子女介紹他們父母和祖父母／外公外婆與台東的淵源。

　    過去這些年，我們家的主題經文是「我聽見我的兒女們按真理而行，我的喜樂就沒有比這個大的。」（約翰三書1：4）我們把這節經文印在團圓紀念Ｔ恤後，我們深受祝福，能擁有這樣的喜樂，也能看到我們在越南和台灣宣教的歷程在我們的子孫生命中有著什麼樣的影響。這也是在東基服事為我們一家帶來的祝福之一。▲2009年在台灣團聚。

【轉載自2014/5「愛你何只50年——台東基督教醫院恩典紀實」】

THE BLESSINGS OF SERVING AT TAITUNG CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL

◆Dr.Robert Long

　　Our first visit to Taitung Christian Hospital was in May of 1969, when we were considering long-term medical missions in Asia. We spent two days with Doctor and Mrs Frank Dennis and were moved by the beauties of this rural area of Taiwan. Logefeil Memorial Hospital (Taitung Christian Hospital) was completed but the inpatient facilities were not yet in use. Doctor Dennis was the only doctor at that time, and there was a need for a family practice or general doctor, but not a pediatrician. I had the privilege of sharing a short message in outpatient clinic. I shared in English and it was translated into Mandarin, then into Taiwanese, then into Amis.

　　In 1970 as I finished my 2 ½ year U.S. Army military service commitment, God led Judy and me into fulltime medical missions. He very clearly led us to go with three young children to Vietnam during the Vietnam War. During the five years we were there I directed a 100-bed Christian children's hospital. We served as medical missionaries in Vietnam until the country fell to communist North Vietnam in March of 1975.

　　From 1975 – 1976 in preparation for returning overseas I studied at the Columbia Graduate School of Bible and Missions. While there we received a call from a TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) board member. He stated that Billy Graham was donating the royalties from his book Angels to build a new pediatric wing at Logefeil Memorial Hospital, and now they would need a pediatrician at the hospital.

　　Following a short time of raising support we left for Taiwan, arriving in cold, damp Taipei after midnight on Jan 7, 1977.

　　For two years we studied Mandarin language in Taichung, with a summer break in Taitung in 1978 where we were able to use some of the Mandarin we had learned, and I was also able to practice pediatrics at the hospital. In June of 1979 we moved permanently to Taitung. The Dennis's very graciously gave us their house to live in as most of their children were no longer at home. This was the beginning of almost twenty-five years in Taitung serving at Taitung Christian Hospital. Taitung quickly became home to us and our children.

　　Many people think it was a sacrifice for us to serve in Taiwan, especially in the rural area of Taitung. We never considered it a sacrifice at all, but a real privilege! It was a great joy to first of all serve the Lord God and secondly serve the beautiful people of Taitung in this most beautiful area of Taiwan.

　　We received many blessings from serving at Taitung Christian Hospital and have many fond memories of our years there. In addition to my serving as Chief of the Pediatric Service and sometimes Medical Director or Acting Hospital Director, Judy and I were involved in various Bible studies and teaching, English, cooking and family classes, music and piano in the hospital and in the church, weddings and pot-luck dinners, church and hospital outings and other functions, home groups and fellowshipping with individuals in the church and hospital.

　　We were with hospital staff and church members in difficult times and in times of great joy. We learned to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). We, too, were greatly encouraged as the hospital staff and Taitung church members rejoiced and wept with us through some of our challenges. Among other sad incidents I still remember quite vividly the sudden death of Henry and Angela Hsiao's little boy in the car accident, and the very severe car accident in 1985 in which Leona Dickinson almost lost her life. Praise the Lord, Leona is still thriving many years later. I also remember many of our patients who died, but rejoice in the fact that some of them came into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ before joining Him for eternal life.

　　Mrs Su, the wife of the former head of TEAM's Bible School, initially in TaChia, but later joined with Chung Tai Seminary in Taichung, spent her last years living in the nurses dormitory and ministering to the nurses, other staff and patients. She had a great impact through her ministry and her funeral in the hospital chapel was a testimony to a life well lived.

　　Huang He Mei, director of our pharmacy for four years, was a very effective spiritual evangelist. I remember bringing a teenage girl who had taken poison to commit suicide into the pharmacy for Hwang He Mei to talk to. She led her to eternal life in Jesus Christ before she died several days later.

　　Seeing the growth of the hospital ministry not only through skilled and compassionate medical care but also spiritually reaching out to others both in the hospital and through community outreach was a great joy, blessing and encouragement.

　　Some of the most memorable times in Taitung were working with the staff of the Taitung Christian Hospital, both the Chinese and the short-term and long-term missionary staff, and seeing the Lord's work through medicine in Taitung.

　　At first we had the only Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive care unit in Taitung County. It was our privilege to care for "Mei En", the 600 gram baby brought to us for care. Mei En is the only Chinese baby I have named! I named her “Beautiful Grace”, telling the parents, “It is only God's grace helping your child live, not primarily my skill as a pediatrician.” We had the privilege of seeing her graduate from high school before we retired in 2002. 

　　We saw the hospital grow in size, and staff, and also saw other larger hospitals take over some of the referral care which used to be our responsibility.

　　One of the biggest challenges, and also most enjoyable service projects, was being able to contribute to the public health of all the elementary school children in Taitung.  As we went to several elementary schools performing complete physicals on the school children sponsored by World Vision we discovered very few of the children in Taitung had ever had a school physical exam. We also discovered many had medical conditions requiring medical treatment or surgery.  We went to the elementary school closest to the hospital and offered to do free physicals on their 835 elementary school children. We were very surprised to find 26 of those children had inguinal hernias. Since they had never had a physical exam before they were unaware of this condition.  Seeing this need for the children of Taitung which wasn't being met by any other medical facility, I felt even as a small hospital we could help meet this need for the Taitung elementary school children. From 1990 - 1991, with the backing of the Department of Health, we performed complete physical examinations on all 24,000 elementary school children in Taitung County, traveling to each of the 125 schools in the county (some of the most beautiful places in Taiwan!). We found 6% of the children had urgent medical conditions. In addition to our own hospital doctors we had the help of some of the short-term American physicians who came to help at the hospital during that time.

　　In 1997 Taitung Christian Hospital passed from being a TEAM hospital to an independent Christian hospital with an independent hospital board. Eventually the leadership of the hospital was passed to Superintendent Harold Lue who had completed his training in hospital management in the U.S. The publicity of the missionaries who served at the hospital since the 1960s was used to raise funds to greatly enlarge and expand the hospital, and also to expand the hospital's outreach and service to many other needy areas of Taitung County. We have seen many people in Taiwan generously support the hospital in very significant ways, and in the process the Christian purposes behind the founding of the hospital have become much better known throughout Taiwan than when all the missionaries were still at the hospital.

　　In 2005 I had the privilege of returning for the release of Harold's wife, Katherine Wu's book,  A Grain of Wheat. I was both amazed and grateful for the receptivity of the book and the stories Katherine had shared. God truly is continuing to bear much fruit.

　　But over the years our biggest joy has been to see many patients and contacts not just receive medical help, which is only temporary, but also receive eternal life as they personally trusted in Jesus Christ to be their own Savior and "Sin-Bearer". We are really looking forward to spending eternity with these dear friends from Taitung and Taiwan, both young and old.

　　Our children consider Taitung their home. They all grew up here. Our son, Dave, was baptized at the Taitung Church. He now serves as a lawyer in Washington, DC. Our oldest daughter, Beth, and her family (including 3 of our 16 grandchildren) served at Morrison Academy in Taichung for 18 years. Our son, Dan, and his family (including 3 more of our grandchildren), is on the faculty of Taipei American School. He takes every opportunity to return to Taitung and to bring some of his Taipei friends to see the most beautiful spots in Taiwan located in Taitung. Our daughter, Becky and her family (including 7 of our grandchildren) are serving in Tanzania. Our first ever all family reunion was held in Taiwan in 2009 as all of our children returned “home” to Taiwan and we introduced our 15 grandchildren to the Taitung heritage of their parents and grandparents.

　　Our family verse over the years has been “I have no greater joy than to hear my children (and grandchildren) walk in truth.” (3 John 4). We have printed this on the back of the reunion shirts and we are so blessed to have this joy and see the part our years in missions in Vietnam and Taiwan has played in the lives of our children and grandchildren. This too was partly a blessing of Taitung Christian Hospital in our own family.