{"id":6225,"date":"2026-03-28T10:29:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T14:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africacriesout.net\/?p=6225"},"modified":"2026-04-12T10:30:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T14:30:06","slug":"reflections-before-the-surgical-mission-in-memory-of-my-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africacriesout.org\/cn\/reflections-before-the-surgical-mission-in-memory-of-my-father\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections Before the Surgical Mission \u2014 In Memory of My Father"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reflections Before the Surgical Mission \u2014 In Memory of My Father<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Africa Cries Out Report \u2014 Issue 10, 2026<\/strong>
\nZhao Rong<\/strong>
\nMarch 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

The annual \u975e\u6d32\u54ed\u6ce3<\/em> medical mission in Senegal is about to begin, and the surgical team will depart this week. Last Saturday morning, we had just finished our pre\u2011departure online meeting, and then immediately began sorting supplies and packing luggage. In the midst of this busyness, my father\u2014who had passed away not long ago\u2014kept coming to mind. Many things may appear accidental, yet perhaps each has its own rhythm and arrangement.<\/p>\n

I have been a believer for more than ten years, but I rarely talked about faith directly with my parents. I always felt there would be plenty of time in the future; they were still in relatively good health, and I assumed there would be opportunities to communicate slowly. My parents\u2019 generation grew up in an environment that emphasized rationality and science. They were well\u2011educated and had a clear, stable worldview. They never opposed my faith; in fact, they somewhat understood it\u2014thinking that living overseas, it was good for a person to have some spiritual support. They appreciated people who worked diligently and helped others, which gave them peace of mind.<\/p>\n

Everything began to change only after my father became ill.
\nAt age seventy\u2011two, he suffered a sudden cerebrovascular accident. He spent months in the ICU, followed by a long period of rehabilitation. Although he eventually regained the ability to walk, the right side of his body remained weak, and he essentially lost the ability to read and write. His speech also became difficult. From then on, his condition was never truly stable. I tried to talk with him about deeper matters, but his comprehension had declined significantly. I don\u2019t know how much he understood\u2014only that he would quietly nod.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

At the end of last year, my father had another stroke, and his condition worsened significantly. He lost the ability to swallow and could no longer clear his airway on his own, relying entirely on nursing care to survive. Long\u2011term bed rest and advanced age left him extremely frail. When I visited, he slept most of the time. Even when my mother\u2014who had been caring for him constantly\u2014called his name, he would only occasionally open his eyes for a brief moment.<\/p>\n

In that moment, I knew clearly: our time together was running out.
\nAt his bedside, I led him in the simplest prayer to accept the Lord. When we finished, I whispered, \u201cDad, if you are willing, open your eyes and blink a few times.\u201d As soon as I said it, he suddenly opened his eyes and blinked forcefully several times. In that moment, I deeply felt the gracious hand of the Lord at work.<\/p>\n

After that, my father mostly remained asleep, though his condition stabilized temporarily. I returned to work, praying for him quietly each night\u2014hoping he would suffer less and experience more peace.
\nOne early morning in March, I received a call from my sister. She said Father\u2019s blood pressure had dropped sharply, treatment was ineffective, and his condition was extremely critical. She asked if I had any final words for him, because he might not hold on until I returned. I asked her to tell him:
\n\u201cDon\u2019t worry. We will all live well. You can go in peace, without concern. One day we will meet again in our heavenly home.\u201d
\nNot long after, my father passed away quietly. My sister later told me he left peacefully.<\/p>\n

What felt particularly meaningful to me was this: my father passed away in early March, while I had already planned to join the \u975e\u6d32\u54ed\u6ce3<\/em> medical mission at the end of the month. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence\u2014as if, in some way, he was still supporting my participation in this ministry. But during a Sunday message, I heard these words:
\n\u201cNothing happens by accident; everything is arranged by the Lord.\u201d<\/strong>
\nIn that moment, I suddenly understood\u2014this was not coincidence. This was His arrangement.<\/p>\n

My father\u2019s condition had been extremely critical since late last year. According to the doctors, he did not have much time left. Yet he held on until early March. For my mother, this period allowed her to gradually accept and adjust. For me, it gave the opportunity to accompany him, to say goodbye, and to speak the words I had not yet said. Looking back, I am more inclined to believe that many turning points in life may carry arrangements we cannot fully understand at the time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

Thinking about my father\u2019s life\u2014he was handsome, disciplined, hardworking, and lived simply and with restraint. He was not a man of many words, but he taught us how to live through his actions: exercise regularly, study well, work diligently. I remember as a child watching him write at his desk. He once asked me to help copy his manuscripts, offering one yuan per page. At that time, one yuan was a lot, but I still chose to go out and play. He never forced me\u2014just smiled and let me go.<\/p>\n

Years later, when I chose to study medicine and faced the long, grueling years of training, I somehow persevered. Only then did I realize that the perseverance and discipline he embodied had already been passed on to me, quietly and unconsciously.<\/p>\n

Though my father is gone, what he left me is not only memory, but also the strength to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n

As my thoughts wandered, I looked through photos from past years of the \u975e\u6d32\u54ed\u6ce3<\/em> medical mission. That \u201cTree of Life\u201d\u2014the locals told us that early missionaries to Senegal were buried beneath this baobab tree. It symbolizes a kind of legacy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Looking at the dusty village roads, the convoy of ACO medical volunteers entering the villages, and our surgical team beginning a full day of intense operations at the local hospital\u2014which, by local standards, has relatively better medical conditions\u2014I felt again the weight and meaning of this work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Zhao Rong<\/strong>
\nAnesthesiologist
\nMultiple\u2011time volunteer with the \u975e\u6d32\u54ed\u6ce3<\/em> medical team<\/p>\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reflections Before the Surgical Mission \u2014 In Memory of My Father Africa Cries Out Report \u2014 Issue 10, 2026 Zhao Rong March 2026 The annual Africa Cries Out medical mission in Senegal is about to begin, and the surgical team will depart this week. Last Saturday morning, we had just finished our pre\u2011departure online meeting, and then immediately began sorting supplies and packing luggage. In the midst of this busyness, my father\u2014who had passed away not long ago\u2014kept coming to mind. Many things may appear accidental, yet perhaps each has its own rhythm and arrangement. I have been a believer for […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nReflections Before the Surgical Mission \u2014 In Memory of My Father - Africa Cries Out<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/africacriesout.org\/cn\/reflections-before-the-surgical-mission-in-memory-of-my-father\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_CN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reflections Before the Surgical Mission \u2014 In Memory of My Father - Africa Cries Out\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Reflections Before the Surgical Mission \u2014 In Memory of My Father Africa Cries Out Report \u2014 Issue 10, 2026 Zhao Rong March 2026 The annual Africa Cries Out medical mission in Senegal is about to begin, and the surgical team will depart this week. Last Saturday morning, we had just finished our pre\u2011departure online meeting, and then immediately began sorting supplies and packing luggage. In the midst of this busyness, my father\u2014who had passed away not long ago\u2014kept coming to mind. Many things may appear accidental, yet perhaps each has its own rhythm and arrangement. 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