Global Health Engagement – Team China Chia Tai Update #2
We have officially been in China for over a week! On the first day of our internship, we attended a signing ceremony between CBU and Chia Tai Hospital. Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to observe Dr. Boyer conduct several symptom limited maximal tests on cardiac patients. It was exciting to watch the doctors at the hospital learn a new treatment for their patients. We also observed Dr. Sun from the rehabilitation department perform several traditional Chinese medicine practices such as cupping and moxibustion. Lauren even had acupuncture done on herself! We have learned a lot about the history and effectiveness of Chinese medicine.
On Friday, we had the opportunity to explore a Buddhist temple. We climbed a series of stone staircases until were met by the entrance of the temple and an immaculate view of Jilin City. As we entered the temple, we all felt the weight of spiritual warfare. The air was suddenly silent and thick with smoke and incense. As we walked around, our interpreter was eager to share the significance of each statue and superstition. We were all amazed by the intricate beauty of each building and statue, but we found ourselves sad for each monk we passed by and each person we saw praying.
On Sunday, we visited a church in Jilin. We were surprised when we realized that the service was in Korean, so neither our interpreters nor we were able to understand the service. However, despite the language barrier, we recognized some of the songs they sang, like “Everlasting God” and “How Great Thou Art”, and even though we could not understand the pastor’s message, we felt the passion behind his words. We were all touched to see that no matter what country we are in, Christians still worship God in the same way.
Until next time!
– Megan and Lydia