by Dr.Liu Songqiao, Director Of Fengjie People’s Hospital, in Chongqing , China

When reading the life stories of the 30 missionaries of the China Inland Missions in Sacrificial Love Portraits of CIM Missionaries , I am deeply moved and sigh with emotion! Reading this book often causes me to recall another old man – Mr. John Neir who gave this book to me.

I was lucky enough to get acquainted with Mr. John Neir , the CEO of Medicare Resources Ltd., during a very unusual moment in my life. I was 50 years old and my father had just died. The originator of my life suddenly disappeared. Looking ahead to the future, what direction should I take? What did I want to do? The road ahead was uncertain, overwhelming and hazy.

In September 2001, by the recommendation of Mr. Chen Yatang of Chongqing City Public Health Bureau, Mr. John Neir , CEO of Medicare Resources Ltd., came to Fengjie County People’s Hospital to view the situation. Miss Hui Sau Han accompanied him. As the Director of Fengjie County People’s Hospital, I entertained Mr. Neir and Miss Hui. or one can say that I was also inspected and evaluated by Mr. Neir.

Mr. Chen Yatang said Medicare Resources Ltd. was a charitable organization with Christian background and was led by an old man from the United States ..

How could they help us?

What are their purposes?

Some of us, including me, were thinking and making observations like this.

In January 2002, I met Mr. Neir again in Chongqing to discuss details of our cooperation. We discussed the working principles and actions on the establishment of Medicare Resources Ltd., mobile medical clinic in cooperation with Fengjie County People’s Hospital in providing medical care given to poor peasants in villages as suggested by Mr. Neir. When we suggested that we hoped that Medicare Resources Ltd. could pay attention to and support the moving of Fengjie County People’s Hospital due to the Three Gorges Project, Mr. Neir showed great concern and understanding. Because the Dam project meant raising the water level of the Yangtze River a new hospital building had to be constructed. In the discussion, I soon sensed Mr. Neir’s seriousness, sincerity and friendliness.

Later, to ensure that the work would start smoothly, Mr. Neir and Miss Hui kept travelling frequently between Hong Kong and Fengjie. By my rough estimation, I found that in more than five years, Mr. Neir had travelled between Hong Kong and Fengjie for more than 25 times. On many occasions, after aligiting from the boat from Yichang, he would immediately take a vehicle and went through the rough and abrupt roads in the mountains to the villages to be served. One has to understand that he was an old man who was nearly 70 years old, had suffered from many illnesses and had received surgery for cancer. For more than five years, Mr. Neir travelled to villages in Fengjie County such as Xinglong, Zhuyi, Kangping, Pinggao, Huangcun, Gongping, Hongtu, Caitang. The people in the urban and rural areas of Fengjie County were all familiar with his tall and humpback body, his grey hair and his kind smile.

On 2 November 2002 , the mobile medical van of Medicare Resources Ltd. and Fengjie County People’s Hospital was formally launched. We held a short ceremony to mark this event. I still remember Mr. Neir’s solemn, exciting expression on his face. Before then, Mr. Neir personally took part in the purchase of the vehicle and the medical equipments on the vehicle and the inspection of medical personnel on the vehicle. He hoped that the Loving Heart Mobile Clinic could become a modern mini-clinic in the villages, diagnose and treat common illnesses and do urgent operations that were necessary. He hoped that the warmth and concern of Medicare could be sent to the families of the sick. Undoubtedly, this is a very beautiful wish! In his short and down-to-earth speech, Mr. Neir said the task of the mobile medical clinic of Medicare Resources Ltd. and Fengjie County People’s Hospital was to serve everybody who was ill and needed help.

In the less than four years between November 2002 and September 2006, excluding being used as an ambulance and as a medical isolation vehicle during the prevention of “SARS”, Loving Heart Mobile Medical Clinic had treated a total of 9,375 patients in different villages and have given free medicine to 1,789 patients who had particular difficulties. It had also organized 56 large scale free medical treatments. The poor and simple peasants welcomed and longed for the arrival of Loving Heart Mobile Medical Clinic. The most difficult and most valuable activity was the rescue of a pregnant woman under difficult labour. The staff members of Loving Heart Mobile Medical Clinic travelled non-stop for a whole day for more than 400 kilometres and finally arrived at the home of the pregnant woman in the mountain that was high and cold and succeeded in saving two lives. Another touching situation was when some medical experts from Hong Kong participated in the work of Loving Heart Mobile Medical Clinic and examined 100 patients and gave them prescriptions. Whenever Mr. Neir came to Fengjie, as long as he had the time, he would follow Loving Heart Mobile Medical Van to the villages. When he found that the van was much welcomed by the peasants, he was as happy as a child and kept running around to take photos.

How unsophisticated and sincere this sentiment is!

In retrospect, my greatest regret is not being able to handle the Loving Heart Mobile Medical Clinic well even though Mr. Neir had thrown much of his energy into it. There were many reasons for the failure. But on reflection, the main reason was that we did not try our best to do this work. Between 2002 and 2005, we had experienced two great events that were unprecedented. The Three Gorges Project would cause the old Fengjie County that had a history of over 2,000 years to be flooded. We must complete the moving of the hospital and the building of the new county before the water level of Phase 2 of the project arrived. In the process, as the only Grade 2A hospital in the whole county, we had to try our best to maintain the normal medical order, ensure all the people in the county could receive medical care and provide medical protection for the workers in the construction project. At the same time, we lacked a lot of money in the construction of the hospital. Our hearts were torn with anxiety! In 2003, Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan were fighting against “SARS”. This gave us very great pressure. Mr. Neir had a good understanding of all these problems of ours and gave us much help. The task of medical care was very great. We did not have enough ambulances. Mr. Neir agreed to let us use Loving Heart Mobile Medical Van to fight against “SARS”, isolate and transport the patients who had fever. We did not have enough medical vehicles for isolation, Mr. Neir was sympathetic enough to give us approval to use Loving Heart Mobile Medical Van as an isolation vehicle to fight against “SARS”.

With regard to the construction of the new county hospital, Mr. Neir was as anxious as us because he understood that Fengjie County People’s Hospital had shouldered the medical care of a million people. He had gone to the site of the new hospital many times and asked about the plan of building the hospital and the quality and progress of the work in detail. To solve the problem of shortage of money, Mr. Neir and I had thought about many different ways. He once told me with regret that Medicare Resources Ltd. had only limited resources, they could not help us solve the problem. And he apologized to me. To help us, he talked a friend, who was said to be an old person as well, into lending a million Hong Kong dollar of saving to us. I would like to express my heart-felt thanks to this old person whom we still have not got acquainted with! When Mr. Neir learnt that we had secured a loan from a bank, he was much relieved. But he became worried that the large debt would affect the operation of the hospital. Last year, when I told him that the Central Government would give us a grant to solve the problem of the debt of the hospital in Three Gorges District, he smiled with relief and kept saying it was good.

Mr. Neir has a clear idea of what one should dislike or love. To people and matters that are dark, corrupt, discriminate, boastful or hypocritical, he has an inborn intuition and dislike. But his love for the common people, especially those we called peasants, and his help to people in need, especially the children, are very sincere and deep. To love others is his aim. To help others is his aim. In the presence of Mr. Neir’s acts of finding pleasure in helping others, the values we formed after so many years’ education often seem embarrassing, listless and trifling. This makes us feel ashamed, shock and ponder.

Once a local government officer invited Mr. Neir to dinner. Mr. Neir asked the officer how the problem of peasants having difficulties in consulting doctors could be solved and why the government did not buy medical insurance for the peasants. This government officer responsible for medical and health issues said that because the peasants had land, the government should not provide medical insurance for them. How unreasonable is this! Mr. Neir was very discontent. This government officer kept explaining. But Mr. Neir showed his displeasure and no longer answered him. After the dinner, Mr. Neir told me excitedly that he had also been a peasant. The peasants in China are so miserable. It was very unfair!

I am very pleased to tell Mr. Neir that the issue of medical protection for peasants in the Mainland is being solved step by step. After having exempted the farming tax and miscellaneous expenses in education of children of peasants, the new session of central government also gives a large grant to establish new cooperation medical system for villages. Fengjie County is a trial county. More than 800,000 peasants have already started to enjoy the medical insurance provided by the government!

In the mountains, some people and animals can hardly get clean water. This seriously affects the living quality and health of villagers. Mr. Neir knew that Pinggao’s condition was particularly bad. There was also a school in this area with about two thousand having problems in getting safe drinking water. He went to have inspection for several times to find source of water. Finally he decided to implement water diversion project at Henglu High School in Pinggao. Through Miss Hui, he urged the government officer responsible for health who accompanied him to have inspection to prepare a plan and budget as soon as possible. The officer, with a cigarette in his mouth, waved his hand and said no budget was needed. They needed as much money as possible. Mr. Neir stared at him without saying anything. Very soon, with the cooperation of the local school, the water diversion project was finished smoothly. Nearly two thousand students and the local villagers could have clean water. But the government officer did not go there anymore.

I can tell that Mr. Neir very much dislikes government officers who are sluggish, foxy, corrupt, irresponsible and unprincipled. He even shows his apparent disgust. However, one day, he told me he wanted to meet the most senior administrative officer of Fengjie People’s Government.

“Why?”

“Your newly built County is very good, even with trees planted along the streets, but it is not kept clean!” The government should take care of this.

The County Magistrate met Mr. Neir in his bright, spacious and tidy office. He listened to Mr. Neir’s opinion with a smile and said he would convey Mr. Neir’s good opinion to the government departments concerned. They took photos together. The County Magistrate saw Mr. Neir off politely and shook hands with him again to show his gratitude.

After several months, Mr. Neir came to Fengjie again. The new county was still the same. I took out a local newspaper which reported that the County Magistrate had listened to the opinion of him – a friend from the U.S. He waved his hand and I held back the newspaper. I knew that Mr. Neir did not need that. He would like to see our government serving the people with sincerity.

How could I explain to him?

Among the works of Medicare Resources Ltd. in Fengjie, except Loving Heart Mobile Clinic which could not continue, the progress of all the others was quite good under the hard work of Mr. Neir and other staff members of the organization. The setting up of medical-aid funds, helping the poor to get medical care, helping poor students to receive education, conducting medical check on the eyes for more than 500 students in Xinglong High School and preparing spectacles for students with short-sight, making arrangements for medical experts in Hong Kong to teach more than 600 medical personnel in Fengjie twice under the invitation of the County Medical Society, making arrangements for English teachers in Hong Kong to train English teachers in high schools in the villages of Fengjie, raising funds to buy medical equipments badly needed by Fengjie County People’s Hospital and Xinglong Public Health Centre, building student quarters for Zhuyikangping Primary School…In all these projects, from planning to implementation, Mr. Neir did as he said and worked himself. There were a lot of most touching stories.

Suiyin was a six-year-old little girl in the mountain of Fengjie . Because of a serious illness, the flower of her life was going to wither before it could fully bloom. Her poor father cared about her very much. He carried her to the county to ask for treatment. Our hospital helped her and gave her treatment free of charge. However, this girl’s condition was very complicated. Our resources were limited. The diagnosis was not precise and the treatment was not very effective. Suiyin’s condition became worse and worse but we could do nothing. Having heard this, Mr. Neir decided to let Medicare pay the money to send Suiyin to the Children’s Hospital in Chongqing Medical University . Miss Hui Sau Han, who is as serious to her work and as full of love as Mr. Neir, sent Suiyin to the Children’s Hospital and went through all procedures for admission for her. She also found the head and doctors of the hospital and asked them to take good care of Suiyin. Then she went to the ward to visit Suiyin and encouraged her to put her mind at ease and stay at the hospital to receive treatment. When Miss Hui took out several hundred dollars from her own pocket and gave it to Suiyin’s father for him and Suiyin to buy their daily necessities, this man from the mountain could not hold his tears! After treatment for nearly six months and having spent more than 100,000 dollars, Suiyin could return to her home village in good health, carry her schoolbag and run happily on the path on the mountain! When I saw this lively life and recalled all the touching scenes, my eyes were wet with tears. I asked little Suiyin, “What will you do when you grow up?” “Like Mr. Neir and Auntie Hui!” Suiyin, Medicare Resources Ltd., Mr. Neir, Miss Hui – genuine love that links different people and different fates. Not only Suiyin, there were also the little lives of Luofang, Gengfang, Zhang Xingfeng, Wang Huidong, Zhen Daisong, Li Yufang, Zhen Xuegui, Chen Wenjiu, Luo Denong, Luo Decheng, Ding Xinyu and so on. The trees of life of all of them could only grow healthily with the help of Mr. Neir of Medicare Resources Ltd.

In five years, Medicare Resources Ltd. had supported several hundred poor students in Fengjie. Behind the monotonous figure are simple and young faces, eyes with desire, stories that make people sad. Among these poor students who left school, some were recommended by the Education Bureau of the county, some were recommended by schools and some were found by Mr. Neir with love.

Mr. Neir travelled too much and his feet were suffered from chronic strain. One day, he went from the village to the city. When he took a rest in the evening, he went to have pedicure. He found that the girl who did pedicure for him was very young.

“How old are you?”

“Fourteen.”

He was surprised and drew back his feet.

“Why don’t you go to school?”

“My father is dead. My mother is ill. I have to make money for my younger brother to go to school.”

After having heard the interpretation of Miss Hui, Mr. Neir sat up and waved his hands excitedly.

“Are there others like you – as young as you – here?”

“Yes.”

“Do not work. Our company helps you to return to school. Are you willing to do so?”

“Yes. But we have signed contracts.”

Mr. Neir asked Miss Hui to contact the person-in-charge of the pedicure centre immediately.

“Our company would like to send these children back to school. Will it be all right if you give up the contracts?”

“No problem! We definitely support such good deeds.”

The person-in-charge of the pedicure centre beamed with smile.

On the following day, I accompanied Mr. Neir to the pedicure centre. Two little girls and a little boy who had put off the worker’s clothes were still a bit shy when they saw Mr. Neir. Mr. Neir asked them to gather around him.

“I have already informed Principal Su of the County Education Committee. You can leave here tomorrow and return to you schools to study.”

“Thank you, Mr. Neir!”

“Thank you, Mr. Neir!”

Tears were shimmering in the bright eyes.

Children are our flowers, the hope of our race. These lost flowers had used their young hands to conduct pedicure for many people who had become rich and many wise and correct officers. Nobody had responded to their sorrowful tears. Their laborious sweats fell on hearts with no love and received no response. But Mr. Neir – an American old man – found them and helped them. All these were so natural. There was no justification, no announcement and no need for thanks or repayment.

“On the heels of the wind it slips secretly into the night,

Silent and soft, it moistens everything.”

This is Nature’s grace to us.

When Mr. Neir helped Xinglong Public Health Centre and the County Hospital to buy equipments, in order to save money, he bought them from Hong Kong . But it was very troublesome to transport these equipments to Fengjie. The large medical equipments needed to make declaration at the Customs. A friend from the Customs said small equipments could be brought along as luggage. When he learnt that the customer was an American old man of over 60 years old, he felt that it would be too difficult for him to carry luggage that weighed tens of kilograms. In order to deliver these medical equipments as soon as possible so that they could be used to help the people who were ill, Mr. Neir minimized his daily necessities and carried medical equipments weighing more than 50 kilograms as his luggage. He boarded a flight in Hong Kong and arrived at Chongqing Airport . When Mr. Neir and Miss Hui appeared at the Customs checkpoint, the friends there specially allowed us to enter and receive the heavy luggage from them.

Having carried a luggage that was too heavy had caused Mr. Neir’s omitis to have a relapse. He felt very painful. I bought medicine for him and he kept thanking me. How could we thank him? Such a respectable old man!

On a day in October 2003, Mr. Neir and some other people took a speed boat from Yichang to Fengjie. When they arrived, it had already past 5:00 p.m. According to the plan, they immediately took a vehicle to Xinglongzhen. As late as 8:00 p.m. , the vehicle was still travelling on the highway. The mountain, deep Autumn, the mist, the fatigue and hunger. Mr. Neir was concerned about a student in Xinglong High School . Last time when they came to examine his eyes, they found that he was suffering from “protruding eyes”. Mr. Neir entrusted the county hospital to examine and treat him. He was concerned about his situation. Mr. Neir asked Miss Hui to contact the school. After having arrived in Xinglongzhen, he wanted to meet this student. We arrived at Xinglongzhen sometime after 9:00 p.m. The autumn rain was showering, Mr. Neir had no time to wash his face or rinse his mouth, he just drank some water and asked the student in detail when he met him. When he heard that the examination confirmed that the student was all right, he was happy and laughed! He touched the thin shoulder of the student, pulled the student to his side and asked him to eat more.

“ Music, perfected, has no melody;

Love, perfected, has no climax;”

In this age that is full of material gain, full of swindle, lack of dignity, lack of belief, love as a purely holy and spiritual behaviour is becoming rarer and rarer. Love must have reason. Love needs repayment. Love has become a commodity in interpersonal exchange. Therefore we could not understand the behaviour of Mr. Neir and his colleagues. We even kept a laughable alertness towards them – they must have certain purposes.

If love needs repayment, it is not love. “I show kindness, fairness and justice on earth, because I delight in these things.” – this is Mr. Neir’s love. I take Mr. Neir as a mirror to reflect the narrowness and darkness in my soul and to brighten the way of my life. Being able to respect him and sense him is my good fortune.

Shenzhen, March 2007

(The author is the Director of Fengjie County People’s Hospital in Chongqing City )