Investing all his retirement funds in his nursing home, a Shandong Christian, nearly 70 years old, took in and cared for disabled homeless people from all over the country who were deeply hurt and had suffered pain and torture.
Recently, Director Zhao Haichi of Jinan Xinyi Elderly Apartment told his story to the Gospel Times, an online Christian newspaper in China.
"Since 2008, our nursing home has received a total of 39 homeless and disabled wanderers," Zhao said that these homeless people were recommended or sent from many places by people. In addition, the nursing home has successively supported dozens of elderly people from difficult families all over the country, among whom the oldest is 95 years old and the youngest is close to 50.
"When sent here, they also had various diseases, and some of the people were even dying," Director Zhao said. "But now they are recovering very well. Except for a few people who are paralyzed and bedridden, most of the others have no major problems in caring for themselves."
In fact, before opening his own nursing home, Zhao was an operations manager of another nursing home founded by Christians, in which he accumulated some relevant experience. During prayer in October 2007, he was moved to start a nursing home ministry himself.
With only 10,000 yuan in savings which was not enough, he shared his idea of running a rest home with a spiritual mentor who had known him for many years. With the same idea of doing charity work, the mentor took out the offerings he had prepared without saying anything.
After Xinyi Apartment for the Elderly was registered in March 2008, Zhao and his wife embarked on an arduous journey of service from a poor old woman and a deaf-mute homeless man.
"Besides the lack of money when we first opened the nursing home, we also had other problems, such as the difficulty of site selection and a shortage of beds," Zhao recalled that to maintain normal operation, he invested all his monthly pension. At the most difficult time, he and his wife had to eat steamed buns and pickles for three meals a day.
With the funding problem solved, regardless of whether the nurses were busy or not, if it was necessary, Zhao was personally involved in the care of the elderly and homeless, including delivering medicine, feeding, cleaning up excretion, hospitalization, and cremation.
Director Zhao said that now, he has not only passed the Registered Dietitian Exam but also learned simple medicine dispensing skills. Usually, old people can get treatment for headaches and fevers without going to the hospital.
In 2011, the nursing home was facing the most difficult moment, since he couldn't pay the rent of 70,000 yuan. At that time, his family members advised him to stop the project as soon as possible, but he rejected this proposal. "The establishment of a nursing home is the trust God gave to me. Even if I sell my kidney, I still have to pay the rent!"
To the surprise of the whole family, Zhao went to the hospital to inquire about kidney removal. The president of the hospital who was familiar with him stopped him, asking his friends to help him. A Christian entrepreneur sent 70,000 yuan in cash on the same day after hearing the story.
On several occasions, his head was injured and bled when caring for the homeless men who were mentally unstable, but he always simply bandaged it and quietly devoted himself to the nursing work. Some staff members were worried about his injury, but he replied with a smile, "I am a child of God who will heal me of this small injury and heal the internal scars of the men who hurt me."
Regarding the future of the nursing home, he stated, "I hope God can prepare a young staff member who can serve more humbly to continue the ministry." The couple is praying for God’s preparation.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
在济南市郊的一个养老院中，有一位年近古稀的基督徒，他将自己全部的退休金投入了养老院的建设。并收留照料各地的残疾流浪人员，让许多曾深陷伤痛的灵魂走出苦痛折磨。
近日，济南馨颐老年公寓的赵海池院长向中国一家网络基督徒报纸福音时报叙述他的故事。
“08年至今，我们养老院一共收留了39位无家可归的残疾流浪人员。”赵院长介绍，这些流浪人员来自天南地北，都是各地的爱心人士以及主内的弟兄姊妹推荐或直接送过来的。除此之外，养老院里还先后赡养了数十位来自全国各地家境困难的老人，其中年龄最大的为95岁，最小的也接近50岁。
“送过来的时候（他们）基本身上多多少少都有一些基本疾病，有些流浪人员送来甚至是生命垂危的状态。”赵院长说。“不过现在大家身体都恢复的很好，除了个别瘫痪卧床的，大部分生活自理没什么大问题。”
实际上，在自办养老院之前，赵院长还曾负责过另外一家基督徒创办养老院的管理运营，因此也积累了一些相关经验。2007年10月，在一次祷告中，他得着感动，决心自己创办养老院事工。
当时手头上仅有一万元积蓄，当他把自己办院的设想向一位熟识多年的属灵前辈分享后，这位前辈二话不说便拿出了早已预备好的奉献款。原来，这位前辈同样也有参与慈善事工的感动。
2008年3月，赵院长自办的馨颐老年公寓顺利登记注册，从一位困难老妈妈和一位聋哑流浪汉开始，他和老伴踏上了充满艰辛的服侍历程。
“刚创办养老院的时候，地址难选，床位也缺，经济也实在是紧张的很。”赵院长回忆， 为了维持公寓正常运转，他把自己每个月几千元的退休金全数投入。最困难的时候，他和老伴每天三顿都只能靠馒头咸菜将就。
资金问题缓解之后，不论护工们是否忙得过来，但凡是有需要的时刻，赵院长亲自参与解决老人与流浪人员的实际护理需求。小到送药喂饭，清理排泄，大到住院对接，遗体火化。
赵院长说，现如今，他不仅考取了国家营养师的资质，还学会了简单的配药技能，平时老人们有什么头疼脑热，基本上足不出院就能得到医治.
2011年，养老院面临资金周转最为艰难的时刻，缴纳房租的7万元，赵院长无论如何也凑不出来。当时家里人都劝他趁早放下这个摊子，赵院长却否决这一提议，“办养老院是神向着我的托付，我就算卖了自己的肾也要把房租凑够！”
出乎全家人意料的是，赵院长竟然真的去了医院询问割肾的事宜。在医院，熟识的院长连忙拦下了他，并发动一切关系帮助他解决资金问题。一位基督徒企业家在听到赵院长甘愿割肾为老年公寓的故事后，当天就送来了7万元现金。
有几次在护理精神状况不太稳定的流浪汉时，赵院长的头被击伤流血，但他却总是简单包扎，又默默投入到护理的工作中。有同工担心他的伤势，赵院长却笑呵呵地回复：“我是神的儿女，这点小伤相信神会医治好我的，也必定会医治他们心里的伤疤。”
对于养老院的未来，“希望神能预备一个比我爱心更大，更能谦卑服侍的年轻同工，把这份爱继续传递下去。”为此，赵院长和老伴儿也在努力祷告，求神预备。
另一方面，全新的养老院已经定址并预备投入建设。赵院长希望能够在全新的场所里，与当地社区合作拓展更多诸如日间照料、家庭托管、儿童托管以及居家养老项目等社会服务项目。
https://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/65746
【专访】济南馨颐老年公寓赵海池院长——神的托付我不能轻看
Investing all his retirement funds in his nursing home, a Shandong Christian, nearly 70 years old, took in and cared for disabled homeless people from all over the country who were deeply hurt and had suffered pain and torture.
Recently, Director Zhao Haichi of Jinan Xinyi Elderly Apartment told his story to the Gospel Times, an online Christian newspaper in China.
"Since 2008, our nursing home has received a total of 39 homeless and disabled wanderers," Zhao said that these homeless people were recommended or sent from many places by people. In addition, the nursing home has successively supported dozens of elderly people from difficult families all over the country, among whom the oldest is 95 years old and the youngest is close to 50.
"When sent here, they also had various diseases, and some of the people were even dying," Director Zhao said. "But now they are recovering very well. Except for a few people who are paralyzed and bedridden, most of the others have no major problems in caring for themselves."
In fact, before opening his own nursing home, Zhao was an operations manager of another nursing home founded by Christians, in which he accumulated some relevant experience. During prayer in October 2007, he was moved to start a nursing home ministry himself.
With only 10,000 yuan in savings which was not enough, he shared his idea of running a rest home with a spiritual mentor who had known him for many years. With the same idea of doing charity work, the mentor took out the offerings he had prepared without saying anything.
After Xinyi Apartment for the Elderly was registered in March 2008, Zhao and his wife embarked on an arduous journey of service from a poor old woman and a deaf-mute homeless man.
"Besides the lack of money when we first opened the nursing home, we also had other problems, such as the difficulty of site selection and a shortage of beds," Zhao recalled that to maintain normal operation, he invested all his monthly pension. At the most difficult time, he and his wife had to eat steamed buns and pickles for three meals a day.
With the funding problem solved, regardless of whether the nurses were busy or not, if it was necessary, Zhao was personally involved in the care of the elderly and homeless, including delivering medicine, feeding, cleaning up excretion, hospitalization, and cremation.
Director Zhao said that now, he has not only passed the Registered Dietitian Exam but also learned simple medicine dispensing skills. Usually, old people can get treatment for headaches and fevers without going to the hospital.
In 2011, the nursing home was facing the most difficult moment, since he couldn't pay the rent of 70,000 yuan. At that time, his family members advised him to stop the project as soon as possible, but he rejected this proposal. "The establishment of a nursing home is the trust God gave to me. Even if I sell my kidney, I still have to pay the rent!"
To the surprise of the whole family, Zhao went to the hospital to inquire about kidney removal. The president of the hospital who was familiar with him stopped him, asking his friends to help him. A Christian entrepreneur sent 70,000 yuan in cash on the same day after hearing the story.
On several occasions, his head was injured and bled when caring for the homeless men who were mentally unstable, but he always simply bandaged it and quietly devoted himself to the nursing work. Some staff members were worried about his injury, but he replied with a smile, "I am a child of God who will heal me of this small injury and heal the internal scars of the men who hurt me."
Regarding the future of the nursing home, he stated, "I hope God can prepare a young staff member who can serve more humbly to continue the ministry." The couple is praying for God’s preparation.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
'I Can’t Despise God’s Trust', Says Nursing Home President Receiving 39 Homeless Disabled Vagrants
