Why am I sick all the time? I am an adventist physician, I am eating very healthy, I am vegan, I am not overeating, I have a fine BMI (Yes, I did all the necessary blood tests and diagnostics). I am getting a lot of exercise building my own clinic and small sanatorium by myself with my dad. I am having a relationship with our Saviour. I understand the law of life, as it is described so beautifully in the first two chapters of “The Desire of Ages” and I try living by it. So, if I am doing all these things, why am I still sick? And the most important question: How can I help my patients to get healthy, when, as a doctor, I cannot help myself?
While I got pneumonia I had to write this article and I had so much to do with my clinic, the Health centre and with my work at the emergency room, that I had barely any time to work in the garden. So, my dad had to do it all alone. Before that I had regular working hours in our greenhouse and on the field or with preserving the food: caning, freezing, drying...

The more anxious I became on how to get the health centre running and working, the less I worked actually in the garden.
In my mind where all the quotes from EGW about sanatoriums and how they should be and the importance of them being connected with land where patients could work:
”On the lawn were the sick in wheel chairs. There were some patients to whom the physician had given a prescription to spend all their time out-of-doors during pleasant weather.” (Ellen G. White, Letters to Sanitarium Workers in Southern California, p. 9.1).
“On the grounds of this beautiful place that I saw in the visions of the night, there were many shade trees, the boughs of which hung down in such a way as to form leafy canopies somewhat in the shape of tents. Underneath these canopies patients were resting. The sick were delighted with their surroundings. While some worked, others were singing. There was no sign of dissatisfaction.” (Idem, p. 10.1).
“In the night season I was given a view of a sanitarium in the country. The institution was not large, but it was complete. It was surrounded by beautiful trees and shrubbery, beyond which were orchards and groves. Connected with the place were gardens, in which the lady patients, when they chose, could cultivate flowers of every description, each patient selecting a special plot for which to care. Outdoor exercise in these gardens was prescribed as a part of the regular treatment.” (Idem, p. 11.4).
I totally agree that working outdoors is one of the best therapies for sick people and my big plan was always to implement our garden in my therapy plans.

But why is outdoor work or garden work so beneficial for sick people? Why does it have so much power over the brain, that it brings healing, mentally and physically?
”I saw the beneficial influence of outdoor labor upon those of feeble vitality and depressed circulation, especially upon women who have induced these conditions by too much confinement indoors. Their blood has become impure for want of fresh air and exercise. Instead of amusements to keep these persons indoors, care should be taken to provide outdoor attractions. I saw there should be connected with the Institute ample grounds, beautified with flowers and planted with vegetables and fruits. Here the feeble could find work, appropriate to their sex and condition, at suitable hours. These grounds should be under the care of an experienced gardener to direct all in a tasteful, orderly manner.” (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 562.2).
it purifies the blood
working together with someone experienced
order
instead of amusements -> being productive
“Let men and women work in field and orchard and garden. This will bring health and strength to nerve and muscle. Living indoors and cherishing invalidism is a very poor business. If those who are sick will give nerves and muscles and sinews proper exercise in the open air, their health will be renewed.” (Ellen G. White, Medical Ministry, p. 296.4).
• exercise
”By the beauty of flower and field, their minds will be diverted from themselves, from their aches and pains, and they will be led to look from nature to the God of nature, who has provided so abundantly the beauties of the natural world. The convalescent can lie in the shade of the trees, and those who are stronger can, if they wish, work among the flowers, doing just a little at first, and increasing their efforts as they grow stronger. Working in the garden, gathering flowers and fruit, listening to the birds praising God, the patients will be wonderfully blessed. Angels of God will draw near to them. They will forget their sorrows. Melancholy and depression will leave them. The fresh air and sunshine, and the exercise taken, will bring them life and vitality. The wearied brain and nerves will find relief. Good treatment and a wholesome diet will build them up and strengthen them. They will feel no need for health-destroying drugs or for intoxicating drink.” (Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p. 255.4).
redirecting the focus from our problems to working something with purpose
”In nature—the Lord’s garden—there is always something to divert the minds of the sick from themselves. They are entertained, and at the same time they learn most precious, spiritual lessons. Lying in hammocks or sitting in easy chairs, surrounded by the wonderful works of God, their minds are lifted from the things that are seen to the things that are unseen. The beauty of nature leads them to think of the matchless charms of the earth made new, where there will be nothing to mar the loveliness, nothing to taint or destroy.” (Ellen G. White, Letters and Manuscripts, vol.17 (1902), Ms 89, par. 8).
• giving spiritual lessons, thinking of restored earth -> automatically thinking while working
And I know that from all her quotes and my experience: it is truly like that. So, I was thinking how to get sick, exhausted, depressed people to work in the garden? Would they ever participate in a program to recover their health, if they see that one of the therapy points is working in the garden...?
Do I work in the garden when I am sick? And I realised that I don’t…
So, I decided to start again and I drag myself in my pj’s into our greenhouse, coughing my lungs out. My dad gave me a bewildered look, asking me what I am doing and if I am sure that I know what I am doing. I honestly replied: I don’t know what I am doing. But I needed to try it out.
So I asked him what he needed and he was hanging the eggplant on strings, so I started doing that and cleaning them.
I think I took 10 to 15 minutes of work until I started feeling better, I started feeling happy, at peace and my thoughts automatically went into communication with God. I realised what my problem, my wrongful, egoistical thinking had been. Seeing the little eggplants and tomatoes already carrying so much weight on so thin stems - in proportion to the fruits - I felt so selfish. They bear their fruit for others to enjoy, like Christ did.
I was reminded that my work is to labor like that. To plant the seed, to water, to take care of growth and to protect the unripe fruit and to let God decide who gets the fruits. I have to do exactly, just what God tells me to do.
”We are to do all in our power for the healing of the body; but we are to make the healing of the soul of far greater importance. Those who come to our sanitariums as patients are to be shown the way of salvation, that they may repent, and hear the words, Thy sins are forgiven thee; go in peace, and sin no more.” (Ellen G. White, Letters to Sanitarium Workers in Southern California, p. 4.1).
”Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca (Valley of tears) make it a well; the rain (some: Early rains) also filleth the pools.” (Psalm 84: 5-6).
The Valley of Baca is the valley of the tears, so here is a person who is in a tough situation losing a lot of water, crying a lot, the world and its difficulties take quite a big toll on them, they are drawn out of love, of the living water. And they are still building wells. They are in bad shape, suffering, but they care for others. They take the risk of drying out, they are imparting love, the living water even though they have so many problems. And the early rains fills the well with water. The Holy Spirit fills us with love from above, so we may never dry out, but first is the decision to build a well.
I realised that God was telling me to take care of others, even if I am in the valley of the tears or I don’t know exactly how, so I realised that I have to work in the garden the more stress I have. It is like with prayer in the mission field: The more work you have, the more time one should take for prayer.
So how to get the patients to work in the garden: Love and example.
The physician has to work in the garden, people have to see that we are living what we are preaching and the patients have to realise that we are truly concerned for the physical and mental health and we want their best.
When I was in Honduras as a mission doctor at VIDA Internacional I had lack of many things, especially time. But I knew I needed the exercise outdoors and the prayer time while gardening. So, I worked every day in the garden, no matter how many things were there to do. I started a herb garden (thyme, mint, rosemary, ginger, kale, oregano, parsley, aloe vera... the short version of medicinal herbs).

One day a patient, Catalino, was brought to me in a desperate condition: he had a non-functioning urinal catheter, had not eaten for 2 weeks, had hemoptysis and the doctors from the hospital sent him home to die of probably prostate cancer. Together with my nurse from the Netherlands, Nadienne, we took terms in night shifts. We gave him iv’s a lot of them, tamsulosine, pumpkin seeds, palmetto extract and antibiotics. We gave him juices with kale, red beet and spinach. But 2 nights a row his blood pressure dropped at 50/30mmHg and I had no adrenalin or anything with me. He fevered up and I told everybody that he will die in the next few days. The elders came and prayed over him. We told him he has not long anymore. Everybody prayed. And I was sooo tiered from the night shifts and waking up every 1-2 hours and checking on him, that I had no strength for the garden anymore. Instead of dying Catalino got better and better. He was a gardener and saw me working and started helping me with the garden and gradually he got better.

Finally one day he left and we could remove the urinal catheter.
I got a troubled teenager to work in my garden and it made us bond and made him get a clearer head. More and more patients wanted to work in the garden. And deep in my heart I knew that this was the way but I had no time to work in the garden anymore and I let the patients work alone... so it started failing...
I realised: I, as the physician, had to work in the garden with my patients, they had to see me with them. Like Christ our Physician works in the garden, tending to the hardest plants to grow: sinful humanity.
And now 2 years later I realise again the garden is a part of my life as a physician and I have to learn, as with prayer, to never neglect it again. It is one of the most potent remedies for me, my mental and physical health, and it is the way to my patients heart and their health.

There should be no health work without a good agricultural department!

My name is Bianca Bugoiu. I am a generalist, living in south Burgenland, Austria with my family. Originally born in Romania and having a big garden and greenhouse, a lot of fruit trees, we cannot live without growing our own food and canning a lot (“Zacusca” and eggplants provisions have to be renewed every year). Currently I am very happy and at peace with the work the Lord has given me to combine gardening, a family doctor clinic and a health centre. There is still a lot to do, but I am still learning to work in God`s peace.
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