(FT. WHITE)—“I am going to be there for you during this journey.” At Haven Hospice, those words are a promise from every member of the team that cares for patients and their families. And when patients and their family members decide they also need spiritual care and comfort, Haven’s chaplains are prepared to help families through the journey from one life to the next. They serve as companions who offer a safe place to ask questions, express fears, and review unfinished business in
their lives.

“We are alongside giving whatever spiritual or emotional support that we can,” says Haven Chaplain Lynwood Walters, who serves patients and families in six counties throughout the Suwannee Valley.

Very often, patients want to talk about what they need to be at peace before they go. Roy Wilcher, who has lung cancer, told Walters he had always wanted to be baptized. “I liked him when he first walked into our home,” said Wilcher, a retired truck driver who lives just outside of Ft. White, “and it struck me right away that I’d like to have him baptize me.” Walters agreed, and when Wilcher shared this news with his daughter, Jenni, her middle child, Brittani, 13, said she wanted to be baptized with her grandfather. He told her, “That’s fine with me, baby.”  Not long after, Brittani ‘s two sisters, Aundrea, 16, and Hannah, 10, chimed that they wanted to be baptized, too, so Walters agreed to perform the ceremony for all four of them while the girls and their mother were visiting from their home in Osage Beach, Mo., during spring break. “They were tickled to get it done,” said Wilcher. “It worked out just like I wanted it to.”

Walters reminded the family that they wouldn’t be baptized into any particular church. “I did this for what it would mean to this family,” he said. Before he baptized each granddaughter, they talked about water and what it symbolized. The girls answered that water was a way to get clean and be healthy…a way to take care
of people.

“It really was a family experience,” said Walters. “The girls showed their grandfather how much they loved him. They’ll always remember the power of that moment.” The family also used a webcam to record the ceremony so the girls’ stepfather could watch it in Missouri.

“We’ll never forget that moment,” said Wilcher, who has been married to his wife Margaret for 40 years. “It worked out beautifully.”

By respecting each family’s culture and beliefs, Haven’s chaplains provide unconditional acceptance and support. They recognize that some celebrate their spirituality through organized rituals and traditions, while others prefer to honor their beliefs privately, perhaps through prayer, meditation or by communing
with nature.

Our chaplains have been called upon to assist family pastors, as well as officiate at weddings, funerals, baptisms and services of affirmation. They respond to any needs, such as community crises where their support may be needed. In addition, they serve an important role at Haven memorial services, which draw people from all over the community.