Address
811 N. Catalina Ave. Suite 2006 Redondo Beach, CA 90250
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 9 am - 5 pm and by appointment. We work remotely on Fridays.
Chaplaincy Update, Fall 2022
Dear Friends,
Patient C. covets our prayers.
She finds herself quite alone in the world and faces a long healing process which will likely be followed by an even longer physical therapy process to regain her strength. She requested a chaplain visit before she went into her most recent surgery. When I met her at the bedside, C. asked me, “Chaplain, please pray for me to have a good outcome from my surgery” which of course I did on the spot. Then she asked, “do you know anyone else that would remember me in prayer? Please ask them to pray for me”, and again, of course I did. I also brought her a beautiful blanket that had been made by hand, and prayed over stitch by stitch, and donated to the chaplains to give to a patient. I explained that a person in the community had made it with prayers for her healing (even though that person would never know her name). I invited C. to remember that others are praying for her healing every time the nurses drape it over her bed. She blinked back tears as she told me that was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.
Chaplains at LAC+USC Medical Center share blankets with patients in special circumstances all year round. And when Christmas comes, we hope to have enough blankets on hand to give a blanket to all the patients in the hospital that day. Thanks to those of you who have already been knitting, crocheting, quilting and sewing this year! Special shout out to Barbara and Alyss of First Presbyterian Church of Newhall (pictured below) for creating and donating so many blankets (pictured above)!
For those of you who have yet to start your handmade blanket, now is the time to get creative! We would love about 700 colorful, handmade blankets to give to patients during the Christmas season as a reminder that they are not alone, that, in fact a complete stranger has taken over 40 hours to hand craft a special gift with love and prayer for their healing. Finished blankets need to be at least 36” x 36” and we need to receive them by December 13, 2022. We ask that with each stitch, that you pray into that blanket your blessings for healing and hope.
To find out how you can be involved, please contact Chaplain Elizabeth Gibbs Zehnder via email: Chaplain Gibbs Zehnder.
Presbyterian Chaplaincy Update, Spring 2022
As we settle into Eastertide, COVID continues to unwind its grip
on Southern California. We still see the impact of the pandemic at
LAC+USC Medical Center. It seems that folks are showing up at
the hospital with more advanced disease, sometimes too late for
successful medical intervention. As always, chaplains accompany
patients with active listening, but particularly in these situations, I
find myself leaning into deep listening.
Patients tell me about their latest medical update – just saying the
words out loud helps them begin metabolizing the difficult news.
Sometimes I just listen as they struggle to repeat the words that
only exist in the worst kinds of medical conversations – oc-clud-ed – fis-tu-la – poorly
dif-fer-en-ti-ated …and then our time together turns to searching for a snitch of
hope or meaning or connection. I wonder with them about the ways God is showing up. “God is
guiding my doctors” they’ll say. “The nurse is so gentle and kind, she is an answer to my prayer”,
“my son’s phone call gets me through the day”.
As the visit unfolds, I can almost see how the screeching flock of distress and overwhelm cease
their churning around the room and begin to settle in to where they will perch until the next round of test results or the next wave of pain.
As the air clears, almost every patient remembers where their help has come from before. They will tell me stories of God’s answer to their prayers. It could be a wayward child’s return 20 years ago or a miracle of protection and provision, or a rescue from a situation of unbelievable distress.
We’ll often pray together at the end of the visit and give thanks for what God has done, asking for
healing and wisdom to navigate the challenges that lay ahead…
It goes without saying that these visits are not the end of the journey. In these situations the
doctors return again and again with more bewildering updates that rouse the flock of worry and fear from their perch, but each time, when we listen, the experience of God grows and takes hold.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Elizabeth
We accept donations of handmade blankets year-round. You can reach out to Chaplain Elizabeth by email for more details at: Chaplain Gibbs Zehnder.
● Our patients love bright colors!
● Blankets need to be at least 36’x36’
● Blankets need to be handmade – knit, crocheted, quilted or sewn
● Offer prayers for the patient’s healing and wellbeing as you create your blanket
Rev. Elizabeth Gibbs Zehnder serves as Presbyterian staff chaplain at LAC+USC Medical Center. Chaplaincy at LAC+USC is a witness to God’s love for all people made possible by your support through the Presbyteries of the Pacific, San Gabriel (special thanks to San Marino Community Church), San Fernando and Los Ranchos and the Synod of Southern California. Your prayers and financial donations are always welcome. To find out how you can be involved, please contact Chaplain Elizabeth Gibbs Zehnder via email: Chaplain Gibbs Zehnder.
Chaplaincy Update | Burial of the Unclaimed Service
Please click here for the update on the Burial of the Unclaimed Service