We are not advertising McDonalds

But the location of a remarkable story

My mobile vibrates and I look at the small display of my Samsung.  Yes, I know these two ladies well: Dr. Marlen Luckow and Marion Hofmann.  Marlen writes: “Dear Klaus, I just remembered our meeting in 2012 in Freiburg.  That is where I met Marion today.  Kind regards…”

I am at the underground station Friedrichsstraße in the middle of Berlin.  My thoughts go back immediately to the 27th March 2012.  A hot journey on the Autobahn to Baden Baden followed a company visit in Bad Schönborn.  At 2 p.m. an editor of the “Badisches Tagblatt” asked me about Diospi Suyana.  I remember how I, armed with the laptop bag under my arm, sprinted back to the car.  My last destination of today: the McDonalds at Freiburg’s railway station.  At 5 p.m. sharp I wanted to interview a Swiss dentist…

Sitting opposite me she tells me about her life: with 18 years of age she was diagnosed with an uncertain cancer; then severe treatment followed.  Several months later: the all-clear.  I have survived.  I got off pretty lightly.  I was lucky.  But Christians do not do good luck or bad luck, since they believe that God will act.

“Marlen,” I say having listened to this exciting biography, “Am I correct in saying that your future stint at the Hospital Diospi Suyana is a thank you to God for your life?” The Swiss lady nods her head: “Yes, one could see it that way!”

The planned two years turned into four!  A big financial sacrifice as a missionary, but life filled with meaning and unforgettable experiences.  These are the stories that cause our hearts to beat faster and which we will tell our grandchildren.

“May I ask you to be so kind and take a picture of the three of us please?” I ask a young lady.  Next to me are my wife and Ortrun Heinz.  We met this morning after a presentation in a church in Berlin.  Ortrun is none other than the first director of our nursing services at the missionary hospital.  Before she came to us she worked for Charite in Berlin.  While in Curahuasi the competent nurse drew on all the energy and experience she could muster.  One could call it pioneer work.  Over lunch in Berlin Reinickendorf she assured us that good and formative years in Peru lay behind her.

Freiburg via WhatsApp.  Berlin live.  Intense contacts to people like Marlen, Marion and Ortrun.  People to whom I take my hat off.  People who became what they now are through their faith in God.  God totally real, tangible and callable.  The underground stops, a final embrace and my wife and I board heading towards the next adventure. /KDJ

This (Monday) afternoon we expect the two-millionth visitor to our website.  Keyword: only while stocks last: https://www.diospi-suyana.de/sind-sie-der-zweimillionste-besucher-unserer-webseite

Ortrun Heinz between the missionary doctors John. A living legend.
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