Tanja J. Guzmann seeks the personal experience
Around half past eight in the morning, a staff member knocks on my door: “Dr. John, a lady from Lima is standing at the entrance. She says she’d like to found a hospital someday, too. Can she come up for a minute?” I hesitate and finally nod. “But only for ten minutes!”
A few moments later, she is sitting opposite from me. Peruvian medical student Tanja Guzmann, who has spent 18 years of her life in Japan, has curiosity written all over her face. “I’ve already seen some TV reports about Diospi Suyana,” she tells me cheerfully, “but I’ve come all the way from Lima to see for myself!”
“How do you think Diospi Suyana came to be?” My question immediately goes to the heart of the matter. I look at her expectantly. “Well, I guess the German government helped build it” . I feel that I should tell my surprise guest the whole story for a full hour. But I don’t have time right now. “If you wait until 3 p.m. and stretch yours legs outside or do some reading, you’ll pretty much hear all the secrets!”
At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, a nice group is sitting in my office. Tanja from Lima (left in blue) and 13 new employees at the hospital, who do not yet know the background of our mission. The lecture in Spanish, some photos and all go.
All of them? No, Tanja stays and ponders over the presentation. Then she remarks slowly: “A hospital that wants to help the poor for no profit. That just sounds so incredible!” I can tell from her eyes that it’s working hard inside her. – “You are right,” I reply quietly, “without God, the story of Diospi Suyana would even be completely inexplicable!” (Image above: Three photos superimposed)
