A Peruvian missionary doctor by conviction
Our team consists of around 280 coworkers. They are women and men from Peru and other countries who carry out important tasks in Diospi Suyana’s five fields of work. Sometimes they appear at exactly the right moment, literally out of nowhere, so to speak. Like Pepita. The pediatrician Dra. Pepita Gonzalez is a young colleague whose commitment gives us great courage.
Three weeks ago, two experienced pediatricians ended their service as planned. Dr. O’neill returned to England and Dr. Simon Then started an important project in eastern Peru. So my wife Tina was left alone in pediatrics.
In plain language, that meant background duty for pediatric emergencies every night. Hardly manageable.
But now Pepita Gonzalez is part of the team of doctors. The convinced Christian from the city of Arequipa first heard about Diospi Suyana Hospital six years ago. A pastor advised her to take a closer look at our social-diaconal work.
So in 2018 she traveled 13 hours to Curahuasi with her older sister. Pepita remembers her first impressions. As she was guided through the corridors and observed the positive effects of a living faith in the patients’ rooms, she had to wipe a few tears from her eyes.
Finally the two of them ended up in my office and listened intently to the story of Diospi Suyana on a screen. “Dr. Klaus, after the lecture they told me: “Pepita, the day will come when you will work as a missionary doctor at our hospital!” I took this statement at face value. Now I am here and I know that God has a mission for me at the missionary hospital!”
In a personal interview, the pediatrician spoke about her faith in God. “My parents weren’t religious at all and for a whole year I secretly listened to morning devotions on the radio. Eventually I entrusted my life to Jesus Christ and so much has changed in my life since then. Even my choice of words has become more refined. My interactions with people are also not the same as they used to be. In April 2024, Pepita came to Curahuasi to be part of the youth festival. And since April, my wife and I have been longingly hoping that the Doctora would really make the leap from the coast to the mountains.
She did and now we are breathing a sigh of relief and thanking God. /KDJ
