Saying farewell to Christian van Rensen
A large crowd has gathered on a hill just outside Curahuasi. It is Sunday afternoon and once again it is a time to say goodbye. Our IT-expert has completed his term here and is heading back to Germany. Over the past few years he has programmed like billio. He frequently had to work under time-pressure and his desk was often covered with several to-do projects.
The shadows become longer and the sun is about to set behind the mountains. These farewell scenes have a melodramatic character amongst which a touch of melancholy mingles.
We sing songs with a guitar-accompaniment and suddenly the sound of a violin floats serenely through the air. Our existence is made up of arriving and departing. Christian has asked that we sing a song, composed by Dieter Trautwein 40 years ago. Who, on such a day, would turn down his request? The first verse of the song expresses our desire that God may always accompany us wherever we go:
- Komm, Herr, segne uns, dass wir uns nicht trennen,
sondern überall uns zu dir bekennen.
Nie sind wir allein, stets sind wir die Deinen.
Lachen oder Weinen wird gesegnet sein.
English Translation:
- Come, O Lord, bless us so that we may not be separated from you,
But that we may profess everywhere that we are yours.
We are never alone, we are always yours.
May our laughing and our crying be blessed.
