A goosebump experience in the office
Friday afternoon. At lunchtime, Tobias Lächele introduces me to a small group of visitors. Two Americans from Seattle want to get involved in Christian youth work in Lima. They have heard a lot about Diospi Suyana and surprise us with a short visit. They bring a Peruvian friend with them. Following an intuition I offer the guests a lecture on the history of Diospi Suyana at 4:30 pm.
The presentation in Spanish proceeds as usual. At least that’s what I thought. When I talk about a 14-year-old boy who was admitted to our intensive care unit in 2018 with a working diagnosis of “brain death”, the Peruvian woman’s eyes get moist. This is what happened. The boy had fallen into a hole in the ground and, according to witnesses, was unable to breathe for 20 minutes. As there was no improvement after several days, the question arose as to when the ventilator should be switched off to allow a funeral. In those fateful hours, Gladys Hurtado, a Peruvian colleague, entered the intensive care unit. She knelt down at the bedside and prayed in a loud voice: “God, if this boy leaves the hospital healthy and without hope, I will organize his next birthday party!” A few days later, he woke up completely unexpectedly from his deep coma and Gladys – as God had promised – organized a big party to celebrate his birthday.
The Peruvian woman at the end of the table is now crying without restraint. I interrupt the lecture and look at her questioningly. “This boy is my cousin!” Everyone in the room is stunned. “What happened to him,” I want to know. “He lives in Cusco and is studying law!” What to say about it? Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone be the glory.
