We are far from having lost hope
The afternoon sun makes the church windows glow. Over 3,000 individual pieces make up the leaded glass of the 20 works of art. The stained glass and lead profiles were donated by German companies. A Catholic artist created the designs free of charge. And four master craftsmen in this trade worked for half the usual price. Our hospital chapel is a gift from heaven that offers visitors a glimpse into another dimension. It is the place where God wipes away all our tears and where love and justice reign.
Thousands of young people are seated in the amphitheater, listening to the life story of Louis Fischer during an intermission at a nighttime concert. In the background, the logo “Luz = Light in the Andes” glows. The gifted administrative director of Diospi Suyana speaks of a tragedy in his life. In that darkness, it was his faith that, like a ray of light, brought him hope.
The natural beauty of Curahuasi. At the bottom of the 1,000-meter-deep canyon, the Apurimac River flows toward the Amazon. The sun in the sky reveals how beautifully God has created this world. We humans are busily polluting and destroying it. The Bible speaks of a future reality that God has prepared for all those who trust in Him. There, selfishness, hatred, and perversion can no longer cause harm.
Peruvian doctor Yesmi Ortega is performing a gastroscopy. A television report on Diospi Suyana inspired her to study medicine many years ago. Her salary isn’t high, but she fully identifies with a hospital that serves the poor rural population. People throughout Peru know Diospi Suyana from 72 TV reports. And in every commentary, the mission hospital is described as a ray of hope. Peru’s most famous TV host, Nicolás Lúcar, spoke about Diospi Suyana on his show in September 2022. The self-proclaimed atheist said, in essence: “I attended the mission hospital’s grand anniversary celebration. The staff at Diospi Suyana possess a strength that has overcome selfishness!”
Rock music on the main stage at the amphitheater during “Luz en los Andes.” The Argentines perform as true bearers of hope to the glory of God. Before taking the stage, they formed a circle backstage and asked for God’s blessing. The Diospi Suyana youth festival generated over 4.3 million views on social media.
Approximately 7.5 billion people have seen *The Jesus Film* over the past 45 years. It is available in 2,000 languages and tells the story of Jesus based on the Gospel of Luke. The film is shown in the hospital’s waiting rooms from Monday through Friday in Spanish and Quechua. Our computer system has recorded over 646,000 patient visits to date. Since most patients were accompanied by their relatives, hundreds of thousands of people have actually been able to watch this 90-minute film at Hospital Diospi Suyana.
Is Diospi Suyana a humanitarian organization? Of course it is. At the hospital, we offer high-tech medical care to those seeking help on a not-for-profit basis. The fee for a doctor’s consultation is 4 soles (1 euro). But in many countries, Diospi Suyana has become known first and foremost as “The Hospital of Faith.” Its remarkable founding story and the support it receives from Christians of diverse denominations speak to a reality that we rarely encounter in the news or on media outlets. When people live out love through the power of God, something completely new is created. As followers of the Risen One, we want to act as He has shown us by example. Sometimes we succeed, and often, unfortunately, we do not. But when we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, the sun shines quite brightly, figuratively speaking. /KDJ
