Chapter 32 -Visits West Germany; Mets Dr. & Mrs.Diel & Witnessed the East Berlin "Revolution" on TV

                                        Chapter  32

         Visits   West Germany;  Mets  Dr. & Mrs. Diel  & Witnessed  the 

                             East  Berlin  “Revolution” on TV                                              

On October 4, 1989,  I went to the  West German Embassy   in Stockholm to apply for a Visa for West Germany.  I filed my applications and  other documents with the office staff. My documents includes  a letter   from Dr. Domingo Diel, Jr.. inviting me to West Germany.  I was interviewed. Why I want to go to West Germany?   Who do I knew in the country. How long will I stay there.  And some  other relevant questions. I answered the questions simply.

About two months  earlier,   I planned  to get a Visa for  West Germany from Manila.  Some friends who knew I will go to Sweden,  told me. Better get you Visa to Germany from  Sweden. It’s easy to get Visa  to  any European countries. In Manila, there were lots of hocus-focus. I did not knew what it means.

One time, when we get an invitation for study in Bangla Desh, with Feraz Legita and Evelyn Espinosa. We went to the Bangla Desh Embassy in Manila. We gave our application to man in the embassy. There were so many, many questions. Why we want to go to Bangla Desh. What were our purpose. Where will we go there. Whom will me in the country. I began to think, the officer was clearly asking to  something in return for approval of our visit to his country. 

I gave up, and asked Evelyn Espinosa to worked  out ways with him.  It was long But later, we were given our Visa to Bangla Desh.

I decided to get my Visa to West Germany from Sweden.

I wait inside  the West German Embassy. After about 1 ½  hours of waiting,  I was called by the West Germany staff.  She’s  a German. She congratulated me for going to  her  country. My Passport stamped with entry to West Germany was given to me.

Three  days s later,  October 7,  I flew to Frankfurt, West Germany. I took the Scandinavian Airlines.  On the trip, we were served  food and drinks. I took a bottle of Berhausen.  It was a well known German beer.  Sometimes, I drink a bottle of beer. Not more. Then,  I looked again on the map of Europe.  I looked at map of  West Germany and East Germany. The United Germany was once,  two of the most    of the powerful countries of  Europe.  

I have seen the power of  Germany in some books. I  also knew their humiliations. I have read in my 2^nd Year college, a book, “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.”  It was the story of Adolf Hitler. There were romours  and stories, that Adolf Hitler, was a son of Jose Rizal, conceived with a beautiful  German woman  when Jose Rizal was in Germany.

 I have been thinking that the mind of Adolf Hitler, his wide knowledge, the workings of his minds, his analysis of situations, the power of his words, where  quite similar to Dr. Jose Rizal. Where they, really related?  I stopped thinking. It’s not needed anymore.

I studied  the map of Italy.  I would like also to visit Italy some days  I would like to see Italy and the  Italian people.  I would like  visit  Vatican City and learn some history and secrets of Vatican City –the  big business of the Vatican, what they said, “mafia” of  Vatican City and the secrets of the earthly powers  of Popes.

How a cardinal rose to power with  great influences   after   Crowned Pope of Rome, the vicar of Jesus Christ.

I would like also to learn, why Italians accepted artificial birth control methods and  accepted devorce, for marriages beyond recoveries. I would like also to learn in Rome,  and  in  the Vatican, why  Filipino bishops and priests have made strong stands against birth controls,  making many  poor Filipino catholic couples,    the most prolific race,  with  mostly   7 to 10 children in the hinterland villages.  

I  looked  at the map of  Latin America.  Leo Liljengren  hinted of a possible visit  and exposures to Latin America -   Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile.  Before I left Sweden,  we have some talks. He said. “Rudy, start  learning   Spanish. You must learn a little  Spanish.  Your next trip   may be in Latin America.” 

Diakonia had works in Latin America.  And Leo Liljengren has been in Latin America. I closed my eyes. I prayed for God’s guidance and leading.  For I knew many things happened,  with  God leading, thru  prayers and  dreams –the dream  that carries  strong plans.

On my arrival at Frankfort Airport, I saw  Mrs. Elsbeth Diel   waiting at the arrival area. I joined her. She told me  Dr. Diel was waiting  in the  car. We passed  several places, moved to the other area, when down several hundred meters to the next, moving on until we reached  outside,  to the parking site.   We  went direct to Dr. Diel.

It was about  years when we were together, he was General Secretary and I  was Director of the New Frontier Ministries.  That’s were times, when we have little power in the Baptist Convention. But Dr. Diel,  was always powerful. I always proposed. If he do not like it, he said no. And nothing comes of it. A few days later, I made a new proposal, with a new approach, sometimes he approved. And some things were done. 

Other times he said no. He was General Secretary of the  Convention in 1981-1986.  But he  resigned, a year before the end of his term.  He went back to Germany.   I seemed to remember, Dr. Diel  once said to me. “Rudy, the  GS set  is  getting hot.“  Atty. Angel  Lobaton was the President.  That was a little  recollection.

Dr.  Diel drove us to Landau, West Germany, more than an  hour ride from Frankfort  Airport.  I met again their daughter Hilga  and son, Zoren.  It was beautiful  and nostalgic day. For I am now with the  Diel family, and  in West Germany. They were the only  Filipinos, I knew in Germany.

Mrs. Diel brought me to the room I will occupy for 3 days.  I sat down on the sofa. I closed my eyes.

As if I was dreaming. When, I started to be a pastor, in 1970 at Cawayan Baptist Church,  Carles, Iloilo, I have never dream I will ever be visiting countries this far –Sweden and West Germany.  God, made many  impossible things  in my life,  possible.  His guidance and helped that we must always seek.

I remembered the day of my arrival in Landau. I saw along  the way Apple plantations, thousands and thousands of  apples were bearing fruits. The apple plantations  in Landau, West Germany was like sugar cane plantations in Negros Occidental. Wherever I looked, I saw Apple plantations.

There were buildings,  some factories were the apples were processed into wines. The best wines were from apples. And other produces were produced like  vinegar – the well-known Apple Cider Vinegar that  were sold in many parts of the world today.

I also  remembered, some  years ago. It was, I think in the late 70’s., when the the  Baptist     World  Youth Congress was held  in Manila. There were more than 6,000 youths from around the world who attended the World Youth Congress. It was a great and wonderful event. The voices of the youth were heard in Manila and across the world. After the Youth  Congress,    about 40 German  young men and women came to Iloilo City for  a visit and exposures.

They were   invited by Rev. Edwin Lopez, General Secretary of Baptist Convention.   They will stay in Iloilo for a week.  The Convention Baptist together with the   Baptist Youth Fellowship of the Philippines, headed by John Herbert de la Fuente, President  helped  in hosting them.

Mr. Fred Italia, CPBC Treasurer, was coordinating the visit and exposure trips.   We all  took time to gave them the needed  exposures to different places in  Iloilo City, some towns in the Iloilo,    the institutions of the  CPBC like CPU, Iloilo Mission Hospital. In  Pavia, they visit some cooperatives  headed by  Mrs. Ruth Corvera.   There were also efforts to linked the German students with students at Central Philippine University for sharing and discussions.

I was assigned by Rev. Lopez to assist the  two  East Germans, one a pastor, evangelist and musician. The other,  a middle age East German church  leader. I accompanied them to Central Philippine University, where the pastor  spoke to  the students in one of the classes.  He sang to the students, with his guitar. I was told,  the  East German pastor led the Baptist World Youth Assembly in  singing hymns of faith, and led them,  more than   6,000  youths around the world to sing  enthushiasticaly  with him.

The students  were happy with the songs the East German pastor sung. There were some questions asked. “Are you also  a communist?    How did Communism and Christianity  worked together in East Berlin?  Are there Communists Christians?” These and some other questions were asked. The Pastor anwered sincerely. He said he’s  a Christian living in a communist country. He believed  in Jesus  as the Son of God. Many Christians worked and  lived in Communist countries.

The following night,  the East German  Pastor and his friend, were with us at home. I invited them to join me and Hesther, for supper.  I would like Hesther to meet fellow Christian  in East  Germany.

Before we ended our supper, I asked my friend, the East German  pastor.  How the situations in East Berlin and East Germany.  I told him, we fought hard to regain our freedom from  our former President’s martial rule. How were their struggles in East Berlin and East Germany going on.

My friend  took a deep breathed. Then he said. “ In a few months or a year, you will hear   East Berlin and the East  German people standing and fighting for their rights and freedom”  Then he told us of some of their struggles in  East Berlin.  The pain of living in a divided nation.  Their families and friends have not seen each other for years.

They cannot reached each other because of the Berlin Wall.  A wall that devided them as a nation. Where one will be shut and killed, if he tried to cross the  forbidden Berlin Wall  and go to the other  side,  to see relatives and friends.

 I looked at him. I clasped  his hands. I told him, we will pray with him  and his people in East Berlin.  I joined them in their   struggle for freedom and  liberation. 

The following day, October 8, 1989,   at Landau, West Germany,  together with  Dr.  Domingo Diel, Jr., Mrs. Elsbeth Diel and their children,  we  witnessed on television newscast,  one of the great upheavals  in East Berlin.  On the television set, I saw   East Berliners,  stood and asserted    their  rights. They stood and fought for their freedom. They broke part of the Berlin Wall. They joined hands. They sung their struggle songs. They waved  their flags.

They marched. They destroyed a portion of the Berlin Wall.  They   crossed, with power  to the other side of  Berlin Wall!. They crossed  to freedom!   Thousands  of East Berliners crossed  the forbidden  walls to freedom.

The following day,  on October 9, 1989, the spokesman of the Communist Party in East Berlin, spoke to the German people.  He made a historic announcement. He announced a changed.  Starting  that night,  all East Berliners can go and cross to West Berlin.  That  was a revolutionary change.  A great and powerful change. The unity of Berlin City and the German people.

September 24, 2017,  Germany  went  to the polls for  their elections.  Angela Merkel, was elected Chancelor for  another term, his 4^th term.  She is a great woman leader of the German people.  She’s  from East Berlin. She studied  in East Berlin. She was indoctritated in communism. And she became a great leader of the German people. The world listens whenever  she spoke.

 In an interview with the press, she said. “She did not study  seriously  communism”.

I asked myself. “ Was  the  strength of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s  leadership for the  past  years was   her effective merging   of communism   and liberal democracy  in a  Federal Germany?”

This thoughts continued to pester my mind. I began to think of Federal government of Sweden. And also the Federal government of Germany. Could this be the  political avenue for the Filipino people in  their search for change and developments, in an elitist and  oligarch society?

That afternoon October 9, 1989, I accompanied  Dr.  Diel to his office. He introduced me  his colleagues. He shared with me their ministry among the German people.  The following Sunday,  we visited  the very  big German church.  But  now,  with few  members.   The people have gone to other places of Germany and Europe.

We have a devotional in the church. Dr. Diel spoke.

Later, a  German church leader came me. We shared some thoughts. I shared with him the hardship of our people, still results of the long martial rule by our former President, Mr. Marcos. I told him of our dream for freedom. And the continued efforts we were making today, to make some changes  in the life of our people.

We gathered for a snack. We bid goodbye. We prepared to leave.    Dr. Diel was given by the host church two bottles of wine.  Dr. Diel received  it.  He told me, he will gave this to his friend.  Dr. Diel,  I think  do not drink wine, even in Germany, where wine were produced abundantly.     I often drink a little wine,  as Paul advised his students, that  little wine were  good for health. 

The next day, Dr. and Mrs. Diel  accompanied me to Frankfurt Airport. We left about 2:00 PM. It was a good day. It was clear day. And Dr. Diel was driving.  I witnessed  how fast Dr. Diel  drove in Germany. I think 120 kms per hour, even more.

He’s a fast driver.   He was driving at the  inside   lanes,  for fast moving cars.  Suddenly, one of  our  front  tire blew-up.  The car wobbled.  It trembled.  Dr. Diel controlled the   wheels,  slowly guiding the car to the outside lanes.  There at the road side,  we  stopped  and made repairs.

 Communications and trouble shootings in   Germany was really fast and efficient.   Mrs. Diel went about 40  meters to the next  pole where there  was a  telephone. I think, there were telephones on the posts, every 100 meters, along the highway.  She opened it, and called for service. In barely 5 minutes, the repairman's  car came  and  made  fast  exchanged of  the tire.

I reached Frankfort Airport. I  thank Dr. and Mrs. Diel for their hospitality. I bid them goodbye.  They told me soon, they will be back in the Philippines.

I took  my plane back to Manila. I took my supper. I  sip a bottle of coke. I bowed my head. I thank God for my beautiful trip in Germany and witnessing  the liberation of the East Germans. I prayed for my wife and children back in Iloilo. I entrusted them to the Lord.  I listened  to music on my Air phones. Soon I was asleep.

 Some  hours later, I woke up. I asked the Stewardess  for a  cup of coffee. I asked  her  our altitude. She told me,  we’re flying 36,000 meters  above sea level. It was high. Was that about  5 kilometers up into the sky? I looked down. But, at  night, I can only see the empty space. It was still dark.

The following day, I  was  with my family in Iloilo City. It was a great day of learning,  in Sweden and Germany.  But it’s great to be with  my wife and children. I thanked God that he kept us all well.