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 2nd 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 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 wereasked. 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 4th 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.
Part of the series The Ministry Years (chapter 33 of 48)
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