God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

05/22/2010 • 4:20 pm Comments Off on 22.05.2010 Ball of HOPE

22.05.2010 Ball of HOPE

Coming back from Johannesburg yesterday afternoon – so many things happened in the last 24 hours… preliminary talk for recording the talk-show “Bei Beckmann” in Germany – to be screened on Monday, 7th of June 2010. Then farewell for friends leaving for Bangkok  to take on a new post. And of course all preparations for the Ball of HOPE taking place this evening. 320 guests are expected despite all the sports events taking also place today. All is ready now.. and soon the tuxedo will hopeful still fit 🙂

For the 13th time this meanwhile major charity event will take place – and I think back to the humble beginnings – 80 people and Archbishop emeritus, Desmond Tutu at the first event, at time still called “Dinner-Dance”. Lets hope that all is going well this eve – for the joy of the participants and the benefits of HOPE Cape Town.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , ,

05/17/2010 • 7:20 pm Comments Off on 17.05.2010

17.05.2010

The ash cloud is approaching, but Frankfurt Airport promised to be a good boy and be open until midnight. That should do the trick to bring us out. This morning a talk for 150 students of the Gesamtschule Stromberg and I once again realise how far away the real world is for those kids, or better: how well protected they are not to know the realities of life in all its facets.

Then back to Frankfurt to check in the luggage and go quick to town for a last shopping. A sms telling me, that a friend of mine got a heart attack and is lying in hospital, another phone call from South Africa telling me, that a person I know from Rotary has been found dead floating in his swimming pool with 42 – and some last-minute chaos regarding the Ball of HOPE… I feel it is time to get back home.

Now sitting at the airport and trying to sort out all the emails of the last three days.. there was no time to really read and answer every of those and now it looks like work down a hug pile of emails from around the world.

So what is the result of the trip?

Many talks, new connections and the renewal of old connections with sponsors and donors of HOPE Cape Town. Quite a lot of invitation to give talks or preach – a donation from the Kolping family Muenster – Sarmsheim, a couple of new HOPE Cape Town fans and supporters – re-connecting with those who are faithful sponsors the whole years and finally a big step regarding our new project for HIV positive priests and religious.

This trip was full of wonderful experience, little sleep, some flu in between but when Fr. Wim and I will write our final report and outline future steps, I am sure that it is to the benefit of HOPE Cape Town, Justice & Peace Cape Town and the joined venture we persue. Thanks to all and everybody who made this trip worth the efforts – thanks for all cooperation in Wolfsburg, Rome, Munich and Muenster-Sarmsheim as well as Stromberg.

And of course I am always grateful that LH grants me the pleasure of flying with them.. those encounters at the counters have been a real inspiration – in the best and in the worst way possible.. alternating…  as usual. 🙂

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , ,

05/16/2010 • 11:11 pm Comments Off on 16.05.2010 Muc-FRA-Muenster-Sarmsheim

16.05.2010 Muc-FRA-Muenster-Sarmsheim

In the morning a breakfast meeting with two representatives of the “Aktionsbuendnis AIDS” before starting to pack up and leave for the airport. The machine is completely overbooked, the staff at the boarding area has still to learn that LH is a SERVICE orientated business and that the customer pays for his flight and is not the one to be grateful to be chosen to fly with Lufthansa. It is sometimes amazing for me to see and experience the different standards of service deliver of Lufthansa.

Well, the machine is packed, even the jump-sits are used for passengers – we are late,  but why apologise for the mess….LH at its best again….

In Frankfurt another experience of lack of service oriented business behaviour. It seems that the booking of the car with GPS was just a request – so no car with GPS available. The lady from AVIS is not very helpful – the meaning of the word “service” is completely strange to her… maybe unheard?

Europcar is finally helping out – and we rush to Bingen and then to Muenster – Sarmsheim for the information evening about HOPE Cape Town. It is good to see all the familiar faces and to speak with those whose pastoral care was close to my heart more than 20 years ago.. it feels like coming home after all these years.

It is 11pm until back to the hotel where a bed is waiting – tomorrow an early school appointment is waiting for us.

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Politics and Society, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

05/16/2010 • 8:46 am Comments Off on 15.05.2010 Third Day of the Ecumenical Church Day in Munich

15.05.2010 Third Day of the Ecumenical Church Day in Munich

Saturday and the last day of the Ecumenical Church Day in Munich. Together with Fr Wim we venture into the city of Munich – all over Munich, the churches are open during day and some during night to give chance for prayer and the experience of silence. On the “Marienplatz” we attend a prayer service – it is amazing to see, how the people join in into the singing even the temperatures are freezing cold today. Then we quickly pop into the “Virtualienmarkt” and later to buy some chocolates for the altar servers of Manenberg – German chocolate is different to their not so tasty South African counterparts… 🙂

The afternoon sees us heading again to the trade fair center – last meetings and an interview for the SWDR are scheduled. In Trier, there will be the nights of lights beginning of June – and the donations obtained at that occasion are partly for HOPE Cape Town. A good opportunity to speak about the work, HOPE Cape Town is doing as well as specific church related problems within the prevention work in our days.

At the OEKT Lounge, I bump into the Federal Minster of Interior –  a brief chat and hopefully we see each other again in South Africa during the Soccer World Cup or latest at the annual HOPE Gala in Dresden. A brief chat with one of  the auxiliary bishops of Trier and Martin, who happened to do an internship in Cape Town and is now a so-called “Gemeindereferent” in German parishes.

Then time to go back again to the inner city of Munich to attend a special service at the St. Lukas parish – a full church, beautiful hymns, a good and dynamic sermon – church as it should be. We leave with inner joy and walk back through the cold night to our hotel for some dinner. Another day full of experiences not to be missed and the reflection shows, that the networking was indeed working: we have many invitations and we had many meetings where a follow-up is needed still this year. All will benefit our work at home a great deal.

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , ,

05/15/2010 • 8:49 am Comments Off on 14.05.2010 Ecumenical church day II

14.05.2010 Ecumenical church day II

Breakfast @ 7 am already with Steffi, donor, initiator of a fundraising trip, which brought Constance, our first HOPE Community Health Worker to Germany when the International Prayer Day focused on women in Africa.
Then a brief cab ride to the “Staatskanzlei” to meet with Dirk Brand from Cape Town and State Minister Schneider and others driving the partnership between Bavaria and the Western Cape. We are a bit late as the taxi driver is not sure, where “his” government resides…  The Bavarian House during the Soccer World Cup 2010 but also the general political and social situation in South Africa as well as the question how to involve the local churches more into the partnership are further topics to be discussed.
Luncheon then with the Vice-president of the Bavarian parliament and his wife before heading to the international trade centre again to meet with Bishop Stephan Ackermann for an intensive talk on various subjects.
A brief walk through the halls to have at least a clou what organisations are all participating before the radio broadcaster of “Hessen” are waiting for a live interview on “sexuality and moral theology” in our days.
With all the “meet and greet” in between it is late evening, when we arrive back at our hotel to have dinner, reflect the day and then it’s time to rest – the next day will have its own challenges.

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , ,

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