Back in mid-February I spoke about my personal crisis in faith that came about from a Sunday morning encounter on the steps of our church with a homeless Romanian who was life-threateningly ill. Since that meeting in early February, much time has passed but little has changed. I’m still struggling with just what God expects from us when facing these types of situations.
Despite many challenges and frustrations over the intervening six or so weeks, we’ve made a small step so I thought a brief update would be in order. There’s been no amazing breakthroughs, nothing to qualify as a great testimony, but after six weeks I didn’t want anyone to think we simply told this man and his wife “God bless you!” and walked away.
The Struggle with How to Help
In the intervening weeks, we’ve met with this couple – Daniel and Danielle, and their Romanian friend David. These meetings often also involved the Pastor we’d met who ministers to Roma and Cinti. He is well-connected within the local Romanian, Cinti and Roma community here in Koblenz.
Despite that, we didn’t have a lot to offer. Daniel’s chances of getting medical help when uninsured were poor. Scary numbers were being tossed around like 30-50 thousand euros for treatment. Truth be told, we really didn’t know how we could help.
My wife met with a number of people from organizations that specialize in helping the homeless. It seemed this man was known to these organizations. He’d been there but given up trying to get help. Everyone struggled to find a way to help.
But the good part was that my wife was informally building a network of people who really wanted to help and could tell us what was credible and what wasn’t. We realized pretty quickly how limited the options were.
I exercised contacts in search of emergency housing. What looked like a good lead initially became a bust. Since the Syrian war, housing in Germany has become really tight, and now with the Ukrainian crisis, it’s only getting worse.
Our pastor friend exercised Christian contacts he had to see what counsel they could offer. He knew some doctors and I asked if we could get some assessment of his medical condition and an estimate of treatment costs.
Weeks pasted with seemingly no progress. It’s been really frustrating trying to get an answer. My wife quickly learned doctors’ doors are closed to those without insurance. Our Pastor-friend also struggled to connect with his contacts. Barriers were everywhere.
Hope Fading
The lack of progress was frustrating but I suspect it was really hard on this couple. Then our translator David told us he had to return to Romania as his wife had just given birth to a baby boy. I was torn. Part of me was happy for him and yet I lamented that he would return home to offer his new son no hope.
He needed a baby carriage and that was something we could do! So we found one on eBay for him. The good news was it was like new and they wouldn’t outgrow it quickly. The bad news was we were losing our translator, making communication near impossible.
Then we learned that his wife Danielle was returning with David to Romania. Her family had been caring for their son while they were here on the streets begging and it had become more than they could handle. So now Daniel would be alone. Who would call an ambulance if he needed medical assistance? My fear was he’d simply die on the streets.
Finally a Bit of News
Then, our Pastor-friend notified us that he’d gotten agreement from one of his contacts (a doctor) to meet with Daniel. Through WhatsApp, we set everything up about when and where to meet, using our translator David in Romania to relay messages back to Daniel in Koblenz.
The Challenge to Get to the Doctor’s Office
Friday morning we were to meet the Doctor 7:45am. At the agreed 7am pick up point, Daniel was nowhere to be found. And of course, no one answered his phone! After a few phone calls, I learned he’d slept at the church of our Pastor-friend which hadn’t been communicated.
When I got to the church, he was out front but before I could turn around and get on the right side of the street, he vanished. After a search, I found him inside the church. It wasn’t where we’d agreed to be but these are the problems one can have with language and intermediaries.
I was now running late and of course, the address I was given wasn’t coming up on Google – and it was early enough that no one was answering the Doctor’s phone. When I arrived at my guess for the address, it was wrong and still no one was answering the phone and so I tried a different address that Google showed for the same Doctor’s name.
That turned out wrong after a 30 minute drive. Who would have known two different doctors would have the exact same first and last name? By then, the phone was being answered and I learned what I already knew: I was at the wrong doctor. Apparently the right doctor was on an alley a few hundred meters further down the road from my first stop. Apparently it was too small to show up on Google!
A Welcoming Doctor and Staff
Despite arriving nearly 2 hours late, the staff was great and the Doctor welcoming. An initial exam was conducted and blood work taken as it gives critical information about the progression of the Leukemia. He also scheduled a second appointment early next week to get a bone marrow sample.
Medical treatments and discussions can be difficult as they use totally different German technical terms I don’t know. Our Doctor was a terrific Christian man who spoke English but had the same problem. He didn’t know the English technical terms.
So I don’t know what will happen next and have no idea where we go from here. I still don’t know the costs of treatment. But the Doctor has Christian friends who are oncologists that he will speak with for support. What I do know, is that the Leukemia is a very rare type that’s not curable but treatable. But I don’t know how much treatment or how often, or what it could cost.
A Transformation
A Transformative Visit
Though there still isn’t much to report on Daniel’s condition, driving home from the Doctor’s visit, I was struck by a couple impressions I think are important. First, after meeting with so many that wanted to help but couldn’t, and then finally to be with a Christian who not only wanted to help, but had already decided to help, was a welcome change.
It brought hope where it seemed hopeless. And it seems to me, that’s the difference Christians should bring! We may not know what to do or how to do it, but there should be a heart of compassion that at least drives some action. Importantly, this doctor’s willingness to examine Daniel brought hope and restored dignity to this suffering man. I can’t imagine how many people have simply turned away, without trying to help.
But this doctor was not working out of obligation. His eyes lit up when he learned I was a fellow Christian “working to build God’s kingdom”. He was so excited to work with another believer. He even prayed with Daniel before we left.
I had prior communicated to our Pastor-friend that I would pay all costs of the Doctor’s visit. And I was adamant with the Doctor I would pay. But it was to no avail. He quietly reassured me he was doing it for Christ and there would be no bill.
I wasn’t initially comfortable with his answer. I didn’t want to burden him with the costs. It didn’t seem right. His time and expertise were worth money. But it told me he wanted to help, and that was transformative.
A Transformed Patient and a Hopeful Family
Given Daniel was homeless, my wife and I worked with him to assure he was showered and had clean clothes for the doctor’s appointment. Daniel assured us he’d comply. When I picked him up, he was not only cleaned up, but his hair was cut and beard trimmed. I barely recognized him.
Clean shaven and in clean clothes, he looked just like you or I. He looked human and dignified. It seemed he wasn’t going to squander the opportunity he was given. He seemed thankful that he could see a doctor.
But the big surprise was that he was not alone. When I picked him up, he was with his wife Danielle and their son David who looked to be about 2 or 3 years old. It had only been a week since Danielle returned to Romania but when she learned her husband had this appointment, she returned to Germany and brought her son. Hope can be transformative.
I hope this story will be transformative for you. I hope it urges you to also take a chance, go where you haven’t gone before and trust God where you haven’t trusted Him before. And I hope you’ll pray with us that God will be merciful, save Daniel and his family, and give them fullness of life. Now that Daniel is with his wife and son on the street, finding emergency housing is even more urgent.