Band of brothers

Wolfgang Fischer  |  Features
Date posted:  1 Mar 2002
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Wiesbaden is in Hessen, Germany. With the Nazis completely defeated at the end of World War II, it found itself in the American occupied zone. One kind of victory had been won, but God saw that there was more work to be done in Europe, and he called some men from the American military to be involved.

Advent Sunday 1947 found the congregation of Wiesbaden Baptist Chapel preparing for a pre-Christmas meeting with the Sunday School children. The church was about 50 years old, but now they were meeting in a hall in a back-yard. Following the war there were still terrible food shortages and starvation, and unbeknown to them the poorly-dressed people were about to face one of the most dreadful winters on record.

Amid the congregation candles were shining and there were happy faces of children who recited long poems, eagerly learned by heart and written by their Sunday School teacher, Kurt Henneman. There was a little play performed and the children were wondering if there would be any presents despite all the poverty around. There were a few small things organised by the loving, but needy, members of the church.

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