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Hello everyone,

My name is Bodo von Bodelschwingh, I am a refugee social worker at the Diakonisches Werk in Lower Saxony, in the city of Syke. Our facility is located in the north of Germany south of Bremen.

We belong to the two church districts Diepholz and Syke with about 100,000 church members. Our church districts consist of individual parishes. Our church community here on site is the ev. Luth. Parish in Syke. 

Of course, the Diakonisches Werk belongs to the two church districts, but within these two corporations we form our own institution with the Kirchenkreisverband. The chairman is the superintendent of the church district Syke. 

This means that we are already a separate institution. In the Diakonisches Werk there is church district social work, debt counseling, addiction counseling, pregnancy conflict counseling and refugee social work. In Syke we are represented here with two co-atters. 

My colleague Mrs. Bonfert takes care of all refugees older than 27 years, my job is the young adults under 27 years. But of course we represent each other and also know most people. 

Here in Syke I work with about 100 refugees. Many come from Africa, Syria, Iraq and Iran but also from South Eastern Europe 

Many refugees are religious: they are Muslims, or Christians. Few have no faith. I am convinced that the vast majority of refugees are reassured when they hear that they have now arrived in a church institution. 

They already trust us that they are safe here for the time being. Many people are very insecure because they have experienced so much on their run. They have been badly exploited by a lot of people. Many people have promised them help, collected a lot of money and then often did nothing, or put them in even greater danger. They have met many thieves and criminals. Therefore, they are often cautious at first. But if they heard that our advice is always free of charge, then this is reassuring at first. 

We can do a good job especially if we are well connected. If people notice that we are addressing other people who don't want money either, and who only want to do good at first, then it helps you a lot. But this is a special empathetic and humanistic work. 

Our church does not give us the mandate to speak a prayer with every person seeking advice before counseling or to ask for God's assistance for the meeting. There are also no Christian symbols to hang in our offices. 

Almost all offices therefore hardly differ from other facilities. Formally, there is a difference. All our employees should be committed to the Church and its values. They must be baptized. Therefore, they should have heard at least something about God as the Christian origin. In fact, however, many hardly know anything about the obligatory faith. Many leave the church, even to save taxes. Others step in again because they recognize the value of the Church or know that they are called personally. Among the staff in the Diakonie there are therefore very different members, committed, critics and indifferent. I often experience that people do not talk about their personal beliefs and prefer to behave neutrally. It is important to be open to all those seeking advice and help, to Muslims and non-believers, to the disappointed and bitter. 

In my opinion, the diaconal self-image is not primarily about the institution of the church or diaconia, which I represent, - it is first about the individual, about me personally: me in the function as a counselor, me as a helper. How do I understand myself and behave? 

First of all, it's about how I face the other person. Am I the neutrally distant, am I the other person who sits behind the desk and keeps the supplicant behind him at a distance, - or am I a listener who nevertheless radiates respect and respect from the beginning with the necessary objectivity and expertise. How do I noticeably get involved with the other? - not from above, and better-knowing, instructive? 

Often solutions and perspectives arise in the social process, but I also experience times of helplessness and cluelessness, he gropes me with wrong reactions, I feel helplessness. I want to dodge and get rid of the other, experience that I make mistakes, make hasty decisions, fall for prejudices. 

In any case, it is important to know the laws, to do our work as well as possible, to be wise, that I get fully attached and stick to it. 

For me, successful social work means that the clients - through my impulses - come to the conviction themselves that they make the right decisions themselves and then go the sensible ways.

In such moments I experience myself, and may know that I feel God's closeness, experience his encouragement and know how to rely entirely on him, as always I decide and act. 

This attitude may come across recognizably to the other, who experiences the process as trust and closeness. Ultimately, it's about loving behavior. I discover in such situations that in respect for the other - whoever it is - I ultimately learn that the basic principle of our togetherness is based on the love of God and love of humanity. 

This is how I understand my activity as a "deacon", as a person of love, especially in the relationship to the other - in appropriate help to the so-called client: Diakonie takes place for me as a constant discovery and process of getting closer. Respect, that is the basic attitude to the doing word: love. 

For this blessing I ask that God the Lord bless the work of our hands. 

Thank you for Your attention 

Bodo von Bodelschwingh