Christmas in Africa's glowing furnace: Markus Linde is a Protestant military pastor from Mittenwald on the UN mission in Mali.
The pastor takes care of over 1000 soldiers from different nations at Camp Castor.
He spends the holidays 3500 kilometers away from his family.
Mittenwald / Goa
- It is a sea of lights.
Hundreds of candles are burning.
A small procession winds its way between heavily armed military vehicles.
In front of walls studded with barbed wire.
A Swedish soldier is disguised as "Santa Lucia", the Swedish Queen of Lights, wearing a white robe and a wreath of lights.
He leads the "Lucia Train".
An ancient Swedish tradition.
Instead of walking through snow, the soldiers walk over red desert sand.
The thermometer shows 42 degrees.
Before Christmas at Camp Castor.
The German-Dutch military complex in the north of Mali.
Pastor Markus Linde from Mittenwald follows the scene.
He smiles.
Military pastor from Mittenwald: Divine service in Africa, every Sunday at 10 a.m.
The evangelical clergyman has been on duty near the Malian city of Goa since mid-November.
He volunteered for the Minusma armed forces operation.
“I think that's part of it,” explains the man from Palatinate.
Together with his Catholic parish assistant, Oberstabsfeldwebel Albert Josef Z., Pastor Linde takes on the military chaplaincy for over 1000 stationed soldiers.
He is currently the only military pastor in the camp.
The other nations do not yet have their own.
Therefore, not only German, but also emergency services from Sweden, the Netherlands or Lithuania as well as civilian members of the mission come to his services.
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Air conditioning at Christmas: Pastor Linde creates an Advent atmosphere in the church tent.
© Bundeswehr / Frank Wiedemann
Linde lights a candle.
Every Sunday at 10 a.m. sharp, the 43-year-old turns to the soldiers with the same familiar words.
“Good morning, dear comrades.
I greet you at our service. ”He is in the church tent.
There is almost not enough space.
In addition, chairs have to be fetched in order to maintain the distance rules due to Corona.
This is also an issue in far-off West Africa.
Memorial service: Soldat's father has died - he cannot go to the funeral
This time an interpreter is present at the ceremony.
The father of a Lithuanian soldier died in an accident at home, while his son is on duty in the African furnace 3500 kilometers from his home.
Felt at the end of the world.
The comrade cannot fly home to the funeral.
It is a heavy burden for the Lithuanian not to be able to give his papa the last escort.
That is why Linde organizes a memorial service.
The linguist translates Linde's sermon.
Word by word.
"I'm with you." "As su tavimi."
The whole thing was a new experience for the pastor too.
The most important thing for him is "to offer a comrade the space and the opportunity to say goodbye".
Whether Lithuanian or German, Swede or Dutch - or from whatever country: "We focus on people, regardless of which nation they belong to."
Masses in Mali: soldiers enrich church services with their own songs
A sergeant major from Ingolstadt plays devout sounds on his guitar during masses.
Sing English songs.
In turn, Swedish soldiers play their songs from home.
"These are beautiful pieces that enrich our service," says Linde.
They offer a break in the middle of the stressful everyday work in the desert.
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Place for God in the middle of the Malian desert sand: the church tent in Camp Castor.
© Bundeswehr / Frank Wiedemann
Around 12,000 blue helmet soldiers and almost 1,500 United Nations police officers are helping to stabilize the West African country.
The German Bundestag has provided 1,100 soldiers for the participation of the Bundeswehr.
Pastor Linde wants to be a companion in difficult times
Pastor Linde knows many of them personally.
Some are mountain pioneers and mountain hunters from his home in Mittenwald and Bad Reichenhall.
An advantage.
“It makes my work and access to my comrades easier.” He wants to accompany her a little on this difficult mission.
To be a companion, especially when it comes to sad events.
Like the death of a loved one at home.
He is prepared for such situations.
Can make loved ones feel good.
Markus Linde has been working in military chaplaincy since 2018.
It was more or less by chance that he joined the Bundeswehr.
During his vicariate, the practical preparation for a Protestant pastor, he wanted to discover something new.
He applied to the federal government.
He is enthusiastic about the camaraderie and the openness with which he was received.
This is not Linde's first assignment.
In the summer of 2019 he was already employed as a military chaplain at "Enhanced Forward Presence" in Lithuania.
The father of the family feels that the work on the mission is very intensive and demanding.
"I am particularly interested in people and their life stories," says the Siegen native.
Family in Mittenwald sends parcels and self-painted pictures
His wife and three children support him every day.
Regularly send him parcels and self-painted pictures.
They hang in Linde's office and in his container, which he calls home until mid-February 2021.
Only then does he return to his loved ones.
“I am proud of the way you mastered the difficult situation at home,” he says.
“My family really does it great.” This is the only way he can concentrate fully on his work and offer his comrades in Mali a little break.
The pastor is currently preparing for the Christmas holidays.
He has planned several Christmas masses, which take place in the evening as field services.
Small celebrations with a few people are also allowed on the holidays.
So far, no soldier has been infected with the corona virus.
Everyone has to stay in quarantine at home for 14 days before moving to Camp Castor.
In addition to artificial Christmas trees, the Bundeswehr also had some real ones flown in.
They are currently stored in refrigerated containers.
The soldiers had to cancel a planned Christmas market due to Corona.
Pastor Linde is all the more pleased with the Swedes' Lucia Train.
Thanks to him, the Christmas spirit comes up.
At 42 degrees in the shade.