Kathrin was recently baptized in our church and welcomed as a new member. She sent us a picture of her baptism and the following greetings:

Dear RUC family,

After your warm welcome into your congregation I would like to introduce myself to you. I was born June 1968 in Potsdam.

It is a beautiful and historically important city situated very close to Berlin (a city you should not miss out when you visit Germany!). Potsdam has many parks and castles as well as numerous lakes. I spent a very happy childhood there. But since Potsdam belonged to what used to be former East Germany (DDR) I had to deal with the usual restrictions and idiosyncrasies of daily life in a socialist state. As a child I didn’t notice much about the restrictions imposed on us. But as a teenager I became more and more conscious of them - as for example the secretive copying and reading of forbidden books. The situation became very problematic when my older brother was imprisoned because of his political activities and then even had to leave the country. It was around that time in 1987 when I started studying medicine in East Berlin’s renowned Charité. Those years were characterized by both tensions and anxieties but also great euphoria leading up to the fall of the wall in 1989. I finished my studies and began to get to know the other side of Berlin and Germany. After two years of separation I was finally re-united with my brother, who lived in former West Germany. Exciting times …! At the beginning I worked in Berlin, but then my job brought me to Frankfurt am Main. It was here that I met my husband Jochen. We are happily married and will soon celebrate our first wedding anniversary (with many to follow!). We look forward to soon being back in Cape Town and to worship with you at RUC. Until then I send you our warmest regards! Wishing you good health and God’s blessing!

Yours,
Kathrin and Jochen Hochmuth