My Journey to Albert Schweitzer

This book follows the unique adventures of one man throughout more than seventy years of his life. Born in pre-WW II Germany, Siegfried Neukirch had a dream of traveling to Africa so that he could work with the renowned humanist Albert Schweitzer at his mission hospital in Lambarene. From the time of his studies in Canada and in Europe, Mr. Neukirch's vision of following the pathway of life that had been blazed by the teachings of Albert Schweitzer never wavered. His journey to assist "le grand docteur" in his work led him on an adventurous bicycle trek that took him from Vancouver, British Columbia, along the west coast of the United States, through the jungles of Central and South America, and over the Andes Mountains as he made his way to Lambarene. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean by steamer, and then traveling by boat on the rivers of Equatorial Africa, he arrived at the mission hospital where he assisted in the "good doctor's work" until the death of Albert Schweitzer in 1965. Throughout his travels, especially in both the Western Hemisphere and later in Africa, Mr. Neukirch observed not only the natural beauties of the surrounding world, but also the inherent kindness and generosity of the people that he encountered en route. This book stands as a testament to the fundamental teachings of Albert Schweitzer that each and every person has the obligation to lend a helping hand to those people in our world who are in need of such assistance.