Gerald Vyhmeister is currently biology Professor at the Adventist University of Chile. He has spent all his life on investigating world´s amazing things through the trips he has made under the Church´s direcction. That is precisaly this interview about, his many trips and expiriences while traveling.
1. You have made many trips; can you tell us something about that?
I have traveled a lot around the world mainly to Europe, Suth America, North America, South Africa. However, Asia, the Middle East and Australia are places I have never been to.
2. So, how many countries have you visited?
I don´t have an account of the countries , I can say that in South America I have visited almost every country except Paraguay and Guyana. In North America several states of the US and Canada. In Central America, Jamaica, Bahamas, Mexico. In Europe, France , England, Scotland, Germany, Luxemburg, Italy, Zwitzerland, Austria, and Denmark. In Africa, well it has 60 countries, and I have been only to Kenya, Uganda, Ruanda, Burundi, and the Republic of Congo from Central Africa. After that, I stayed in Benin and Ghana. I think that is all, you can tell later how many countries I have visited.
3. I know yuo have not just visited but you have also lived in some countries.
In Peru I was six years, which is the country where I got my Phd (Doctor Philosophiae) in Education. Then i was in Jamaica for about five years at the Adventist University and also in some Caribbean Islands. I lived in an island that is in the northern part of Venezuela eh...........I forgot the name.
4. And Also you lived in Ruanda, right?
Well, Iwas there about 8 years, eh....I was teaching at the Adventist University and because there was a war I was about 8 months in the Republic of Congo, it is next to Ruanda. I was asked to lead the work of ADRA in that country during the war helping the refugees. Thre were like one million of refugees. Iwas there until I had the possibility to go baack to Ruanda and continue teaching at the university.
5. After visiting so many countries, which is the most beautiful?
All of them, it does no matter which country I have visited, every one has some beauty, you know beauty has no rules.
6. Do you remember a special moment in any of these countries?
Yeah, so many special moments, but I think the most beautiful ones were when I lived with the refugees in the Republic of Congo during the war. I saw the best and the worst of the human being. The worst was the killing, and the best was the people who came to help, to solve problems, with the lack of food, the lack of places to stay. There were a lot of people helping, and you did not even stop to think that that person could be from one country or another; there was no room for discrimination.
7. You definetely like to travel, don´t you?
Yes, I like it a lot. Now I have plans to travel to Argentina, but because of the classes I cannot for the moment. I have some relatives there and some friends too that I want to visit.
8. If you had the possibility to travel again, which country would you like to visit this time?
I would like to travel to some parts of Asia; I have friends living in some countries there. Friends that I had the opportunity to work with in the past. There are other special countries that I would like to visit but the problem is the money, where do you get all that money? I have to tell you that I have spent very little money from my pocket on these trips, because the chuc has been paying almost evereything to work in every country they can send me and they used to pay me vacation every two years, so that helped me a lot.
9. So I guess that your plans in this moment are to continue teaching at the university.
Well, I like to teach, but also I am working on a book about some talks that I have been preparing, but I think the main objective is already accomplished so I feel free to do other things.
Thank you very much for you time.
