Each morning patients gathered outside the clinic to see the doctor. So many suffered from the most painful medical conditions Albert could imagine. An old African man told him, "Among us everyone is ill. Our country devours her own children." Albert found himself agreeing. Nothing could have prepared him for the conditions here.
Growing up on the French-German border, son of a Lutheran pastor, Albert Schweitzer adopted a peace-loving approach to life. He studied theology, music, and philosophy and wrote numerous books. At age thirty he felt called to study medicine and eventually became a doctor. Together with his wife, Hélène, he founded a missionary hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon.
Devoted to medical work in Africa, Albert was also a beacon of hope for a better future in war-ravaged Europe and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His impact on medical missions continues to resonate today, inspiring compassionate care to the ends of the earth (1875-1965).