communist east. and they were going to kick back then i wanted to study mathematics but i wasn't even allowed to go to university. the german protestant church offered me a safety net by letting me finish school there. the degree wasn't worth much but it let me stay in school for another two years. during those two years it occurred to me that i could work for the church too. i have never regretted it i decided i wanted to become a pastor and i did i lived as a pastor and my main topic was faith should set you free. in east germany's form and freedom was a sensitive subject free thinking or worse yet free speech could be dangerous. as a. once a maverick always a maverick you can never change that and it's been very useful to me it gave me the opportunity to get a much better education so that i was equipped for life when the communist regime