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Jeff and Peggy Heidorn
Missionaries with The Master's Mission
since 2000
Haven Home boys dorm in Gatab,
northern Kenya.
Airstrip in Gatab enabling the
northern district of Kenya
to access the hospital in Gatab on
mission station. The airstrip in maintained
by TMM missionaries assigned to the
mission station in Gatab.
HEIDORN HAPPENINGS
April 2008
Dear Friends -
From my last email, some folks are under the
impression that we see mambas on a regular occasion. Please, don't think we
see mambas every day, but that day in particular, we did kill two snakes on
our property - one of them being a mamba! We have had a lot of rain
recently and that day was warm and sunny so folks were saying that is a
likely time to see snakes.
Tonight at our house the elders of our church are
meeting with the young men of our church to discuss female circumcision. In
our community of 5,000 - there are only two adult women I know of who have
not undergone this terrible proceedure. In many communities, you could
probably not even find one! We are thankful for the church to be a pillar &
support of truth as teaching both biblically and medically is beginning on
this subject. All of the elders of our church have made a commitment for
their girls NOT to be circumcised. Please be praying for the men of our
community who are really the ones who enforce this practice. Most young men
will not marry a girl unless she has been circumcised. We are at quite a
cross-roads now.
Our seminar this week for the girls has been a
wonderful opportunity for the young women of our church to receive teaching
on this subject as well as on purity, courtship, and other topics which
relate to girls. Sadly, 12 of our 35 or so girls have already been
circumcised, and of the remaining, 12 others said they do not want to be
circumcised, but are now receiving pressure from their families to have it
done. One girl's father and uncle have threatened to tie her up and force
it to be done. The church is willing to stand in the gap for these young
girls. Right now though, we are in new territory and are praying for wisdom
in whatever situation may present itself. This proceedure has been illegal
in Kenya for many years, but is so deeply entrenched in the culture, it is
unthinkable for some to not have this done.
We ask also for prayers for our truck. The new
injectors sent out by Chevy are in, but at this point the engine is unable
to run. It is coughing and choking. Our guys are doing everything
diagnostically to understand the problem and will be in very close contact
with Clarence Meyer, our mechanic at the mission (and a former GM mechanic
of many years) He will be sending us suggestions and will contact Chevy if
we are unable to get things going.
In His Hands - Peg
Dear Friends -
A very busy week has just been wrapped up, and
between the torrential downpours and mud-laden paths, we had our seminar
with the girls, as well as a one day seminar with the women.
We taught many topics to the girls, purity, growth
in Christ, courtship, (this is an entirely new concept for this generation
as previously all marriages have been arranged.) The big topic though was
FGM - Female Genital Mutilation or often known as female circumcision. This
practice sadly permeates the Samburu culture and is very firmly entrenched.
The girls listened to talks of the terrible side effects, (short-term and
long-term), they were shown a video of testimonials of professionals, down
to young girls who have had this proceedure done against their will. They
had a very sober look at a practice that is dangerous and essentially
debilitating. At the end of the week, we challenged those girls who have
not had FGM to consider making a public stand to set themselves aside. We
implored them not to take this step lightly or due to pressure from us or
from peers. In all, we had 12 girls at the end of the week stand before the
women of our church and tell them they do not want this proceedure done.
In the 40 year history of the Afica Inland Church of
Gatab, only two women have not been circumcised. This is a sad testimony as
to the grip that this practice has on this community.
We also had a meeting Thursday night with the young
men of our church. They were given an overview of this practice and asked
to share their thoughts. Many said they were willing to consider a wife who
has not undergone this practice, but we feel the one guy who was truly
honest probably captured the thoughts of many as he said, "No way!" He did
come up to Jeff after the meeting and said, "Keep talking to me about this
issue."
On a lighter note, we are celebrating the sacrament
of baptism this Sunday. Being as there has not been an opportunity for the
past two years for any baptisms, there are nearly 60 people that will take a
step of faith and make public profession of their relationship with Jesus
Christ. We have had numerous people from outlying preaching points on the
mountain who are stepping forward as well as many young people from our
local Gatab church. Among these young people is our own son, Jake. He is
the only one of our four to be baptized here in Gatab. He is ready to
undergo the FREEEEEZING (and slimy) waters of the cattle trough. We are SO
thankful for sunshine this morning, after a week straight of rain and cold
temperatures. It will still be a very chilly experience!
In His Hands - Peg
Dear Friends -
Greetings from Gatab! We are seeing the first of the
Spring rains and very thankful for the relief it is bringing to the land.
Most have planted and are hoping for a successful season as last season,
many lost their crops.
Our work is progressing on the house. We are nearly
done with the painting and Jeff will be working this next week with the
pilot who is here for the month to plan and install the electric system. The
kids are chomping at the bit to move into their rooms - despite the lack of
a front and back door!
We have finally received all our financial aid
information from the schools Josh and Julie are considering. It has been
very encouraging to see their financial aid packages and scholarship
opportunities. Both of them will be able to attend the schools they have
chosen. They will need to work hard and save money in the summers, as well
as work study during the terms. They will both take out loans, but they do
not seem to be any amount they would have trouble paying back within a few
years of completion of college. Julie will be attending Liberty University
in Lynchburg, VA and Josh will attend Letourneau University in Longview,
TX. Both of them have contacts of families they know in their communities -
a factor that sets our minds at ease.
We are thankful to have been able to complete all
our paperwork. We were trying to keep up with all communication via the
email we have through our satellite phone and at the end of March happened
to be at another mission station which has internet. We found out that
night that there was some very important paper work we needed to have signed
and back to the schools by April 1. We down loaded the paperwork and the
pilot (who happened to be stranded there due to storms)took it back to Gatab
where he had a scanner and sent the info out one day before the due date.
We are thankful for the Lord's intervention, even in sending a storm to keep
the plane there overnight!
We have finalized the travel plans for me (Peg),
Josh, & Julie. We will leave Kenya May 30, spend 6 days with Peg's parents
in Vienna and then fly to Baltimore to meet up with Peg's siblings for a one
day reunion. After that we will head to the Master's Mission where the
vehicle which has been donated to us is waiting. Josh will work on some
repairs the net few days and perhaps will even do some body work.
We plan to travel to IL the weekend of June 14. I
will stay with them for two weeks and then will fly back to Kenya. Josh
will drive Julie to Liberty in August and then will have one week to arrive
in Longview. Our station partner, Jon Woodworth, and his family will be in
Longview and will be able to assist Josh to move in. Jon is a Letourneau
grad and will be able to help him as he steps into his new school. Please
be praying for our kids as they head toward this time of independence. They
are both ready for this step, but know that it will be one that will come
with days which will challenge them. We are thankful they will both have
the opportunity to grow during this stage of their lives at Christian
Universities. They are both looking forward to the opportunities the
spiritual environment will offer them.
In His Hands - Peg
March 2008
Dear Friends-
We have arrived safely from Nairobi after a one and
a half week visit. We had no problems related to security both in our
travels as well as during our time in Nairobi. We did see two tent cities
still operating in the Rift Valley region and as we read news reports, we
observed that the vilence has quelled for the most part, but many people are
still afraid to return to their homes. Sadly, in many cases, it was
neigbors and 'friends' who chased them out. The leaders of Kenya are
showing a strong image of reconcilliation, but there is a long way to go
before that is a reality on the ground.
Jeff had an episode of food poisoning while we
were down. We had gone to his favorite restaurant together with several
friends to celebrate his birthday, but an hour or so before, he began
feeling ill. When Jeff turns down a delicious fillet - you know he's
feeling bad! We ended up at a Nairobi clinic where they did a blood test
and actually put him on an IV for a couple of hours and then sent him home
with meds. He was up and around the next day - the immediate treatment
probably staved off a worse reaction. We are thinking he picked up the
illness at one of our faovrite 'Kenyeji' establishments where we had eaten a
couple days prior. Even I had some minor symptoms. (I only eat the veggies,
as Jeff always has the meat)
Both on the trip down and on our return trip we
began having trouble with power coming into the engine of our Chevy. Every
episode we were able to turn the vehicle off and reset the computer and
regained power, but we are thinking this is an indication of a deep
problem. The 2001 Chevy trucks have had a recall due to a defect with the
fuel injectors. Chevy is willing to replace the parts, but we have to
coordinate (and pay for) their shipment out here as well as do the repair -
which involves removing a certain amount of the engine. This will be Josh's
'senior project'! Under the supervision of our station partner Jon
Woodworth, and while following the owner's manual VERY CAREFULLY, he will
begin this work as the parts hopefully arrive next month. In the meantime,
we will not be driving our truck any significant distance until the repair
is made. We are thankful for Chevy's willingness to replace these for no
cost as the parts alone cost around $4000!!!!!!!! Our Mechanics Instructor
at The Master's M
We saw nearly a 20% rise in grocery costs. This
coupled with the sinking dollar has significantly shrunk our accounts. Our
dollar buys around 20% less than it did during most of our last term. We
brought up the bare minimum to finish the inside the of our house. We
purchased doors for our bedroom and the bathroom, but will wait for doors on
the kid's rooms, and other places till we can afford it. The same for the
ceiling of our bedroom, and our kitchen cupboards...they will be completed
as funds are available. We will use the plywood from shipping crates for as
much as possible as we build closets and our pantry. We also will use some
of it to build a couch in our entry room. This is a great wood working
project for Jake!
We appreciate the many prayers on our behalf as we
traveled and as Julie and Jake remained here in Gatab to continue in the
work. Julie kept both the literacy class(in the mornings) and the afternoon
study time for Haven Home kids going. Jake supervised a couple of guys who
did some clean-up of the worksite as well as worked on a new septic tank for
Haven Home. We are thankful to be back in our peacefull village of Gatab to
resume the work with the people we love so dearly!
In
His Hands - Peg
December 2007
Merry Christmas!
Our warmest greetings go out to you as you
celebrate Christmas with family and friends. As we celebrate the birth of
our Lord, we treasure the gifts He has given us - this year that was in the
form of family. We are spending our last time together as a family here in
Kenya this year, so it is a little bitter sweet!
We had a special dinner Christmas Eve - Turkey and
all the trimmings! Turkey here is quite an expense - $50 for a 13 pounder!
We savored every bite and look forward to the days of leftovers ahead! We
have come a long way from our first Christmas in Loyangalani where we cut
out a Christmas tree from cardboard, colored it and nailed it to the wall,
only to have the strong winds continually blow it off!
We went out Christmas caroling to the missionary
homes and then went on to different members of the church and caroled
there. We picked up a few people along the way and had a very merry time.
One family was a special treat to stop by as the husband has been away in
Uganda for schooling for 6 months and came in just before Christmas. We
surprised a place or two that had never seen such a tradition! The full
moon was a help as we made our way home. Make some time this Christmas to
take a look at this wonder of creation...it is beautiful at this time of the
month...especially here in Gatab where there are not other lights to
diminish it! It helps us remember we are not soooo far away as we can all
look at the moon in the same phase. Just as the Lord looks down on each of
us, the moon passes silently above us all, sometimes hardly noticed. We
would pray that you may NOTICE the blessings Our Lord has placed in each of
our lives and not let these sometimes silent things pass by with out our
acknowledgment.
In His Hands - Peg, for all of us.
September 6, 2007
Dear Friends -
We are MUCH RELIEVED
to be finished with the majority of the cement pouring. We had four
consecutive days of pouring and then one additional day of a smaller pour.
For an outsider, to have the slab of the house does not always look like
much, but it represents a huge task. It is much like the spiritual work we
are involved in here. Building a solid foundation does not always look very
impressive to the world, but to one who understands the importance of laying
solid principles...it is a blessing to stand back and look at a task that
has been undertaken properly!
The day after our
fourth pour, we had 16 visitors arrive! Out of the frying pan and into the
fire! It was a very busy time, but enjoyable to have the time together.
One of our missionary families brought with them an elder of their church
and his family. He is gaining a look at other churches and the ministries
that are going forth from those churches.
We are thankful for a
security issue that was present in our community is now less of a threat. I
cannot go into much detail except to ask for your prayers for a very
troubled man who cause much alarm and although still is loose, is no longer
armed.
Jake was called a few
days ago to pickup a man who had been bit by a Puff Adder. He was close to
community where the man was waiting, and stopped to move some rocks out of
the road and saw fuel leaking from the four-wheeler. He sent the young boy
who was with him on foot - back through the ravine (which her had just come
through that morning!)- to call for help. Three hours later, Josh and a
young man who was visiting showed up and helped to unstick the carborator.
Finally they all found the man who had been bit, transported him back to the
clinic and Jake finally ate his lunch. (at 7:30 PM!) The man seems to be
doing ok - his leg was quite swollen, but is recovering nicely in the
clinic.
The next few weeks
will mark the beginning of our school year - please pray for diligence and
time to complete studies. Josh and Julie both need to be finished up by May
as they will be returning to the States for college. Josh is teaching
himself Calculus and Physics! Quite an undertaking. He is also receiving
quite an education in construction, mechanics, and all the other aspects of
life here!
We heard about the
'big' tornado in Wheaton. We don't have to deal with such things here at
the equator...just Puff Adders!
In His Hands - Peg
December 15, 2005
Dear Friends and
Family -
Greetings from Gatab!
We are not sure if our bulk emails have been sucessful. Let us know if you
have received this - it will help us know if we should change format. We
managed to have a real Thanksgiving dinner here in Gatab for the first
time. The turkey and all the trimmings were great. December here does not
have the same business as in the States, although we will have a number of
parties with different groups within the church and for Haven Home.
We have been in Gatab
a little over six weeks. We hit the ground running as the truck had some
trouble on the way up causing us to seriously tighten bolts every half hour
or so as we traveled our last 3 hours. The Lord was good to us and allowed
us to arrive without serious trouble. Upon our return, Jeff had the boys
take the back of the truck apart (tires & u-bolts) and found that our 6”
lift block had cracked causing our whole truck to be misaligned. We are
thankful that our drive shaft stayed in place! We are tempararily replacing
the 6” lift with a 3” lift as that is what someone had available to us and
will replace the 6” lift after furlough.
Jeff and the boys
have been very busy with the elementary school project - we are finished
with ring beam on one structure and are ready for ring beam on the other.
School for our boys sometimes doesn’t start till 3:00 and they work till
bedtime to get their lessons in. The work for now is taking a pause as the
funding for this project is tied up somewhere.
My ladies reading
class is going well - they are now at several levels - so teaching is a bit
of a challenge as some can read slowly and yet a few don’t know all the
letter sounds. They are all very patient and are willing to put in the
effort necessary. I truly enjoy the time geting to know this group of
women.
We had an opportunity
to meet with other TMM missionaries down in a luga (dry river bed) just off
of Mt. Kulal. It was a relaxing and refreshing time. It is a bit of a
challenge setting things up as we have to carry in all the water we
need. We dangled a bucket with a shower head off the truck and set up a
crude shower curtain and were all set up for hygine. We split our time
between volleyball, horseshoes, frisbee golf, and relaxing around the fire.
A few items for
prayer -
·
The region has been very dry
and drought conditions are beginning to set in. People are beginning to
loose animals. Pray the christians would stand form in their testimony
through this trying time. Pray for our wisdom as the number of people in
physical need is increasing.
·
Eight students from Haven Home
have completed Standard 8 (8th grade) This is a time of
considering their future and can be a difficult transition. Most of them
profess Christ as their Saviour. Pray this would be a time they would learn
to look to him for His guidance.
In His Hands - Peg
October 10, 2005
Dear Friends and
Family-
Many greetings come
from us to you. We are very glad to be corresponding again with email after
a four month absence due to defective phone lines in Gatab. We are
seriously looking into an email service in the States which will shrink our
files allowing us to receive email on our Satellite phone – it also would
allow us to call directly to the US which would give us the added
reliability of jumping right past the system here in Kenya. I can hardly
wait!
We had a very busy
four months upcountry. We had nearly non stop visitors – even at one point
we were cooking for 20 while there were several mission families in helping
with a cement pour for the Gatab Primary School. It was amazing to see our
pantry hold up as I did not anticipate much of the extra cooking that we
ended up with. I did order a couple extra sacks of flour from a trader that
comes to Gatab – it was a great help. We used a total of about 250 lbs of
flour in 4 months!
Our trip down was
free of mechanical trouble for our vehicle, but our fellow missionary Tim
Richardson had his drive shaft completely fall out. They were able to
totally remove it and just let the engine power the front two wheels.
Someone else towed the trailer he was pulling to ease the strain on the
vehicle as we drove the remaining 5 hours. We had another delay as three of
the four trucks we drove down with needed their yearly inspections. The
inspector assured us her would process everything very quickly just after
his lunch break. He ended up getting called away and did not arrive back at
the inspection station till after 5:00. Fortunately, we were all ‘stranded’
at a nice clean gas station that now has a wonderful restaurant. There was
a large grassy area for the kids to play and as the afternoon passed, we
gave the restaurant plenty of business. We finally were on our way at 7:00
P.M. arriving in containerville at 10:30.
We came home to a
disconcerting situation. While we were gone, someone had used our
container. They did not realize when they were locking it up, that a cat
had slipped in. Fortunately, two weeks later, someone else was down here
and happened to open our container looking for something and found a half
crazed cat! It had shredded open some dried vegetables and scattered them
around and to our dismay, used the lower bunk (where Jeff and I sleep) as a
litter box. We have power washed the mattress, but are tossing the
bedding. There is some good that has come out of this though….Jeff has
decided to build us a screen door! This will prevent any other animals from
slipping in as well as will keep mosquitoes at bay!
We are looking
forward to hearing from you as we are here this next two weeks or so.
In His Hands,
Peg |
