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"Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgements are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast."

Psalm 36:6

A SAFE HAVEN IN THE JUNGLE

Chimane man carving a bird arrow at Horeb

May 25, 2006

by Debbie Burgett

Horeb training center is a place where Chimane people can go to learn and grow or get medical help -- without fear.

The Chimanes "won't visit another village unless they have family or good friends. They are afraid of being poisoned or having witchcraft done to them," wrote missionary Lenna Gill, daughter of Len and Elsie Gill who serve there. "Horeb is the property of the missionaries so they feel free to come and visit and be safe at the same time."

But the Chimanes can do much more than feel secure and visit.

Courses offered at Horeb include Bible, church leadership, teacher's training, and a six week scholastic course for both adults and children who have no school in their village or want higher grades such as fifth and sixth.

Also, "the sick can come and get help via us taking them to the hospital, getting the medications that they need, or a place to stay while they are getting well. Of course, the family comes with them," wrote Lenna.

And just like a family, since meals, school supplies and toiletries are provided, everyone who is able is expected to pitch in with the chores to help defray the costs. And this can be very hard for the Chimanes, who would rather be fishing than anything else.

"One was leaving and fishing while the others were working. But when the others kept saying that it was funny for him to go fishing when there was so much work to do, he stopped fishing and started pulling his share of the work too," wrote Lenna.

And the Chimanes keep coming. One group had to walk for more than six days mostly in the rain to get there.

The missionaries, though stretched sometimes to the limits, keep welcoming.

And God keeps working. During the course that just finished, "there were three that were saved and baptized. Praise the Lord for them. You'll get to meet them in heaven."

Pray as the students leave the safe haven of Horeb and return to their own villages that the seeds planted will thrive and grow in their hearts.

"Lord willing they'll keep on with the Lord and that the ones who didn't know the Lord will turn to Him," wrote Lenna. "I hope and pray that they'll be teaching the others in their village what they learned at Horeb."