Endorsement for Merle
a letter of endorsement for Merle Henegan
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Dear Website Visitors,
We recently received an email from Dr. Thomas Mankkam, professor of Theology with St. John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria, South Africa. Dr. Mankkam had this to say about Mrs. Henegan’s ministry:
I have visited some of the squatter camps of Mrs. Merle Henegan, as well was in several other parts of the townships in Kroonstad, Virginia and Welkom, in the Free State of South Africa. I was able to witness her work feeding the poor orphans, widows and destitute.
She relies on the goodwill of managers of the super-markets like "Checkers", "Spars" and "Pick & Pay" to donate excess or expired food items to her ministry. Even as these managers are answering prayers with their generosity, Mrs. Henegan faces crowds of hostile people who attempt to obstruct the food being loaded on to her pickup. But in the face of adversity Merle Henegan sees another opportunity to put the love of Christ into action; she gives some packets of food to these hooligans and in serving those who were threatening her she effectively deals with their opposition to her.
She herself is not a wage earner, but because of the generosity of people who understand and appreciate her ministry, even the petrol to keep her pickup running around the squatter camps of the townships and villages is provided for.
Merle’s husband, Clive is also actively involved in the ministry. Together they care for a mentally retarded man of 42 years old together with his 82 year old father. All of their physical, medical and psychological and even spiritual needs are attended to by Merle and her kind and selfless husband. Mr. Clive is retired from his wage earning work and now focuses on cooking for the sick people who are sheltered in their home.
It is really an admirable collaboration of a Christian couple fully dedicated for the service of the poor. I have never before seen such inspiring mutual support in family life as that of Mrs. Merle and her husband Mr. Clive. I have witnessed directly their Christian life and actions of charity, with Mr. Clive taking up the entire domestic work including cooking for the two invalids at home, while his wife is a full time "Nightingale" bringing solace, relief, sustenance and support to the poor of the Lord. I feel this couple is already enjoying in an anticipated manner the eternal reward of "entering into the glory of God" even while they are in this "valley of tears". May our Lord bless them and give them the joy of working for the "least of the brethren“ for our Lord!! This is all what I can wish for them.
Merle and many others like her continue in this wonderful Christian action with certain contentment and joy for doing it despite all its expected and unexpected challenges, troubles, pains, suffering, loneliness, and even attacks by anti-Christian elements. It is people like you and me who can be of help to her in her work. In fact we all can be instruments of this type of work which depends upon the great Love of God and Love of neighbour.
I am not a wage earning person, because I am a Professor of Theology in St. John Vianney Seminary, in Pretoria, South Africa, where we staff receive a "pocket money" type of allowance for personal minimum expenses, I cannot contribute financially to her charitable activities. Even so I find creative ways to encourage and assist the Henegans in their ministry. I lend spiritual insight in the form of power point programs, which she can use for instructing people in their homes. During school vacation I also plan to take my seminarians to the communities Merle works in and learn from her and her people how we can be of service to the poorest of the poor.
So what you people can do in whatever way, do it for the Lord's sake to support Merle's works of charity. Our Lord will bless you and your agency for it. After all we Christians are called by the same Lord Jesus Christ to be his instruments of peace, joy, love and service. South Africa, like many other countries which suffered the apartheid and the exploitation of the colonial powers of the West, has a great number of poor people to be fed almost on a minimum one square meal a day, and there are a huge number of orphans and widows and elderly destitute people to be taken care of. The misery of HIV infected people is beyond our ordinary human imagination. The jobless condition of the townships add oil to fire - so much so that violent crimes perpetuate these townships , and it is in these townships that most of the black community people are sheltered in shanty houses without the minimum facilities of drinking water, electricity, hospitals, clinics, child care centres, even primary schools. This is where Merle and her team labour to bring relief every day.
In His name,
Katherine and Marvin Kehler
Website Directors
If you would like to find out how you can help the ministry of Merle and Clive Henegan, please contact us here.
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