THANK YOU TO SUSE AND HANS JAHNS, PERSONAL FCC MISSION ENVOYS

THANK YOU TO SUSE AND HANS JAHNS, PERSONAL FCC MISSION ENVOYS

Suse and Hans Jahns came to our church in 1978, busy with their 5 children, 3 of whom were confirmed here.  Their interest in mission work came to fruition in l993 when Suse and Hans went with Habitat for Humanity to build mud-brick houses in Guatemala.  In l996 while talking with some of the members on the FCC Mission Board, Suse was introduced to the idea of meeting Dr. Joyce Baker, a UCC medical missionary in Honduras.  That year the Jahnses began their work with her which continued until she retired a few years ago. Through the generosity and leadership of the Jahnses, participation of the community there, and support from our church and friends, much was accomplished.  They spent three years (up to 3 months a year) redoing the termite infested historic Mission House in Pinalejo which accommodated visiting volunteers, and then refurbishing the Nutrition Center Joyce Baker had established to help mothers and children learn good nutrition and gardening.  With the help of the church, they worked together with the community (all ages) to build a playground, garden and basketball court which is now the center focus of Subirana, a large village in the eastern part of the country.

Suse also began her knitting ministry, teaching several groups to knit.  This seed grew until over 400 women (and a few men) now have knitting skills.  Many in our church wear beautiful sweaters that these talented folk have designed and made.

The Jahnses directed the attention of FCC toward needs of a school in rural Africa which had been founded by their daughter Elke as she worked with a group of graduate students from Indiana for women’s empowerment in Kenya.  Many in FCC helped young students stay in kindergarten, first, and second grades, until the new school could accommodate them. Our FCC children became involved in this project.  Now the school which was evaluated as the best school in the district, has grown to 8 grades.

In 2003 Suse served on a hospital ship on the coast of Africa, learning of and serving the great needs there.

More recently, the church has worked with Hans and Suse to support education in rural areas that lack adequate schools in the Corquin area of western Honduras.  The village people have yearned for adequate schools for their children, and the communities have donated the land and manual labor.  Eight new schools and kindergartens have been built with FCC support from 2004 to 2010, and all have a plaque in the front with FCC’s name.  Such support has come in the form of over $67,000.  The Jahnses have gone to check on these projects twice a year.  When the schools are complete there is much joy and celebration.  You will recognize the names of the schools: Pashapa (community building used for kindergarten), Joconales, Pashapa, Chiliquera, Mirasol/Belen, Suptal, Yarguero, Tejeras.

The village of Tejeras was destroyed when the mountainside it was built on collapsed; 28 Families lost their homes.  The Jahnses are working with Rights Action, a non-profit organization in Washington DC, to provide new homes for these families in a safe place.  So far 10 houses have been completed in Nuevo Tejeras; 5 more are under construction.  Our church has helped build the school for the new village, to be completed this year.

The Jahnses have for several years been interested in helping Transitions, a charity in Guatemala that builds prosthetic devices and wheelchairs for paraplegics, among them innocent victims of the civil war.  Most of the workers are invalids themselves.  This provides them work as well as helping the needy individuals and community.

Truly the leadership, enthusiasm, and determination of the Jahnses for sharing with the very very poor have affected the life of First Congregational as well as hundreds of lives in some of the poorest spots in the world.  Their lives have made a difference for us and for many of the world’s neediest.  Wherever they have gone the light of compassion and generosity has shown brighter.  The church says thank you to them.  We wish them well as they move away to Maine to be near their family and grandchildren.

Please join the Mission Board in Coffee Hour on March 21 to visit with the Jahnses and say thank you for all their leadership and work with the church in so many meaningful ways.

 To see more photos from Honduras, Click Here.