Orphanage open in Nairobi

Dear Friends,
We have 14 children age 3-7 years in the orphanage "House of Hannah" operating in Nairobi under the guidance of Bishop Philip Karanja. Pastor Peter, and their ministry team at Victory Times Ministry. Hawn International Missions has partnered with Victory Times Ministries in Kenya to build a safe haven for orphaned and destitute children from the slums of Nairobi. Many of these children have no one to care for them, some have a parent sick or dying from Aids - they are abused, abandoned, without hope. We are providing that hope with housing, food, clothing, schooling and the knowledge of the love of Christ for these precious ones.

You can help. We have sponsors so far for 3 of the children and by the end of February we need to find sponsor's for the other 11. We can take in as many as 40 children in the facilities we now have, but we need sponsor's!

For $40 / month, about $1.33 a day, You can be the life saving salvation for one of these children. You will receive letters, feedback, and the satisfaction of knowing that your gift is saving a precious life for the Glory of God. This is personal to them. Each child will know their sponsor and know that someone in the world, a world very far away has been touched by the Lord to help.

Pray, ask for guidance, and if your heart is touched, call me and I will let you know how to get started. Do not delay. We can only continue to care for these children with the proper support. We can do so much with so little. You be the blessing! Call Mike at 907-841-8224.

New Grain for Kenya

We are looking into the possibility that the cultivation of a new plant, Amaranth, may potentially allleviat much of the starvation in West Pokot. This week we are disusing links with the Uganda Amaranth Project to bring this amazing plant to West Pokot Kenya. Pray with us that we can partner with this organization to help the Pokot farmers on a new and exciting venture. We will keep you all posted! Pray for wisdom and Divine guidance.

Pray for Health

Leroy Hawn, the President of Hawn International Missions, is home and has had shoulder surgery last week. He and his wife , Mary, plan to return to the Pokot people in Kenya as soon as the doctors release him. Pray for supernatural and speedy recovery, healing and full function to his arm. Two other couples are considering joining the work there in West Pokot. One of the couples will be traveling to Kenya with them and looking for God's leading in this work. Pray that the Lord will send in the needed help to carry on the work when Leroy and Mary are no longer able to go. Pray for God's strength and a long, healthy life for both Leory and Mary.

Kathy Tierney returns home...last post

Dear Friends, Our missionary nurse Kathy Tierney has returned home and sent us this last post as a summary of her work in West Pokot. Please pray with us that she will be led to return and help with this much needed work.

from Kathy...
James tells us that visiting widows and orphans in their distress is pure and undefiled religion. My heart hears that without the abiding love of our heavenly Father in our lives, we are all orphans, so making this verse alive in my life is just acting on the obedience and going where I am called. This time it was to West Pokot, Kenya to do medical work meeting the physical needs of the people. I did so, realizing that the physical needs are not separate from their spiritual needs, that there is a sickness of soul that leads to a more certain and everlasting death and this I shared with everyone the Lord brought to me. My spirit is alive in Christ Jesus and I am compelled to share this with everyone in need. What a blessing to be able to see this light shine in the eyes and soul of the Pokot people. What a joy to give much needed medicine and care while sharing about our Great Lord who heals not only the body, but brings everlasting life. There is so much I could say, but know that here we deal with diseases and problems we rarely see in our nation; malaria, every kind of parasite and worms, typhoid, tetanus, lockjaw, whooping cough, pneumonia and the list goes on and on. What I could not do the Lord did! So many miracles of love, healing and hope. The peoples with grateful hearts and smiling faces greeted me everywhere. I shared with all that it was their loving Heavenly Father who was proving the care and love and the way for us to be in their lives. The praise and thanksgiving of these people warmed my heart and gave me renewed hope and faith. Despite the difficult circumstances these people shine where they are and in their lives for the Lord. There is much we can learn from them. No matter the dire circumstances they continue to live for the Lord and sing praises. They are my betters and I have been privileged to know them.

The last day I was there we drove about an hour from Kamaketto to Kasaka. The road is difficult and treacherous. Once we arrived we realized we needed a couple of days there as there were several hundred people who needed care. We still grieve we left many unattended. My prayer is that the Lord will help me to return. Please pray for Jim and I that the Lord will continue to lead us, and make a way for us to devote more time to these precious people. I send my blessings and love to you all. Thank you for caring and giving so that others can live and know Him. Love in our Lord. Kathy.

Kathy Tierney - Nurse

Dear Friends, So much has been happening and we are so blessed for the help and love so many of you have given the ministry to the people of West POKOT. We have been so happy to have Kathy Tierney serving the people as a nurse. Recently she was able to help a women who walked 70 miles from Uganda after having her face slashed to the bone in a raid to her village with a machete. Kathy has treated hundreds of people; HIV, Malaria, infections, parasites, and diseases of every kind. To the many of you who have sent funds for the medicine, food, and support we cannot thank you enough. We pray that God's richest blessings will guide you and your families and that you will know His divine intervention in your lives. Pray for Kathy and her ministry. There are few places to get medical help in the Bush, and the people see the love of Christ and His salvation through her ministry and her sacrifice. M.H.

Leroy and Mary coming home

Hello to everybody.
We want to thank everyone again for your prayers and the donations to our ministry. I know it is a bit early for the newsletter, but Mary and I will be leaving Kenya Sept. 23rd (next week) for Alaska. We will try to visit as many as possible while we are home. We have been able to send another truck load of maize into the Kasei area to ease the famine a bit. It is preventing as much starvation as we can. The problem with famine is still very real. We will continue to fight starvation! Many of the children are eating dirt to fill their bellies. This opens a brand new avenue for disease and infections. Simple things we take for granted like vegetablesthat they need for protein just aren’t there. One bright spot though is that Kathy Tierney, a Nurse, has arrived to take our place while we are in the States. She has opened a Clinic on the veranda of the Mission House at Kamketo. She has a friend named Jennifer McClain who is a emergency room Nurse who will spendthe month of October assisting Kathy with the clinic. Two men who are also Christians from the church that Kathy attends in Redmond Oregon are coming to help in late October. Redmond Christian Church is helping to sponsor all of them for this project. May God Bless in every thing they do. Mary and I will be staying at the home of Anita Cork in Wasilla Alaska. Anita is going to do some traveling while we are there to watch the house. Our phone number will be 907-376-7875 if you need to contact us. Our email address will be the same. Our P.O. Box 873825,Wasilla, Alaska, 99687, would love to hear from you. We do want to visit with friends and relatives in the lower 48. Don’tknow how or when we will be able to do this, but I am sure the Lord will work it out. I think we have some air miles saved up, don’t know how far it will take us, so if you have any frequent flyer miles you are not using we could sure use the help. Most of Mary’s family live in Alaska, but she, like me, has relatives all over the U.S.A. We have Churches that have helped support us that we need to report first hand what we have done the last year. Mary and Kathy will pick out some photos to send. We ask you to share them with folks who don’t have a computer. We want all of you to know it is a real blessing for Mary and I to get to serve the Lord in this way. Your help to us is the extended hand of GOD. We praise you for that too. LOVE YOU ALL, HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON, Leroy, Mary and Kathy

Kathy Tierney - Missionary

Dear supporters. I received this letter this morning from Kathy in West Pokot , Kenya. She has sacrificed her time , money, heart and effort to come to the people there and minister healing and love from the big heart the Lord has blessed her with. Please pray for Kathy and Jim. We need more servants like these two wonderful saints to give themselves to the people God has entrusted to our care. Leroy and Mary are coming home in a few weeks to Alaska for a sabbatical. Pray for their safe journey and the open doors God will provide to share their work and need for the people of West Pokot.

Hi there dear friends of the Pokot. This morning in church service I shared with the people that I left my heart here years ago when I lived here...I came back to get it, it was still here, with them. I see many cases of malaria, lots of worms, TB, babies with dehydration, skin diseases such as scabies and ring worm are common...I am seeing some malnutrition as well...there is always something that needs to be done. The Hawns are always busy getting those things done. The people here love these folks - Leroy and Mary - and so do I. I am not certain where the Lord will lead my husband and I...we have always wanted to come back to live and work...the Lord would need to prepare and coordinate many things for that to happen but His great wisdom has done that many times in our lives. We are blessed to be close to retirement and the freedom to be used full time is something we pray about in earnest. It would be a blessing to have trained Pokot here to take care of the medical needs of their people as well as take care of the other needs. I believe that being a missionary is the only job we try to work ourselves out of...to establish strong hearts for Jesus and faith in Him and then to have the folks here take over is what we missionaries try to do. There are many things being done to that end but will be some time in the future before that is accomplished. Please pray with my husband Jim and i about this opportunity to come and serve full time. He will be 61 soon and could retire at 62. Until then I am open to coming for this two months at a time and he is ready to take his vacation time each year to come and build relationships again...continue to pray that these folks hear and receive the hope of our Lord and King Jesus! Blessings in His name..Kathy Tierney

Kathy Tierney, Nursing for the people

Kathy Tierney dresses the wound on a young Pokot Boy's foot, and provides care for a mother and her child. We thank the Lord for Kathy's dedication and love for the Pokot people and her willingness to sacrifice and come to help us. In the new mission house at Kamaketo, hundreds of people came - many from remote villages when the word went out that a Christian American nurse had arrived to minister to the people and work to allieviate their suffering. We take for granted that our chiuldren can have wounds cleaned and tended, that our children can live without parasites and worms eating up their little insides, and that our children will live to grow and someday have families of their own. In this remote area of West Pokot, Kenya, parents do not know these things. Every day is a struggle for survival, and health is often difficult to sustain.

If you can - write to Kathy and tell her how much you appreciate her work and sacrifice, and if God has blessed you and your family, please give what you can so we can supply medication, bandages and life giving care to the people of West Pokot.

Food for the Starving

Dear Friends,
We are back in Kitale for a short time and then it will be back to the Bush. We have worked very hard to bring much needed food to those hardest hit by the famine that is rocking Kenya at this time. Though we provided seed for planting in season, the ensuing drought wiped out much of it and we find ourselves again asking for help so that the people we are serving in the West Pokot area do not starve to death. Already we've lost several people and it breaks my heart to see the families that worship in our 18 HIM churches with hungry children. The pleading eyes of the parents say it all....and we cannot turn them away. Praise God we've been able with your support to provide one hundred, 90 kilo bags of maize (corn) to the people this week ! A 90 kilo bag is about 200 lbs, and costs us $42 to purchase. Then we have to spend the money to transport it to the people - about $500. So far we've been able to make a real difference and see lives saved with your generosity. The Kenya government is also trying to help -as well as many other world health organizations. They just don't get much up to the people of Pokot. The pastors are distributing the maize 5 kilos per family (about 11 lbs of corn). It is amazing that for a gift of only $42 you can feed 18 families, maybe saving them from starvation.

Kathy Tierney, the nurse who worked with us many years ago and is joining the casue here again, has arrived and is already making a wonderful impact in the lives of the Pokot people. Sunday and Mondy she set up a medical clinic at the Mission house in Kamaketo and the people lined up in droves. We did not keep count but certainly over 400 people were seen; malaria, worms, pneumonia, burns, Burselosis (from drinking bad milk), scabies, ring worm and TB were some of the many problems she saw. What a blessing Kathy is to the people as she shows the love of Christ in action though her healing hands. Kathy shows her faith in action!

Love, blessings, and peace from West Pokot. Leroy, Mary and (thank the Lord!) Kathy

Newsletter update for July

Dear Friends of HIM,

Well, its newsletter time again, and so much has happened it is difficult to know just what to say. We are so thankful our Land Cruiser is now fixed. The shocks, suspension, tires and transmission have just taken a beating this last year. The land we have to travel to access the ministry in West Pokot is challenging (to say the least); rocks, washouts, potholes, and steep mountain trails. Hard on the body of the truck -and our bodies as well :)

The famine is really severe here now. Two great churches in Alaska - Crossroads Church and Church on the Rock donated money to buy seed so the farmers had a chance at a crop this year. The crops looked real good when they first came up, but is some areas the lack of rain withered them. In some of the mountain regions they again have no food. we are planning to haul food to the bush as we did last year. A bag of maize is 90 kilos - nearly 200 lbs. If you would like to be a blessing to the starving people of West Pokot you can buy a bag of maise for $47 US.

We will deliver the maize to the pastors, who will then distribute it throughout the Churches. The pastors know the families and who really need the help. If you can be their blessing, even with a few dollars, please send it to

Hawn International Missions

c/o Mike Hervey

PO Box 872889

Wasilla, Alaska 99687-2889

Mark on the check "for food" and we will make certain your donation goes directly to feed starving people.

Mary and I are so very thankful for all of you who are connected so closely with us in this ministry. As Jesus said " if you so much as give one of these little ones a cup of water in my name, you have given it to Me". As we minister to these precious people, we do it knowing that our hand is your hand extended. Lives are being changed, souls are added to the kingdom, and the children of West Pokot have food to eat in a large part directly because you have joined with us with funds and prayer. May He richly bless you.

Leroy and Mary Hawn - Kitale, Kenya 26 July, 2009

Crowds gather to hear the Word

We are making progress in evangelizing the Pokot people. In every village many are coming to know the Lord. Leroy prays and shares his testimony as well as the Word with Pastor Benjamin translating.

Praying for the People

Praying for the people to be healed, to be saved, to dedicate their lives to the Lord. These are the goal's of Hawn International Missions. In the process of building churches the people are reaching out for the Lord. In this photo, Leroy prays for a woman in Chedowa.

In every village the pastors are sharing the good news with those who are searching for the same answers to their lives that all of us look for; why am I here? Does God really care about me? And if he does, how can I know Him? Your involvement and support of HIM has helped us to bring these answers to the people of West Pokot.

The People of CHEDAWA

This is our final Post for the new church at Chedawa. After Mary rode the motorcycle, and we saw the great job the villagers did on the building, we got to meet the people. After all, the real church is the people. The building is only a structure. The people were so welcoming, especially the 80 or so children who came for hugs from the white visitors. Later they told us we were the first white people (Masungo's) to ever visit their village - many have never seen an automobile. They loved Mary's white hair (and my lack of it!).

I (Leroy) preached during the service using 1st Corinthians Ch 13 as a text. Seven people came forward and accepted the Lord! I also was able to pray for several folks who needed healing. One elderly women got so blessed she jumped up and down like a youngster. We felt so privileged to worship with these wonderful people. We thank the Lord he made a way for us to be there. Keep praising the Lord, and pray for us and Pokot people of Kenya. Leroy and Mary

The Church building at CHEDAWA

We receieved a tremendous welcome at the church. The people did not wait for someone else to build a church for them, they just rolled up their sleeves and began building in faith. They lack six corregated metal sheets for the roof, so we gave them one we had left over from building our storage sheds and promised the church we would bring them the rest they need. Such determiniation and faith from extremely poor people should be rewarded!

June News - Mary Rides a Motorbike

Hello again everybody. We are so happy to report that our Sunday Service this week was one to remember. For quite some time we've been invited to attend church at the site of one of the Nursery Schools we started and support. It is in a village called Chedawa. When invited, I always asked "can we drive there" and the answer always came back "no", so we had not attempted it. Mary and I are strong, but in our seventies are not confident about hiking any real distance through the bush country of Africa. Finally last week we were told the villagers had made a good road to Chedawa, and had actually built a little church. So finally, even though we were skeptical, on June 28th, we agreed to go.
So off we went in the trusty Land Cruiser. The road the built was pretty good and passable until just about a half a kilometer from the village. It was obvious I could go no further without risking severe damage to the Cruiser so we got out and began walking. We only went a short way and it became obvious that Mary would need to rest. She has breathing problems somtimes and this exertion in the heat and dust of the 'bush' was getting to her. One of the pastors had a motorbike so he agreed to give Mary a ride the rest of the way if she would just hop on the back. So..... here is a picture of my darling wife, a 74 year old grandmother riding through he African bush on the back of a motorbike- you just don't see that everyday!The name of the village, CHEDAWA, has interesting origins. "Che" is Pokot for a tree whose bark is harvested for medicine. "Dawa" is Swahili for medicine. At one time, this village was known for making whisky and beer, but once the villagers found the found the Lord the whisky makers had to leave. Now, several years later a Lutheran church and our little church are there.

Kamaketto MISSION HOUSE PRAYER

Father, we thank you for all you have done and all you will do though the ministries of HIM to the POKOT people and the pastors and missionaries who are associated with us and all who will be associated with us. Thank you for the completion of the MISSION HOUSE. This is your work, not ours. We put our hands to the plow, but we know it is you who gives us the strength , endurance and support to accomplish anything at all. We dedicate this house to your work, Father. May all who stay here feel the presence and power of God Almighty. Let your work through our hands bear fruit and multiply souls to the Kingdom of God. In Jesus name, Amen.

Many come to Celebrate

A crowd of local people came to the dedication. Some walked for many miles to be there. It is a testimony to the Lord to have the Mission House completed

Mission House in KAMAKETTO

The Mission House at Kamaketto was dedicated this last Sunday. What a glorious day it was with over 250 people showing up to sing and praise the Lord for the work He has done through the ministry of HIM. Thank you all who believed in this project and donated funds to complete it. With this house we will be able to sleep in a building away from the bugs and animals that have such easy access in a tent. Working witness teams will also have a room to sleep in when in the "Bush". Here you can see Leory and Mary with some of the Pastors of HIM praying and praising God at the celebration.

Dear Friends, Here is our new LOGO!

The symbol represents

• A ministry for PEOPLE


• we reach up to PRAISE and SEEK the Lord


• we worship God in three persons the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT


• Jesus wears the CROWN as He is and always will be The LORD OF LORDS and KING of KINGS

We are working of getting our web site constructed and I am so excited to see it completed! The web site will allow friends to see much more basic information about the ministry; the history of HIM, who we are, our goals and projects, pictures of the ministry, our beliefs, and so on. It will also allow people to donate with credit cards as well as Pay Pal. All of this and much more will be available on the web site. Simultaneously we are editing the videos that were taken on the last trip to West Pokot to create tools to use in keeping our supporters informed about the progress made with the POKOT people. All of this should be done in the next few months. I expect the web site to be completed and on line in 4 weeks or so. When it is done, you will see the address posted here. It may also be that the BLOG will be moved to the web site. we will let you all know. May God richly bless you

Pokot Hut

I wanted to post this photo to show how the people we are minister to live. This is a primitive area, and the people here live a modest existence. H.I.M. provides spiritual guidance, church building, evangelism, seed in times of drought, food for the hungry, education for the children, and the Love of Christ in their lives.