History

A STORY OF LOVE

No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friend. John 15:13

In 2005, Karina, Paul, Jack and Elliot Schreurs went to live and volunteer in Uganda - Paul teaching and Karina providing therapy programmes for disabled children.  In Karina's second week in Uganda, she met the most remarkable mother, Edith.  Disability in Uganda is very misunderstood and many families face ridicule when they have a disabled child but Edith was so different.  As she walked into the room where her son Derrick was, his face let up, every muscle in his body moved to get his mothers loving attention.  Karina sat and listened as Edith shared her story, her sacrificial love that meant above all Derrick thrived!  She talked of missing food herself to pay for milk for Derrick (the only thing he could tolerate), her other children missing school fees and many other sacrifices the family made without a second thought - in fact it wasn't even a question.  Edith believed God had given her Derrick and she simply got on with loving and caring for him.  Edith had grown up in an Indian Factory where she learnt to speak very good english and so Edith became Karina's interpreter.  They worked daily together visiting families and supporting them to care for their disabled children.  In 2006 Hope Reaching was the first project Tent Peg Missions began.  It was a small community based rehabilitation service reaching remote families who had a disabled child.  During this time Karina and Paul had to return to NZ and so Edith tiredlessly continued this work.

It was with great excitement that Edith and Karina were reunited in June 2007 to review how the year had gone.  Karina saw the change for some - but there was a group that we saw no change in.  Situations of extreme neglect, abuse and malnourishment and no amount of community support was going to change this.  One night after visiting 5 such children, Karina felt this heavy burden, that as she handed it to God, His response is I have the resources for a Home - how about we do it?  And so Home of Hope began.  Within only a few days we saw how God divinely organises everything so something can happen - we had a home, furniture, staff and 6 beautiful children!  What a priviledge it is to partner with the God of the universe to see things transformed!

In 2009, Karina had the opportunity to go and see the devastation from the war in Northern Uganda where children were abducted and forced to fight a war against their own country.  Once again, we didn't really know what God wanted us to do, but we know as we faithfully follow the next step, the next step becomes clearer and so after arriving in Lira, we met 3 people from the same village 2 hours drive from where we were.  Some could say this is co-incidence but I believe this is how God speaks and so the next day we went to this village and met some formerly abducted children.  The pain was so immense many were either drinking alcohol or so "shut-down" they no longer had any emotions. 

In 2010 we began StepUp working with orphaned children in a village, ensuring they receive an education and the family they need. 

Alongside all we do practically we are constantly growing spiritually and it is be able to offer spiritual programmes where people learn who they are, experience the presence of God and begin to live out of the Power He has given to each of us.

We work with a good God who is in a good mood and He always has good things for us!  He is just waiting for us to realise how much He loves us and then take this love to the world around us.  Tent Peg Missions is simply a testimony to the goodness and bigness of God (His Father's Heart for the "least of these") and to people who seek His face and take His answers to this world!  We look to the future with a confident Hope - that what He has begun will be finished!