Region: Ethiopia

Heidi has been a high school science teacher for the last twelve years, spending the last five years at Concordia High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She grew up with her parents and two older sisters on the outskirts of Bloomington, Indiana, before making her way out to Concordia University Nebraska to study physics. In her spare time Heidi enjoys working in her yard, running, biking, dancing, singing, and spending time with family.

Missionaries and experiences that fed into Heidi’s desire to join the mission field include a visit from the Malones many years ago at her childhood church, a medical mission trip to Guatemala during her time at Concordia Nebraska, and getting to interact with wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ at St. Augustine’s (an African immigrant church in Fort Wayne, IN). Heidi is also inspired by her Mom and Dad, Steven and Diane, who faithfully brought her up in the LCMS church, taught her to seek the Lord in all that she does, and are a constant source of support in her life.

Please pray that Heidi will serve faithfully in all that she does and would listen with a willing heart to the Lord’s direction. Thank you for joining her on this journey!

Any funds raised that exceed Mission Partner’s Total Cost of Missionary Service may be used to further support Mission Partner in missional activities, or Mission Partner may donate, after consultation with the Executive Director, any excess funds to one or more Mission Partners who are in good standing with MCN or to MCN’s General Fund. The purpose for this is that any funds raised are to support missional activities throughout the world.

Dr. Vicki Anderson has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the TESOL and ESL endorsement programs at Concordia University, Nebraska, since 2012, as well as general education courses. Her favorite courses to teach are those on linguistics, second language acquisition, and language and culture.  Teacher training is her passion.

Dr. Anderson annually leads teams of Concordia students to Shenzhen, China, to teach ESL in summer camps at a school run by The Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod and works with LCMS and MCN sites to teach online ESL classes and summer camp. (When possible, she has her students get involved with creating the curriculum for these formats….a great learning experience for these teachers in training!). She has served as an ESL consultant and teacher trainer for MCN mission partners and for organizations connected with MCN, like the Mekane Yesus Seminary in Addis Ababa. She also sponsors the American Sign Language Club and leads and supervises student fieldwork experience trips to Mill Neck School for the Deaf in Long Island, New York. Dr. Anderson serves on the MidAmerica Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages board and conducts education and ESL professional development sessions for churches and schools in the US, China, and Hong Kong.  Dr. Anderson is consistently amazed at the way that God orchestrates opportunities for His people to advance the Kingdom, even when it wasn’t “according to human plan.”

Before serving at Concordia, Dr. Anderson earned a B.A. in World Mission and Bible from Summit Christian College, an M.A. in Linguistics and TESOL from Ball State University and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Indiana University. She has worked in a variety of ESL positions since 1991, including as an ESL teacher for a church in Santiago, Chile, as a “guest lecturer” ESL teacher in the English Department at the University of Nancy in the northwest part of France, and as a teacher of grammar, writing, reading, listening/speaking, and academic skills in adult Intensive English Programs at Ball State University and Indiana University.

Dr. Anderson is fascinated by gourmet cuisine and is a particularly good home baker of various French and European pastries such as croissants, brioches, madeleines, babkas, cream puffs and panettones. Dr. Anderson is married to husband Jon, a computer programmer, and the couple have two adult sons, Jonathon and Sebastian.

Any funds raised that exceed Mission Partner’s Total Cost of Missionary Service may be used to further support Mission Partner in missional activities, or Mission Partner may donate, after consultation with the Executive Director, any excess funds to one or more Mission Partners who are in good standing with MCN or to MCN’s General Fund. The purpose for this is that any funds raised are to support missional activities throughout the world.

Haragewen, born and raised in Ethiopia, attended a Christian High School where she had great missionary teachers from Norway, Germany, Sweden, Finland, and the United States of America. She relished the quality education she received and hoped someday that she could be a missionary like them. However, due to a change in the Ethiopian government and political unrest, in 1980 by God’s grace, she managed to come to the United States of America.

In the U.S. Haragewen discovered her calling to teach and pursued a career in education. Haragewen holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics and a doctorate in Educational Leadership. She has been committed to education for over 30 years. Her experience encompasses teaching at all levels, from elementary through university. For eleven years, she served in administrative positions at the college level.

Now retired, she has embarked on her early childhood dream to be a worldwide missionary utilizing her experience in education. Her current assignment is to work with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in building capacity of the educational sector of programs under the Mekane Yesus Seminary (MYS) including working with international partnerships to advance MYS mission.

In 1992 Haragewen became a US citizen and now lives in California along with her husband of over 41 years, Hailu. The Lord has blessed them with two talented, grown children. Haragewen invites you to join her in God’s mission to provide quality, Christ-centered education to the people of Ethiopia through your financial and prayer support as she follows God’s calling.

Any funds raised that exceed Mission Partner’s Total Cost of Missionary Service may be used to further support Mission Partner in missional activities, or Mission Partner may donate, after consultation with the Executive Director, any excess funds to one or more Mission Partners who are in good standing with MCN or to MCN’s General Fund. The purpose for this is that any funds raised are to support missional activities throughout the world.

Karen Heimsoth was born in Peoria, Illinois.  She grew up in the small town of Washburn, Illinois.  She graduated from Concordia University, River Forest with a degree in secondary and elementary education.  She taught in Lutheran schools for three years.

In the USA, she has lived in Chicago, Detroit, and Houston.  She began her overseas experience with LCMS Office of International Mission from 1993 – 2003.  She taught English as a Second Language in Moscow and Novosibirsk, Russia, and Sopron, Hungary.  She was also the coordinator in Novosibirsk.  She liaised with the German Independent Evangelical Church in Berlin on outreach to the Russian German immigrants, including youth, children, and adult outreach.  She also supported the Polish Lutheran Church at English summer camps for four years.

After leaving Berlin, she received a master’s degree in International Development, which led to her fifteen-year career in the Department of State (DOS) in U.S. Embassies and Consulates in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Libya, Senegal, Burundi, France, Russia and 20 countries in Central and South America,  She worked in mainly in Consular, Management, and Public Affairs.  She attributes her success with LCMS and DOS to her ability to connect, work, and live with people from many different cultures

Karen is excited to teach ESL at the Ethiopian Seminary in Addis Ababa and to share the Gospel as she builds relationships with Ethiopians.

Any funds raised that exceed Mission Partner’s Total Cost of Missionary Service may be used to further support Mission Partner in missional activities, or Mission Partner may donate, after consultation with the Executive Director, any excess funds to one or more Mission Partners who are in good standing with MCN or to MCN’s General Fund. The purpose for this is that any funds raised are to support missional activities throughout the world.