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Last Updated: March 10, 1997
![[Ted Burgdorff]](../images/ted.jpg)
SUBJECT: Letter to daughter Heidi
DATE: August 12, 1997
AUTHOR: Ted Burgdorf, his wife Betsy, and daughter Kara, work with the Gates family in Guyana.
Dear Family and Friends:
Just a short note to let you know that we really do appreciate hearing from you all, and that we think of you often. We still have no news as to how fast, or slow, things are going. It's very difficult communicating with our lawyer, since we are so far away. Most of what we hear comes through David, and we are unable to ask questions and get immediate answers. It usually takes a week or 2 to get a response, and then that much longer for any follow-ups.
We have been having an interesting time here. For the past week or so we have had visits by a "tiger". Many of the village dogs have been snuffed out by a hungry Jaguar. The count is somewhere between 12 and 15. The girls made plaster molds of its tracks from up by the church. Last Wednesday night we heard it pass in front of our house around 9 pm, and then it went to our neighbors, the Rodrigues, and attacked "Piggy", the teacher's dog. It wasn't killed, because Muriel opened her window and yelled at the jaguar, and it ran down to the river and swam over to Venezuela. During all of this we heard a weird calling sound coming from across the river, and we suspect that it was a young jaguar. In the morning the dog appeared paralyzed and a large scratch mark was left in the dirt. The next morning I nailed 2 boards over our big open window so the jaguar wouldn't jump in looking for a cat to eat.
The next night Abel, another neighbor, decided to go hunt for the jaguar, so I bought 3 bullets for a 16 gauge shot gun, with buck shot, and gave it to him. They cost almost a dollar and a half each, but I was ready for some peace and safety. The next morning he came by the house and I asked him if he saw the "tiger". He told me the following story of the night's events. He waited till the moon went down, around 9 pm, before setting out. He walked many of the trails of the village in short pants and sandals for awhile. Then at 11:00 pm he decided to go across the river, but decided to stop by his house and put on some pants first. As he was walking the trail on the Venezuelan side he stepped over a log and felt something hit his pants. He jumped forward and then shined his flashlight back to see what it was, and there ready to strike again was a Bushmaster. He shot it once, with the buck shot, and left it there.
The next day, Thursday, when he told me about the snake, we both went back and brought the snake to our house, where Kristen and I skinnned it. It was around 8 feet long, and was 8' 10" after we skinned and mounted it. We have encouraged a curfew in the village, with no one out after dark. "Piggy" was killed 2 nights later by the jaguar, at the teachers house. He remained paralyzed for 2 days before the jaguar finished him off.
We have been showing some Bible story videos that Ed and Lisa Walker donated. The villagers really enjoy watching them and it has encouraged many to read about it in the Bible. We have had to start earlier so as not to be out after dark. Wednesday night we let the meeting out at around 6:15 and shortly after that Wendy, our neighbor up the hill from us, was walking down to the river to take a bath when she saw the Jaguar dart across the trail. We have been very thankful to the Lord for his protection in all of this. It makes one stop and think just how uncertain and fragile life really is. There are no guarantees for one's safety living in the "wild".
Also last week, David and Katie flew to Georgetown for a few days. When they returned, David had a black eye, and we found out they had been assaulted and hit with sticks or something. David had all the tithe money from Paruima with him, along with his computer. He hung onto everything for dear life, including Katie's leg. Fortunately two cars came by and when their headlights lit the area, the attackers fled. We are so thankful that God took care of them and nothing was stolen, and they were not hurt worse than they were. This happened right in front of Davis Memorial Hospital at about 8:00 pm. They were walking home in the dark. You'll have to read David's letter for all the details.
We are now entering the dry season, or so it appears. We only had about 1/2" of rain in the past week or so. The river is down about as far as it has ever been, and you can see the cracks in the dirt in some areas.
We have now had Corwin and Francey with us for about 1 1/2 months, and they seemed to be adapting very well. We have been trying to change a few behaviors. One we've been working on is the pointing finger. They both point with the middle finger, as do most children here. We have been trying to get them to use the index finger, and some times the are so funny when they hold up the middle finger and say "we don't point with this finger. Satan makes us use this finger." Then they switch to the index finger and say "We point with this finger." We also have been working on their English. For example instead of saying "what is this" they say "this is what" or "this whose". We are learning more and more about them every day, and they are very active and happy children.
Well it's time to close off for this time. Please continue to pray for us that we will help Kaikan and the other surrounding villages to get to know Jesus on a personal basis and that they will learn to love and trust Him.
Love Ted, Betsy, Kristen, Kara, Francey & Corwin.
You may write to Ted at: gates@andrews.edu
Last Updated: March 10, 1997