The Inspiring People Behind the Mission 

Greetings!

My name is Abi and I am a nurse practitioner by trade, but that is not my story or my passion. Mission Haven Rediemed Foundation, INC., is my passion, my purpose, and my call. 

This mission is inspired from the love and grace of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but I would not know about His love and grace if not for Ken and Kenda Diehm. I met Ken and Kenda when I was 16 and had just experienced a horrific tragedy in my life. Ken and Kenda welcomed me into their home, along with Ken’s parents, Dr. Floyd and Ms. Emily. I learned bedtime prayers, family meals (one should always pass the salt and pepper together 😉), let folks know when you are leaving the house (especially if you are going to the ER), and unconditional love is truly “a thing!”

I fail at attempting to describe who Ken is except to call him larger than life, a brilliant Man’s Man, and a Pastor’s Pastor. There is not a soul that he met that did not feel the love of Christ and experience the hope and joy that Christ can bring to one’s life. Due to life events from my past later in 2000, Ken raised money from families at the church where he was pastor at the time, St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, to keep me afloat while I was pregnant with my daughter and to keep me from having to live in a shelter. 

Christ served the world by changing the world with His love. He offers a life filled with a promise of redemption when we accept Christ’s unconditional love. My life is a message that Christ can take any life and redeem any person’s soul. One of Ken’s favorite verses was Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV). My purpose and the purpose of Mission Haven Rediemed, INC. is to show and give the unconditional love and grace of Jesus Christ. It is our prayer that the miracles of this redemptive power change the world one encounter at a time. 

Ken encouraged his church members to be active participants in sharing the love of Christ. Ken always asked members for ideas of service, but then would place the ownership of the ideas back on the ones who dreamt them. Ken would always say, “If God gave you an idea in the middle of the night, it is your assignment, not mine. What are you going to do about it?” 

Back in 2017, my children and I started by taking events to the women’s shelter where I stayed. The idea was to bring Christ and a little joy to the shelter. It was my hope it would be a start for these families to redeem a bit of their life and plant seeds into the Kingdom. Now, in 2024, a non-profit charity exists as a foundation to give back, to be a testimony of my life. I am redeemed because I had the Diehms show unconditional love and bring joy in the midst of great sorrow. I want to be what the Diehms were to me. I want to be Christ to the world I encounter, showing love, giving love, giving items, feeding the needs of those around the world. I want to be Christ to every person I encounter, and I want my family to leave a legacy that changes the world one moment, one encounter at a time. 

It is my prayer that every person I encounter through this ministry at every event, no matter how big or small, know the love and grace of Jesus, and it is my desire that I serve and love as Ken and Kenda Diehm have through their lives and ministry. Christ chose to miraculously heal me from horrific, post-COVID symptoms March of 2023, and Psalm 107:19-21 reads, “Then they cried to the LORD in their troubles, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” (NIV). It is my prayer that in response to my miracle of healing, others will come to know of the miracles He can do in their lives, and I can share my testimony of healing and pray with all I encounter as well. We want to be a light to a dark and hurting world. 

Thus, I am living out my life's call in response to the love of Christ, experienced in this life through Ken and Kenda. Because of Christ and the countless hours poured into my life by Ken and Kenda, Mission Haven Rediemed exists. My life is an offering to Christ, but my gratitude is expressed to Ken and Kenda through the naming of this mission in their honor. Ken passed away suddenly February 19, 2011. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him. I pray when I reach heaven, he is the first I see to congratulate me on a life well lived, and I seek to hear my Savior say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23, NIV).

In His Service, 

Abi and the Misssion Haven Rediemed Foundation Team