| Dear Huguenot Heritage Supporter, |
| First of all, I would like to thank you for your pledges for my Pacific Crest Trail Hike-A-Thon! |
| Your willingness to pledge support for Huguenot Heritage is deeply appreciated not only by me and the personnel at Huguenot Heritage, but also by the many pastors in French-speaking countries who will be benefiting from this ministry. |
| A year ago, I had every intention of hiking all 2650 miles of the PCT. Unknown to me at the time were several complicating factors. First was the unprecedented snow buildup last winter. The high Sierra had enough snow to assure that very few would make it through. Indeed, most hikers that finally arrived at the Canadian border had skipped the high Sierra. I estimate that there will be less than 5% of hikers successfully completing the entire trail, which is significantly below the 10-15% average. Secondly, because of the extreme snow conditions which extended up into southern Oregon, there remained another issue, which was the massive mosquito populations, which made hiking often nearly impossible without being attacked en masse. Thirdly, I learned quickly that most senior hikers on the trail tended to go slower, but also enjoy the trail more than the younger speedsters. Geriatric folk (like myself) that I spoke with on the trail almost always opted to complete the trail in segments, using 2-3 years to accomplish the thru-hike. Having had a somewhat sedentary occupation (surgical oncology), the body wasn’t quite as conditioned as I had hoped to push through all 2650 miles of trail. Even at the distance that I did, aches and pains from hiking have persisted greater than a month since finally calling it quits. I am most happy to note that I still hiked far more of the trail than most everybody else that started the PCT with the intention of making it all the way from Mexico to Canada. |
| The hike has been very rewarding for me. It was a joy to be in God’s world and to appreciate the beauty and wonder of His Creation. I appreciated the ability to spend much of my time alone in meditation and prayer to God. Healthwise, it was great exercise, and I lost over 25 lb. |
| In all, I completed only 1002 miles of the trail. I will use the next several years to complete the segments that I did not hike through. I feel that the desert was the most challenging segment, which I have totally completed this year. Next year, I’ll probably seek to complete the PCT in California. But, that’s another year and the Hike-A-Thon pledge is now being closed at this time. |
| Because of my very strong feelings in support of Huguenot Heritage, I also have made a pledge of support for them. This pledge did not diminish my enthusiasm for completing as many miles of trail as possible. As a demonstration of that enthusiasm, I have decided to up my pledge to the amount that I would have pledged as though I had hiked all 2650 miles of the trail. I would encourage you to also do the same. Do this not for me, but for the sake of a show of support for this wonderful ministry. Huguenot Heritage extends their deepest appreciation for this consideration, and I do too. |
| Besides your financial support, I also ask that you please keep Huguenot Heritage in your prayers. It is a work of God, and the Lord hears and responds to our prayers as His Word goes out through Huguenot Heritage materials. |
| In Christ, Kenneth A. Feucht, MD, PhD, FACS, FSSO (Pilgrim) |
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