Children’s home bliss…

There are times when adult life, stress, pain, and conflicts disappear into the bliss of living with 60 children. When something seems to be going wrong, there is always a child who will say the most random thing to make everything better. When I am about to cry, the tears ready behind my eyelids, a kid will walk up with a smile asking the most innocent thing and the tears are replaced by a smile. These are my little gifts from God, because nothing else could explain the perfect timing of these random actions or words of a child.
On New Years day I was taking the ladies to the beach since it fell on the day of our ladies devotional group. A boys’ cottage joined to be dropped at another beach and there was some tension in the car as things were all being figured out. Remember that we had not slept much the night before, and not everyone at CH was supposed to be joining us. Well all of this was in languages that I could only half understand. Since I knew everything was fine by me and the ladies with me I just sat there and observed. Just at the moment when I was about to speak up, Jammel, a 5 year old boy sitting next to me, looked up at me and said, “Merry Christmas auntie Mal”, and gave me a half hug. Hehehe. How cute, and he had no idea that those same words from an adult would have been a joke in that moment, given the tension. I was once again entrapped by the bliss of the innocence of a child. I laughed out loud and said merry Christmas back, as I simply remained patient while the problem was slowly resolved.
On our way back home that night the kids were very tired. A very full jeepney and very tired and cranky kids usually do not mix well together. That night the kids were very particular where they sat, who was near them, how much room they had, ect! None of this flies well in a children’s home though, and two eventually began pushing a bag, which led to pushing each other, and then quickly to hitting each other. The hitting led to crying, which led to louder voices, and of course… louder crying! And then we were pulling into the road to begin the 30 minute ride home when… the engine stopped. I was like, “oh gosh… now this is the reality of life in the children’s home!” Hehehe!

happy new year!

New Years Eve here at CH consisted of plenty of food, some small fireworks, and consecration services for kids and staff. I was blessed to be the leader for the college consecration service held from 12:15 am to 1:30am on New Years. What an amazing way to welcome the new year. I sat in candle light at the bottom of a tall cross made from bamboo and cherished the scene of our college students re-dedicating their lives to Christ and praising Him. A smile glowed on my face as I thought about each of these special students and the potential they hold. Happy New Year to all!

Pics from Christmas Outreach

FYI- Ernesto is the one speaking in the pictures of the jail feeding and street feeding. He was excited to share his Christmas story of being lost and found again. The street kids that Ernesto met while he was lost were over joyed when he returned with food and gifts for Christmas. It seemed as if they did not want to miss one word that Ernesto said as their eyes and ears were plastered on him!

A Christmas Story

“From the Cradle to the Cross” was the theme for this years Christmas celebration at Christians’ Haven. The campus was decorated, gifts were bought and wrapped, and many activities were happening. A group of kids assembled for caroling as a way of blessing those who help us, and also as a way to raise money from potential supporters. We held sunrise join devotions every Saturday through December to begin the Christmas celebrations with the right heart. We had a “Noche Buena” Christmas party here in campus with a service, a meal, and contests and games. We were able to invite the 10 poorest families from our community to be part of our party here, in order to bless them during Christmas.
And, my favorite part, all kids and staff had a chance to minister to others this Christmas season through various outreach activities. We invited our neighbors into campus for an open house and a basketball tournament. The elementary students visited a children’s prison in Cagayan de Oro and delivered presents. The highschoolers did an outreach to street kids from a slum neighborhood near the mall. Various kids and staff fed and gave present to the local jail which we visit monthly. And, the college students ministered and fed the sick indigenous patients in the local government hospital.
It was a joyous time for all here to be thankful for our blessing, and enjoy life as we remember the birth of the Lord.

almost Christmas!

Wow! Merry Christmas! And, thank you sponsors and supporters for your generous giving this holiday season! God is so good. See some pictures here of the houses and campus ready for Christmas! May God bless you and may your hearts be focused on the spirit of Christmas.

A Ministry to Street Kids…with a twist…

This weekend all CH kids and staff had an outing to Cagayan de Oro for Christmas shopping and caroling. Thanks to the amazing sponsors and supporters of CH, all the kids are able to receive Christmas presents this year, including the street kids, prisoners, and Badjao families! We are so blessed this Christmas.
Unfortunately, during the commotion of the day, one 15 year old boy was left in the city due to miscommunication. When all the cars arrived home and Ernesto was not there we immediately started searching for him, as he is not familiar with the city which is an hour and half away from campus. And, Ernesto is an orphan who grew up in the children’s home from birth, so he is also not accustomed to being on his own, especially in the streets.
I had finished my rounds on all the hospitals and my walk around the mall when our team met for lunch to make a new plan of action, there I started to cry as I prayed that Ernesto had something to eat for his lunch. He had been missing at that point for 20 hours, and we were beginning to think the worst like kidnapping or MILF recruitment. We continued our search while we waited for the news ads to appear on TV and radio. 23 and a half hours into our search for Ernesto we had exhausted every logical and abstract place where he could be. I was making my rounds at the most likely mall where he would be, when as usual a street kid approached me for money. As I walked and talked with the street kid it occurred to me that children are so much more perceptive then the adults, even the guards who are getting paid and had pictures of Ernesto. So, I decided to ask this street kid, BoBoy, if he recognized my picture. He immediately responded by saying, “blue tshirt?” And I said YES!!! Boboy and a few other kids told me the story about how Ernesto had eaten with them and was now in one of their houses with another street kid. I followed a small gang of street kids back into a very poor neighborhood and as I rounded a corner in the back I saw the bright blue CH shirt and big innocent smile I had been looking for all day!
We promised the community that we would return again and took about 10 street kids to McDoc with us to repay their kindness to Ernesto. These kids beg for money in parking lots near their homes, and bring the money back to support their families. When they met Ernesto and befriended him, they offered to try and make enough money for his fare home. They shared their small amount of food with him, and protected him through the night.
Christians’ Haven, a ministry to street kids… with a holiday twist! This time it was the street kids who took care of us! The Kingdom of Heaven really lies within these very special kids, tough and sweet, looking out for each other on the streets. Thank God for ensuring that our focus this holiday season be on the street kids and allowing the street kids to protect Ernesto!

Xavier Homecoming

Last week the CH kids performed an interpretive dance number to the song “still” at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro. About 30 kids and a few staff also sang the Filipino National Anthem to open the Homecoming celebration with more than 2,500 people in attendance. The crowd was so impressed with the kids. This is the beginning of some exposure of Christians’ Haven in the local cities. Check out the video here to get a glimpse!

Holidays at CH

Hoping you had a wonderful thanksgiving in the states. I enjoyed a day with many blessing as i cooked an American/Filipino thanksgiving dinner in campus for the singles staff members. I even made a real "pumpkin" pie from scratch out of squash and stuffed some chickens! There were many things to be thankful for this year... this ministry, our kids, my great co-workers, opportunities for outreach, and especially my wonderful friends and family who support me from the other side of the world!

I can't believe that December is already here! I miss the cold, but in exchange I enjoyed a nice beach day this past Sunday with the staff. As the holidays are approaching we are preparing for Christmas here at CH. We have a month full of caroling, outreach, feedings, church thanksgiving, decorating, and a program in campus. My favorite part of a CH Christmas is the ability to bless those who have no way of celebrating that day. Our kids and staff will bring food and joy to many street kids, prisoners, and Badjao... and this is the greatest gift we can receive this year! I posted some pictures of the Badjao "at work" to give you a glimpse into their lives. These pictures are taken from a ship pulling into the peir. The Badjao dive for coins being tossed off the boats, as their children are layed out in the boat calling to the people. In this environment was how I first met the Badjao about 2 years ago. I am now thankful for the ministry of our CH college kids to a local Badjao community. Here our kids are slowly getting to know the families as we feed and minister to these Muslim tribal families. Our kids are working on learning their language and toning their skills of ministry in a sensitive religious atmosphere. Please pray for this work, both to reach the Badjao and also to work in the disciple training of our college students.

Some more from the north

I am back in the south campus and missing the small kids up north, and there was just not enough on the blog about my trip there! Check out this very cute video of Ruthy. She is always the entertainer! The video is quite dark, but it;s still worth watching to hear her sweet voice.

I also posted this group picture in the campus of CCH. The solo picture is of one of our adoptable kids. I am so touched by his spirit and life. This little boy is only 8years old. He has been in the children’s home since the first week of his life. He was surrendered by his parents last year because they can not support him. He has 7 siblings who do not live in the children’s home, he is the only one in the home because when he was born his father suffered from Tuberculosis and his mother was also ill. They could not afford to feed or care for their new baby. Despite his life away from his family, he has embraced life with an upbeat attitude and outgoing personality. The nurturing, physical care, and love that he is given inside of CH has enabled him to grow as God means for His children. This is notable especially when you can meet his siblings. His siblings are all malnourished, have never gone to school, have no concept of cleanliness or hygiene, and live only under banana leaves as their shelter. I feel sad and helpless to see this family. But, I know that the best thing to do is continue to love and thank God for the life of our boy in CCH, who will be different. I wish we could help them all, but we do what God puts in our hands and rest assured that God does the choosing.
For now this boy does well in school, he's in grade 2 now. He is quite independent, and always trying to accomplish his school assignments on his own. He is an animal lover and one of his favorite things to do is collect insects. He also loves drumming, dancing, and basketball. And, his smile is better than almost anything in the world!!

Hepa B

Here at CH we are caring for 16 cases of Hepatitis B. This has been a long time prayer request and concern. Well, first of all I am very happy to report that one young man with Hepa B, who has been very sick in the past, is now doing well. His liver shows no damage from the previous problems, and his current medical evaluations show normal results for the time being. Praise God. We will pray for this to continue to be the case. Of course with this good news I need to ask a prayer request for two other young guys with Hepa B. These 2 are not doing as well, please pray for the health of our young people with this incurable disease. Please also pray for our financial ability to be able to provide them with the care needed to keep them healthy as their bodies fight this.

A week at CCH

Cornerstone Christian Home is now running in the former north campus of Christians' Haven. I was blessed to spend a week there helping with some medical work, following up with a Hepa B and mental illness case, and supporting the staff and kids at work there. Jane (CH social worker) and I took the trip together. Here are some pictures to show the highlights of our week. Check out the kids packing food to feed the Agta tribes, giving food, and also just having some fun!!

Street dancing

These are pictures from last weekend, some of our kids participated in the native street dancing in our community.

All Things New, tagalog premier

Last night I was delighted to come home and see Jonjie back from his 2 day business trip to Manila. Jonjie is one of the pioneer CH kids, from the streets of Iligan. He is now in his third year of study at Manila Bible Seminary. When the movie about Christians’ Haven, All Things New, was made, Jonjie’s story was the inspiration for the lead character. This past Monday Jonjie and Ruel attended the premier of All Things New, Tagalog version. When Jonjie returned home he was so excited to share stories of his experience at the premier, where he got to speak to a large audience of pastors from Manila. He goes on to tell me how the room was silent during his part, as the people were intrigued by what he had to say, then afterwards how many cameras, spotlights, and reporters came up to him calling him Sir and asking him many questions. His face last night as he was telling me about it all was indescribable. His excitement, his smile, and how he portrayed how unbelievable this whole thng is. Jonjie was absolutely overwhelmed with his experience at the premier, and kept repeating “hay! Pambihira!”, which roughly translates to ‘impossible!, wow!, or marvelous!”. Jonjie shared that one interview question was “what is it like for you now when you see a street kid?”. His response was, “When I see a street kid now I am reminded of my life on the streets, and I look at that kid and pray that when they look at me, they are looking at a mirror into what their future can be.” I love that. I love Jonjie’s ability to feel for the kids on the street, see the transformation of his own life, and then hope that same thing for current street kids.

We told Jonjie that this is the beginning. And he said, “the beginning of what!?”. We have high hopes that the movie will do well here, and judging from the premier, Jonjie can be involved with the promotions of the movie while he is in school in Manila.

If you are interested in seeing the English version of All Things New, please contact our office at office@christianshaven.com