Thanks Fareham Team

It was a great pleasure to have the youth mission team from Fareham Community Church in the UK join us for 2 weeks mission ministry in July. During their stay they helped with the boys jail, boys town and street kids ministries where much fun, laughter and most importantly the love of Jesus was shared amongst these young people.


It was a pleasure and encouragement to work with such an enthusiastic, energetic and passionate group and we are very grateful to them for giving up their time to come and make a difference here in Cagayan de Oro!

MARAMING SALAMAT SA LAHAT! (Thanks guys for everything!!)

Check our their blog of their time here: http://www.fccfilipinos.blogspot.com/

Preparation Continues.....

We have had more than 30 individuals join our various volunteer staff training sessions in preparation to start our first House of Joshua.

So far we have covered:
Introduction to Lifenet Children's Foundation
Understanding God's Heart for Children
Child Abuse and Protection
'Parenting is Heart Work': Discipline and Child Behaviour

Our next session is this Sat 24th April at Full Gospel Church, Macapagal Drive, CDO with the subject: Bringing Up Boys with a practical outreach to the boys jail planned the following weekend.

PLEASE PRAY we find 'God's House' so we can get House of Joshua up and running soon. We need an accessible 3-4 bedroom house with 2 bathrooms, space to play and a perimeter fence which is safe, secure and child friendly!!

The construction of our permanent house should resume shortly - We still need to raise significant funds to complete!! If you have any creative ideas please contact us!

LETS KEEP PRESSING ON TOWARDS THE GOAL.....

Volunteer Staff Training

We begin our staff training for those interested in volunteering their time, skills and heart to help at the first House of Joshua on Sat Feb 6th 2010 @ 2pm, Full Gospel Church, Macapagal Drive.


Looking forward to seeing some of you then!!

Phase One Complete

The House of Joshua perimeter wall construction is finished!

The next phase is to lay the 24 foundation column posts for the main house.

BUT

We must suspend building work while we try to sort out a discovered typing error on the land title deed. This must be corrected before we can transfer the title and apply for a building permit for the house construction

Unfortunately this is not as easy as it perhaps sounds, with the process requiring some time, patience and much perseverance with the various government offices that will be involved. PLEASE PRAY for intervention and favor for the anticipated delays.

In the meantime we are trying to solicit some assistance from our local congressman and Barangay Captain to obtain donated use of delivery vehicles for the access road construction and in-fill of the house floor area.

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. “

~Walter Elliott, The Spiritual Life

Front Page News!

A feature article about the House of Joshua has made the FRONT PAGE of Mindanaos largest newspaper the Gold Star Daily.

Please pray with us that this will be a catalyst to share God's heart across the Philippines for these precious children. It is our hope that the word will spread across Mindanao and beyond and bring about effective active responses that really make a difference to those that need it most!

Our sincere thanks to Mike Banos for writing the story so far and sharing it so willingly!

IN THE NEWS: House of Joshua on Kagay-an Website

The Kagay-an website, which features news, stories and information updates about what is happening in Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao has included a feature article about the House of Joshua. Visit the link: www.kagay-an.com
Articles will also be appearing in local newspapers - WATCH THIS SPACE for more information!

Letter to Dong

I remember the first time you smiled – a genuine smile that lit up your face. Weeks of visiting you on your wooden frame bed, the stench of urine and waste on the dirt floor and wondering if you even knew I was there as you sat vacantly not wanting to move or interact. But at last we had really connected

Eye to eye – heart to heart. In the absence of language so much was communicated and you had for short moment something to smile about. Maybe it was the bubbles I had blown for you because you reached out your finger to pop them and looked at me with intrigue….

You studied the plastic shapes, rotating them in your hand and even tried to stack them. If I dropped one on purpose you reached down to retrieve it…..You pointed excitedly at the picture book, the basketball and the bike. What kind of life had you known before your abandonment? Your family? Your memories? What was your real name? So much I longed to know and understand.

They said it was a miracle when you got out of your wheelchair and walked with me. It wasn’t a miracle at all – you had the ability but had been left too long. You picked up your feet so deliberately and the other boys laughed as you marched. I wondered what else you could do if given the opportunity?

There was so much life- a beautiful soul in a neglected body, caked in dirt, ingrained into your skin, always a running nose and deep echoing cough that never seemed to go away– a beautiful life hidden in the corner, forgotten and unappreciated….

I kissed you on your cheek at Christmas and promised we would have a place for you one day where you could know love, a home, a place to belong, to grow and be more than what you had been so long limited to. I dreamed it as a place for you. I drew a room for you downstairs in the plans and imagined you there on a proper bed, with a pillow and blanket, clean, with your book, laughing…..That dream was too late in coming for you…I’m so sorry it has taken so long….

You will never know how much your life inspired me – to reach out beyond myself, to believe that it is possible to make a difference. Knowing you and loving you, was the seed. May the tears that stream down be as liquid prayers to water it….and may it grow, not as a memorial but as a promise that you and countless other children like you deserve so much more….

Be loved dear one in the arms of your Father– who saw you and knew you and holds you forever.

A precious treasure in my heart always,

Loving you too,

Tita Mary