Maiden’s Hope 2019 Recap
2019 was another incredible year for Maiden’s Hope! At the beginning of the year we were able to secure the second floor of the building which gave us two more apartments for the girls to use. One was turned into a computer and study area with sleeping quarters for our house mom. Although she never complained, I’m sure she is grateful to no longer be sleeping in the kitchen area! The other apartment allowed us to move some of the older girls to their own space, giving all of the girls more breathing room. You can imagine 10 girls in one room was cozy at best. We currently have 15 girls living at the Maiden’s Hope Home so the expansion came just in time.
Short Term Mission Team
In May we had another short term mission team arrive in the Philippines to do ministry with and for the Maiden’s Hope girls. The Maidens helped with meal preparation and serving meals for the team and were a tremendous help in all of the short term ministry activities. The team from the U.S. held Vacation Bible School in different locations and literally hundreds of children were able to participate. The team also used their talents to hold a basketball clinic for teenage boys giving these young men an opportunity to practice and learn some new basketball skills, hear the Word of God, enjoy a meal together and have some wonderful camaraderie. Some of the young ladies on the team used their skills to teach the Maiden’s Hope girls, and many others, the art of finger knitting. It was an exciting experience for all! Our crew also stayed busy doing street ministry, food distribution, minor repairs at the church and the Maiden’s Hope Home, and meeting young ladies and their families wanting to join Maiden’s Hope. All this and they still had time for a picnic and swimming day for the Maidens, our support team at the church and the short term mission team. It was a wonderful day of fellowship! As you can see, no matter what skills and talents you have, God can use them for ministry!
Your Prayer Support Needed
Although 2019 was an exciting year it also had many ups and downs. Throughout the year we have added some girls to the program and had to say goodbye to a few girls as well. Many of the girls coming into our program have come from difficult environments and have lived very independent lives on the streets of Manila. Coming into new home and school environments with rules and structure is not always an easy transition. Please pray for the Maiden’s Hope girls as many struggle with giving up past habits and negative influences. Some of the girls have left the program and then come back multiple times. No matter how long or short the time we have with these young ladies, we know God’s love is making an impact in their lives.
Ministry Blessings
In December I was blessed with the opportunity to spend more time in the Philippines at the Maiden’s Hope Home. It is truly a blessing to be able to spend time with these young ladies. Sharing in their laughter (especially when they try to teach me Tagalog), hearing about their hopes and dreams, seeing what God is doing in their lives, sharing meals together, Christmas caroling and even shedding some tears with them; all these things leave me feeling grateful and amazed that God has allowed me to be a part of His plan for these girls. Each of you has been a part of this plan too and a blessing to these girls. Thank you for your participation in Maiden’s Hope!
Time For Change
When we started Maiden’s Hope it was intended for teenage girls. However, God had another plan. One of our original girls who was blossoming in the program came to us one day and said she was leaving. We were puzzled by this as she had been doing so well and seemed so happy. She seemed distressed about leaving but wouldn’t elaborate on why she was going. Over the next couple of days it came to light that her mother had been arrested and would be in jail for quite some time. With her father already in prison and her older brother recently found dead in an apparent drug related incident, she felt compelled to go and take care of her 4 younger siblings ages 4-12. At the age of 14 she had no means of actually providing for these girls but was ready to sacrifice her own future for her siblings. As only God would have it, all 4 of her younger siblings were girls. After some discussion and prayer we made the decision to bring the siblings into Maiden’s Hope. Four of the five are currently enrolled in school and doing well. The fifth sibling was unable to start due to missing paperwork but is anxious to begin in June. Although there have been many challenges with adding little ones to the house, our girls have really stepped up to help especially to support our wonderful house mom.
Spring Break Trip-March, 2020
Interested in seeing first-hand the work being done through Maiden’s Hope? Join us for our March, 2020 Spring break trip to Manila, Philippines. The trip will be 7-8 days in length beginning on March 20 or 21st. The exact dates will be determined in mid-February. Each trip has activities based on the desires and abilities of the team members and may include activities like VBS, basketball clinics, construction, food distribution, finger nail painting, music, dental clinics, marriage conference, bicycle repair… Basically if you have a skill or calling, we can put it to good use. The trip will be limited to no more than 15 participants and participants must be in good health and over 15 years of age or have a parent/guardian going on the trip with them. The cost will be $1700 per person. If you would like to be a part of this amazing experience, please email [email protected] with your name and contact information.
Maiden’s Hope 5K Fun Run
Student Awards
