“Glorifying the Lord Jesus and sharing the gospel of the Kingdom to many nations in Thailand-Burma Border by making disciples through free education, teaching English, putting up shelter houses and a Vocational Center to migrant children from Myanmar.”
This is the mission statement of four Filipino women missionaries in Thailand. This team of missionaries runs several ministries. One of their ministries is Faith Haus.
Faith Haus is a house for displaced and migrant girls from Myanmar who are at risk of child prostitution and child labor. Financial need for this ministry came to the attention of MEANS through this team of Filipino missionaries, with whom MEANS has a relationship with. Among the other ministries that these four missionaries run, is also the Elpis School, a Christ centered ministry which provides quality education, discipleship and livelihood training for migrant children in Maesot.
Faith Haus already existed before the Elpis School was started. It used to house boys from the Elpis School who were far away from their families. When the boys grew up and moved out to live with the head teacher of the Elpis School, they decided to continue the shelter house for the girls from the Elpis School since they were threatened by problems of human trafficking. It wasn’t named “Faith Haus” yet. When they encountered financial crisis and other problems, it seemed best to close the program, but as the missionaries prayed about it, they heard God say, “Continue by faith and I will provide everything.”
Faith Haus currently has 12 girls. There were twelve to fifteen girls before, but some were forced to go back to work by their parents, and others were sent back to Burma. Girls in Faith Haus are from families with extreme financial difficulty with either one parent died or parents are separated. They are migrant girls from Myanmar, from Skaw and Paw Karen, Burmese and Kachin tribes, and are from ages seven to seventeen years old. Ninety percent of them are not Christians prior to coming to Faith Haus.
Many of them come from Buddhist families in Burma and neighboring villages around Maesot, Thailand. Six of the girls are studying at the Elpis School, one in another school (high school) for migrant children, and two are studying in Thai Government School. All of the girls initially studied at the Elpis School. Their parents live in remote areas and they can’t go to school if they live with their parents.
Among the Filipino missionaries, Gigi is specially assigned to minister to girls at Faith Haus. God put passion into her heart to help these girls who are really in need of love, care, and finances. She can’t provide everything they need, but she gives her best for His glory. She helps them to know Jesus Christ through morning and night devotions, discipleship training, and village ministry. She teaches and encourages them to study and to dream big dreams because there is always hope in Jesus Christ, though the world may say that they don’t have any future.
The girls have a very low profile in the society and are often made to be slaves and prostitutes. But God, who is the giver of every good gift, has a great plan for them as it says in Jeremiah 29:11. Gigi also works as a house mother, and she tutors them with English and trains them in proper hygiene. In addition to her responsibilities with Faith Haus, Gigi teaches English at the Elpis School, helps the Vocational Center of Elpis Ministries, and handles the finances of all the ministries except the Elpis School as those responsibilities were turned over to the local pastor.
In December they sang Christmas Carols to the children’s own families and other migrant families in the surrounding area. There are 40 – 50 families around that they caroled to and gave groceries to. The missionaries’ prayer is that the children will appreciate and understand the meaning of giving. It is also an opportunity for them to build good relationships and bring the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Expenses for this ministry used to be divided among the Filipino missionaries but their personal support is not enough to meet all the needs of the ministry. They are now trying to raise funds for this ministry separately from their personal support.
Prayer Requests:
* Anointing, good health, strength, joy and peace for the missionaries
* Financial provision for the missionaries’ visas
* Financial provision for 50 families
* Opportunity to build relationship and bring the good news of salvation
* For the children in their studies and their livelihood skills training
* Salvation of the families of the children
* Protection for the girls from returning to a life that might lead them back to slave labor and prostitution.
MEANS 
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