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REFLECTIONS OF A MISSION TRIP PARTICIPANT
Dear Friends of Christians’ Haven,
My name is Scott Robinson, and I am the Missions
Minister at Greentree Christian Church in Rolla,
Missouri. I was blessed to be able to visit Christians’
Haven in January, 2013. During my visit, I just fell in love
with Christians’ Haven and became so excited that our
church was going to have the opportunity to partner
with such an effective ministry. As a former missionary
and current missions minister, I have been blessed to
travel and see quite a number of great ministries
around the world.
During my education to prepare me for my ministry with
Pioneer Bible Translators, I was given the concept of the
progression of the "4 P's" of missions, i.e. Pioneer, Parent,
Partner, Participant. In other words, the job of missionaries is to work themselves out of a job by training up
nationals to lead since they will be the most effective ministers because they understand their culture as only a true
insider could. I was also told how many of the ministries around the world never get past the "Parent" stage, and
how very few ministries actually ever get to the "Participant" stage where the ministry has trained up nationals and
found qualified people to fully take the missionaries’ place and lead the ministry. This is so important because
foreign missionaries will always be seen as outsiders, since they could just "go home".
What I saw at Christians’ Haven was a ministry where the nationals are leading and making the ministry an effective
ministry as only insiders could. I saw the stateside leadership of Christians’ Haven, not just letting, but encouraging
the nationals to lead and follow their instincts as insiders. I saw a ministry that was transitioning from Partners to
Participants, and how the ministry was blossoming because of this! The nationals are educated men and women,
and more importantly they are of high character, and are people that have given up many parts of their lives to love
these children 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They could be working at much higher paying and more prestigious
jobs; but choose to stay to work with these kids that have been hurt so deeply in their very short lifetimes.
The best thing about Christians’ Haven is that the ministry doesn't stop there. What is truly amazing is that from the very
beginning of when these children are rescued from lives that we cannot imagine, the
children are asked and enabled to go back and love the kids that are at a place where they
were. The Bible teaches that you are blessed to be a blessing. The children who are now
blessed by having loving families at Christians’ Haven are given the opportunity to share
the love of Jesus that they get every single hour of every single day with kids that are
hurting on the streets as they have been abandoned or orphaned and have to fight to stay
alive. What an example of using the talents God gave you and your experiences, even the
painful ones, to share the love and salvation of Christ! I am truly excited to see how the
partnership that has started between Christians’ Haven and Greentree Christian Church
will grow over the years to come. I hope and pray that you and your church will also
consider partnering with this wonderful ministry. Scott Robinson, Missions Minister Greentree Christian
Church, Rolla, MO
MISSION TRIP OPPORTUNITY!
A mid-winter break that will be the highlight of your holiday season for sure! Why not take a mission trip
to the Philippines and serve for and with some of God’s most wonderful children at Christians’ Haven? Well, that is the opportunity for you.
This adventure will depart from Joplin, MO on January 2nd and return to Joplin, MO on January 13th. This is an all inclusive trip which
means that when you send your money to Christians’ Haven you will not need to pay for meals or other travel expenses on this trip. The
prices are often high for travel during this season but we are able to get this trip for $2,400 complete. If you are interested please go to our
web site and fill out the application and get it to us as soon as you can. We only have openings for ten participants. Payment information
will also be on our website. We can be found at www.christianshaven.com. APPLICATION DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 1, 2013!
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Joplin, MO 64802
Permit No. 116
CHRISTIANS’ HAVEN
P.O. Box 369 Webb City, MO 64870
Thank you
for your
Support
A Ministry to Street Children and Orphans of the Philippine Islands
What is a “Street Kid”?
By Lynn R. Ragsdale, President
How Are We Funded?
Christians’ Haven is not a church. We are a mission of the Church. We are therefore
fully dependent on the voluntary giving from churches and individuals to sustain
this vital ministry to street children and orphans. “Pure and genuine religion in the
sight of God the Father means caring for the orphans and widows in their
distress…” (James 1:27) We are extremely thankful for the funds you send to us but
consider them not just funds but a partnership link to each church. We are not the
tail wagging the dog but believe we are one of many tails on the dog called the
Church. We need you for funding for sure but also for prayers and accountability.
WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER! Listed to the right are the churches who have
generously partnered with us in 2013. Please encourage other churches you may
be connected with to join this team of great churches assisting us in conducting
“pure and genuine religion.”
Memorial Gifts
Our heartfelt thanks for gifts received in honor of some special people:
In honor of Jed Jedlicka: Catherine Chandler, Mimi McDonald, Alice
Jedlicka, Daniel and Julia Widhalm, Jay and Judy Shapley, John and
Kerrie Grimstad, Mark and Kathy Peterson, Mark and Patricia Latzka,
New Offenburg First Baptist Church, Robert and Louise Boyer, Ross and
Nancy Porter, Sara Fink, Tina Hudson, Wayne and Christy Custer, William
and Linda Jamison
In honor of Nolan Head: Anne Witherspoon, Burrell Garren, G. Richard
and Delores Wamsley, Ken and Marsha Ansley, Phil and Lindy Roberts,
Robert and Marilyn Baugh, Robert and Penny Hoenshell, Scott and Sue
Creson
In honor of Tara Ragsdale: David and Debbie McFadden
In honor of Ima Jean Bycroft: Marty and Gloria Thurman, Roseville
Christian Church
In honor of Oscar and Mary Braker: Sam and Betsy Braker
In honor of Margaret Mehaffy: Tom and Karol Mehaffy
Christ’s Church of Oronogo; Oronogo, MO
Greentree Christian Church; Rolla, MO
Adventure Christian Church; Roseville, CA
Walloon Lake Community Church; Walloon Lake, MI
First Christian Church, Johnson City, TN
Christian Church of Ashland; Ashland, OR
First Christian Church; Roanoke Rapids, NC
Kingsway Christian Church; Omaha, NE
Miamisburg Christian Church; Miamisburg, OH
Clover Road Christian Church; Hannibal, MO
The Way Christian Church; Columbia, TN
Rogue Valley Christian Church; Medford, OR
Town & Country Christian Church; Crown Point, IN
Keno Christian Church; Keno, OR
Lincoln Hills Community Church; Lincoln, CA
Corinth Christian Church; Foley, MO
Roseville Christian Church; Roseville, IL
First Christian Church; Flora, IL
Mountain Christian Church; Joppa, MD
Somerset Christian Church; Beaverton, OR
East Tenth Street Church of Christ; Roanoke Rapids, NC
Grandview Christian Church; Fallston, MD
Fellowship Christian Church; Tacoma, WA
Town & Country Christian Church; Cameron, MO
Crossed Timbers Church; Culleoka, TN
First Christian Church; Cocoa Beach, FL
Seneca Christian Church; Seneca, MO
Mountainview Church; Westminster, CO
Christian Women’s Fellowship; Bend, OR
Hope Christian Church; Central Point, OR
Pilgrim Christian Church; Omaha, NE
Tuttle Christian Church; Tuttle, OK
First Christian Church; Yucca Valley, CA
First Christian Church; Suisun, CA
New Offenburg First Baptist Church; Ste Genevieve, MO
Locust Grove Church; Findlay, IL
Woodland Hills Christian Church; Abingdon, VA
Kinmundy Christian Church; Kinmundy, IL
First Christian Church; Grants Pass, OR
First Christian Church; Abingdon, VA
Victory Christian Fellowship Youth; Mexico, MO
Central United Methodist Church; Webb City, MO
First Christian Church Disciple Women; Grants Pass, OR
One to two
million
As an American it is difficult to imagine being eight or nine years old and having no home, food, or protection of
any kind. I personally look at my grandchildren and see them at that age being so vulnerable and dependent.
Sadly, in the Philippines the children are just as vulnerable and dependent BUT many are left to fend for themselves
(or not).
The numbers are somewhat deceiving in that they cannot be verified for multiple reasons. Some estimates report
about one million children under the age of fourteen living on the streets. Other estimates have that number at
two million or more. Why the wide range of estimates? There are multiple reasons for sure but let me focus on just
two.
First, it is like trying to estimate the number of rats living in the sewers of a major city. Who can really count them?
They are just there. Even when you control them in one place they emerge in larger numbers in another place – or
that same place in just one day.
Please excuse the comparison to rats but that introduces a second reason for the uncertainty as to the number of
street kids in the Philippines. These poor children are seen by most as “non-persons.” They are viewed much like
rats living in the underbelly of a city. They have never had birth certificates and thus are not “alive” to the officials.
They come from a world of extreme poverty that cannot be easily remedied so it is much easier to look the other
way. Simply put, with no record of live birth it is quite easy for them to live and die without even being known by
the world around them. So, counting them is a non-exact task at best. Continued...
CONTRIBUTIONS and/or CORRESPONDENCE: Christians’ Haven P.O. Box 369 Webb City, MO 64870
Office: 417-673-8641 Fax: 417-673-3576 Email: [email protected] Website: www.christianshaven.com
What is a “Street Kid”? Continued
This unofficial non-person status causes us to ask a deeper question. Just who are
they and where do they come from? Experts here have helped identify them in
three categories.
The first group is called “children ON the street.” These children have some
semblance of a home with a parent(s) or other relative caring for them at some
level. They do not go to school normally and work the streets begging or selling
trinkets during the day for enough money to eat or even support the family
structure. Their homes are normally in areas of squatters where filth, disease,
crime, and abuse are rampant. According to reliable studies, these children make
up about 75% of the one or two million street kids in the Philippines.
Who are they?
The second group is called “children OF the street.” These children make up
25% of the street kid population. They may have family also but they all live on
the street with no shelter or steady food supply. The family may be a biological family or a symbiotic family
structure made up of other street kids where survival of the fittest is the rule of the day. If they do have biological
families they are most likely not connected to them in any way. These street type family structures foster great drug
abuse and physical and sexual predators. Learning the “system” may involve actions that are dangerous, illegal, and
certainly immoral.
Of the second group it is estimated that 5-10% are complete orphans and it can be verified that no biological
family exists. They are especially vulnerable to the drug lords and sex trafficking.
So now you have met our kids. The children we rescue and love at Christians’ Haven. These kids are damaged and
exhibit behaviors consistent with that damage. I often spend my days vacillating between emotions. One emotion
wants to seek justice by finding the adults that inflict abuse and pain to these kids. Admittedly, my justice would
be devoid of grace. That part of me likes the Old Testament model of justice.
The other emotion I have is to love our kids even when they act out behaviors consistent with the abuse they have
endured. They have separation anxiety, bipolar disorders, anger management issues, and learning disabilities
from the abuse and malnutrition they have experienced. The list could be much longer including the obvious
physical issues that stem from their life on the streets and in abject poverty.
So, why am I telling you this as the lead article of this newsletter? The nice pictures of our kids and campus really
cannot tell their stories. They are smiling and playing and even learning. But very often, just beneath the surface
they carry much pain and confusion. I humbly ask for your prayers on behalf of our kids and their Christian
caregivers. I also respectfully ask for you to provide needed resources more than ever to the continued ministry of
rescuing, restoring, and preparing for a return of these precious little children.
“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this one on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me
welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.” (Jesus, Mark 9:37) So, if you want to know what God
looks like, focus closely on the pictures of our kids and know that God feels all of their pain and abuse. “’For I was
hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your
home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited
me.’ ….’I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing
it to me.’” (Jesus, Matt. 25:35-40) Your fellow servant, Lynn R. Ragsdale, President
A CLOSER LOOK!
Christians’ Haven
Next is Rayziel. She is 12 years old. She also has a sweet and sensitive personality. It has been said of her that she
“has a desire to learn about her existence and her creator.”
And finally, meet Ray Angelo. This active little 9 year old looks like his older brother and sister and is fun loving and
easy to get along with. Unlike his older siblings he is a bit fiery and active. Ray Angelo also has a great interest in
spiritual things. He loves singing the songs about Jesus and enjoys worship.
pimps and traffickers. The details of her story are not
appropriate to be in print for all to see.
Suffice it to say, despicable is hardly sufficient to describe her life and abuse. To multiply the injustice of her situation, an
arrest was made of the woman who “pimped” her and the man she was “sold” to for the night. The man was a Singaporean
national. Because Lolit is a street kid with no “real” value to the culture mysteriously the pimp and the perpetrator have both
been released and are at large. This type of justice system tells the kids that they can never be safe and no justice will be
imposed even when there is an arrest of the abusers.
Please pray for Lolit. Her road to restoration will be a long and hard one. Pray for her caregivers at Christians’ Haven. They
will need an extra measure of God’s wisdom and grace to work with Lolit.
From an Inadequate
Prison System
Meet O’Niel. This handsome young man is now 15 years old. His cheerful face
hides a past of neglect, pain and crime.
O’Niel’s mother abandoned him early in his life and went overseas to work.
She, however, never sent support for him and his siblings but left them with
an old grandparent who also lived in great poverty. O’Niel’s bitterness and
poverty led him to the streets and to very bad company. As a result he was
in jail 15 times in his 15 years of life.
Jail in the Philippines is anything but a safe environment. He was placed in
cells with adults who were guilty of every sort of despicable crime. As a
result he only learned to be a better criminal.
O’Niel was accepted at Christians’ Haven through the Social Welfare Department as his last chance. If he goes back to jail it
will be for life. He obviously has his moments but has accepted Jesus and is striving to do his best on his journey of
discipleship. Please pray for O’Niel that he can overcome his past and become a great leader for Christ.
REQUEST
for
EMAIL
NEWS FLASH!
ADDRESSES
I am pleased to announce that our recent fund
raiser to purchase a new vehicle for our campus was
a tremendous success. God richly used you to bless
us. Not only did we get to purchase a vehicle but
your generosity was such that we could get a brand
new one. Not only a brand new one, but the most
durable brand in our country. THANK YOU!
A Family of Orphans
Meet this family of three siblings. They are just as sweet as they appear. The oldest, Raynaire is 14 years old. He is
emotionally and spiritually sensitive. He also exhibits care for his younger siblings.
Meet Lolit. She is a 15 year old young lady with a
story that could only be told in the ugliest of “R”
rated movies. Both of her parents are dead and she
is mentally challenged. Her best guess intellectual
level is six years old. She also has some hearing
issues. With this background she was easy prey to
We would like to use email
more and more for sending
news, prayers, and needs to
help minimize our printing and
mailing expenses. Please help
us in this by emailing
[email protected]
with your current email
address.
October 2013
From the Ugly World of Sex Trafficking
PLEASE INVITE US
TO VISIT YOU
Lynn and Betsy are available to
visit your church in late 2013 and
early 2014. Please contact us at
[email protected] or
call 417.673.8641 to schedule
your visit.
They are available to lead
leadership retreats, missions’
conferences, preach or simply
meet with a missions committee
to provide personal updates on
the exciting work of Christians’
Haven.
But their wonderful exterior is hiding a life of hurt and
abandonment. Their mother abandoned them and they
were separated. An aunt rescued them and nurtured them
with the love of God. The aunt was very poor and unable to
care properly for the children. Since that date the mother
has died. Their father was murdered in 2011. They are,
therefore, completely orphaned.
As part of the outreach ministry of Christians’ Haven the
children visit prisons and areas of homelessness to conduct
feedings and ministry. At a recent prison feeding Raynaire
was observed to have some deep emotions. It was later
discovered that one of the men in the prison that he was feeding was
the man who had murdered his father.
Some of our kids grow up very quickly indeed.
CHRISTMAS IS COMING!
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year in the Philippines. The kids love
Christmas songs, even the ones about snow. They love to celebrate the
birth of our Lord and Savior.
Every year special gifts are requested from you, our partners in ministry, for
these neglected yet loved kids. The gifts need to be financial. We desire to
raise enough money to purchase at least two gifts for each child and also
provide a year-end gift for our hard working and self-sacrificing staff.
The sooner your special Christmas gift is received by us the sooner our staff can begin to shop for these wonderful
children. Please consider sending that gift soon. Thanks in advance.
Checks noted “for Christmas” may be sent to P.O. Box 369, Webb City, MO 64870 or donations may be made through
our website at www.christianshaven.com. If you have your monthly donations drafted from your account or charged
to a credit card and would like to add a special amount for Christmas to one of your transactions please email us at
[email protected].
October 2013
Christians’ Haven