Missions from the Heights

India

Igatpuri India Orphanage     Orphanage Update (PDF)

India is bordered by Pakistan, China, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It is a large country comprises approximately 2.4% of the worlds land but contains 16% of the worlds population. The birth rate in India is 31 per thousand. When comparing it to that of China at 20 per thousand, India is on pace to surpass China in 2025 as the worlds largest population. Mumbai is the nation’s largest city with a population of approximately 19 million. Of this 19 million, 60% live in the slums.

Church at the Heights supports a Houses of Hope affiliated orphanage located in Igatpuri, India. The roof and the wall around the compound are now complete. Igatpuri is currently in the middle of its rainy season and communication is difficult. We currently are supporting twelve children. Please prayerfully consider supporting this orphanage with your prayers and finances. For more information please visit www.housesofhope.org.

Guatemala

Guatemala borders Mexico to the north and Honduras and El Salvador to the South. It is a beautiful country that contains everything from desert to mountains where the weather is very wet.

The Houses of Hope orphanage in Zacapa Guatemala is one of the original orphanages started by Houses of Hope. This is a very popular place for short term missions teams from the US to visit. Missions teams visiting Guatemala will work with the Gerber family who does a great job in overseeing this ministry. The mountain ministry now has two full time workers, Josue Fancisco Pineda Barillas and German Ovidio Lopez Marroquin. Please keep them both in your prayers. The Oasis Christian School under the leadership of Erin Cole continues to flourish. We now have over 100 students and have been constructing new buildings to keep up with the growth.

We are now in the final stages of completing house number 5. Houses one through three continue to flourish under the careful supervision of the house parents and staff at HOH Guatemala. Please continue to pray for God to send the right house parents for house number five. For more information please visit www.housesofhope.org.

Mexico

Our team of 20 persons just left for Mexico on June 21, 2008 for a short term mission’s trip. We are expecting great things as they minister in Reynosa Mexico and the surrounding area with Pastor Jesse. This area of Mexico is very poor therefore the needs of the people are great. Mexico is like much of the third world in that over 90% of the wealth is controlled by 1% of the population. Please pray for our missionaries as they do God’s work in Mexico.

Vietnam

Vietnam is a country familiar to most Americans. It is located in Southeast Asia between Laos and the South China Sea and is bordered by China to the North.

God is alive and at work in Vietnam. Earlier this spring 50 tribe Pastors were sent out to bring the gospel to those in remote areas. Persecution of Christians is common in Vietnam but the church continues to grow. One of our evangelist workers shared the gospel with a famous communist leader and after accepting Christ he shared his faith with the entire village and many believed. The government officials beat him to the point of permanent brain damage and burned his house to the ground but the church still grows. Please pray for the nation of Vietnam and all the Christians living there. For more information please visit www.housesofhope.org.

Cambodia

Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia between Thailand and Vietnam and has a population of about 15 million people. Cambodia is a very war torn country recovering from years of rule under the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot. It is estimated that the Khmer Rouge killed approximately 3 million people while in rule.

Phnom Pen
Houses of Hope (HOH) has taken a different approach in Cambodia. HOH now operates two student dormitories in Phnom Pen and is a great success. The two HOH dorms in operation are for boys and HOH is asking God for the resources to start a girl’s dorm. The average time from a students arrival to accepting Jesus is just a few weeks. This ministry is raising up the future of Cambodia. This kids will be equipped to share the gospel to the nation when they graduate college. Please keep this ministry in your prayers and consider financially supporting a student. For more information please visit www.housesofhope.org.

Poi Pet
Chomno In (Pictured with his wife) is the founder of the Cambodian Hope Organization (CHO) and is located in Poi Pet Cambodia near the Western border of Thailand. Chomno pastors a growing church in Poi Pet and works with the locals teaching them to successfully operate micro businesses such as fish farms, motorcycle repair shops, and pig farms. Children being sold into slavery is very common in Cambodia because of the poverty. CHO is helping provide families a solution as well as showing and sharing the love of Christ to them. Please keep the Inn family and CHO in your prayers.

Thailand

Thailand is in Southeast Asia and is located between Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. Thailand borders the Gulf of Thailand to the South.

Pastor Allen Bay and his wife Siriton are the directors for Houses of House in Asia. Their church as well as the orphanage is in Chang Mai Thailand which is north of Bangkok. They pastor a vibrant church made up mostly of college students and need your prayers. The house parents at the orphanage are Somsak and his wife Mahyouree. The have had a burden from our Lord about working with children for two years and God brought them 1400 km to Chang Mai. Please pray for them. They have a five year old daughter named Fah who now has 10 brothers and sisters.

Youth camp in Chang Rai finished in May and the children are on fire for God. Persecution of Christians is not uncommon so please keep these children in your prayers. On a national level there is a lot of talk of a coup. The government is very unstable at this time. Crime is on the increase because of the economic downturn. Please keep the nation of Thailand in your prayers. For more information please visit www.housesofhope.org.

Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar is a small country located in Southeast Asia just west of Thailand. Myanmar is under a strict communist regime and Christian persecution is common.

The Houses of Hope orphanage in Myanmar was totally destroyed by the cyclone but praise God; none of the twenty-six were injured. The house parents are Samuel and Mercy. Both survived the storm but Mercy was pregnant and lost their baby. Please pray for her and the family in this difficult time. The orphanage will need to be rebuilt from the ground up. This will cost a minimum of $3,600. Please prayerfully consider financially supporting our Christian brothers and sisters in Myanmar. For more information please visit www.housesofhope.org.

Pittsburgh: The DoorWay

The DoorWay run by Joyce Erdner, Joe Welsh, and Dave Erdner is a thriving outreach ministry in the Bellevue area of Pittsburgh. The following is their vision statement. The DoorWay is a Christian ministry that equips youth, assists individuals struggling with addiction and supports families, without discrimination, through prevention, intervention, counsel, training and support programming. The Doorway recently was presented with a $35,000 matching donation opportunity. Praise God. The $35,000 was raised in less than 30 days help this ministry out in a time of great need. Isn’t it a privilege to serve a God who loves us and takes such good care of his people?

Passage Matthew 6:31-33: 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Recent Events

Fishing Contest:
The annual DoorWay fishing contest was held at the Duffy’s pond in Fombell, PA on Sunday June 22nd. About 6 families as well as 45 kids participated in the event. A great time of fishing, fun, and fellowship was had by all. Prizes were given out for the most fish, smallest fish, and largest fish. For many of these kids, this was the first time they have had the opportunity to wet a line and enjoy the great outdoors.

Peter Pan at the Benedum Center:
Tickets for Kids was kind enough to give The DoorWay 18 tickets for the showing of Peter Pan at the Benedum Center for Tuesday June 24th. These kids would never have an opportunity to see a show at the Benedum without the help of Tickets for Kids.

Upcoming Events

This Car Cruise will take place July 6, 2008 and run from Noon to 4:00 PM. It will take place at Papa Rocks Pizza located in Haymaker Village Plaza, Monroeville PA. For more information please visit the web site located at www.doorway.org.

The 10th annual Doorway golf benefit will take place on August 25th at Hartmann’s Deep Valley Gold Course in Zelienople PA. Please consider coming out and having a great time golfing with us and supporting a vital ministry to the Pittsburgh area. For more information or to register, please visit www.doorway.org today.

Needs: The DoorWay has the following needs. Please prayerfully consider supporting in any way you can.

• A Mini Bus
• Bibles
• Volunteers
• Electricians
• Painters
• Carpenters
• Plasterers
• Cooks