One Ministry, Two Campuses
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CH SOUTH
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CH South is a 5-acre campus located in the mountain village Tuod, just outside the town of Manticao on the southern island of Mindanao in the Philippines.
Construction at the CH South campus began in 1999. The first building, a barn, was completed in early January 2000. The building was critical to the campus as it securely stored construction materials as additional buildings and facilities were built. During the early years, a well was dug, producing clean drinking water. In addition, a retaining wall for the riverbank was completed. Workers and masons erected a 6-foot stone boundary wall around the perimeter of the campus for security and protection. Workers carried the stones, one by one, from the river that runs through the campus.
In 2000, campus construction began on the first residential building for children, house parents, and helpers. While the house was under construction, Christians' Haven operated out of a rented house in nearby Iligan City. This rented house was secured in order to relocate the feeding program from a church at the center of the city. The distance from the center of the city provided the children a better chance for a new start, as they struggled to break away from their old way of life.
In late 2001, construction was completed on the first building. The building is two stories with each level designed to accommodate 16 children, house parents, and helpers. The Christians' Haven family occupied their new home in November 2001. Additional construction completed at that time included a basketball court and pump house.
In September 2002, a short-term mission team built a septic drain field addressing the sanitation needs of the campus.
Since then two other buildings to house children, staff, a medical clinic and visiting teams have been constructed. In 2005 a new water tower was erected giving the campus a source of good water.
Future development dreams include facilities to house additional children on the current campus as well as other locations, construction of a high-school, and development of a vocational training program. Also, CH South currently attends church services in a very small, dilapidated building in the village. The building is often packed from wall to wall. We hope to construct an open-air building (large roof with no walls) where church services will be held and area youth rallies conducted.
T-HOUSE
With more and more of our children becoming college students it became necessary to provide a home base for our students in the city where they attend several different colleges/universities. In the spring of 2009 a house was found in the city of Cagayan De Oro (2 hours from our South Campus) which became our Transitional House (T-House). Here our students continue to be discipled for Christ with the oversight and encouragement of houseparents as they begin to transition to independent living.
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CH NORTH
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The North Campus of Christians’ Haven, or CH North, located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, was originally a Christian orphanage that helped hundreds of homeless and orphaned children to find a better life.
The orphanage was founded in 1977. Early in 1979 construction began on a 2-story concrete building for the children on a prime site, sitting on a hill overlooking the main road and the big Cagayan River in the distance. In October of 2003 Christians’ Haven assumed the operation of this home.
In 2003, due to severe typhoon damage to the already aging buildings, there was a crucial need for major renovation. This was completed the following year through gifts from IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services) and our supporters. The Lord, through His people, also blessed us with a new well and water tower in 2007 providing lots of good, clean water for our children and staff.
This facility just recently began the process of becoming a fully indigenous Filipino ministry in leadership and funding with a new name—Cornerstone Christian Home. Christians’ Haven will continue to assist this home with support and finances until the transition is fully completed.