In September of 1996, Ken and Angelica Ooosting were spending their honeymoon in Iligan City on the island of Mindanao, Philippines. There, they saw firsthand what the streets of the Philippines offered the city’s children: a cruel and bitter life often cut short before adulthood. The hand of God began to pull at their hearts. The horrible conditions and desperation in the children’s eyes brought them to a single conclusion: they needed to save lives, and fast. Thus, Christians’ Haven was born, a mission to bring the Philippine children to the love and protection of Jesus Christ and help them become fully devoted, mature disciples of His.
In October of 2003 Christians’ Haven answered another call for help. The 98 children living at an orphanage located just outside of Lallo in the far northern Philippines were faced with the prospect of losing the only home they had ever known due to financial distress. In a monumental effort to save the orphanage, Christians’ Haven assumed operation of this home. Thus, CH North (Lallo) and CH South (Tuod) became united under one operational and fundraising umbrella. It was the stated goal of Christians’ Haven to rescue this ministry, restore it to health, and then return it to faithful Filipino Christians for their use in ministry. This was fully accomplished in January of 2011 when the property was officially signed over to the churches of the region.