When you walk into Faith House, you enter a place of safety, care, and possibility. The joy on the faces of the girls who reside in this place is infectious, and you can quickly forget why they ended up there to begin with…or what they have been through. Today we’d love to share the story of Faith House with you and bring you into the narrative of this special organization through Bbright and its mission.
Faith House founder Maria Nelma Amihan grew up in the Philippines and originally worked in pharmaceutical sales, but she knew in her heart that isn’t where she was destined to remain. In the 1990s, God used the time Maria spent volunteering at her local church to stir her heart toward the country of Myanmar, which has the longest-running civil war in the world and recently experienced a military coup. Maria’s initial attempts to minister in Myanmar fell through, but she strongly felt that it was where God was leading her and so she didn’t give up. She eventually made it to the border of Myanmar, in Mae Sot, Thailand where she witnessed the migrant children in such desperate conditions and knew that was where God wanted her to fulfill her calling.
In 2002 Maria formed Elpis Ministries to teach the refugee children how to read since they were not allowed to attend a Thai school. What began as a literacy program developed into a migrant school of 35 children, and today the school has 310 students! While the education being provided by Elpis was a tremendous blessing to the children, there was more to be done. Due to the desperate conditions, these refugee families found themselves in, many of the Elpis students’ parents were not able to properly care for them, and the children were being forced into human trafficking. Maria and her team could not sit back and watch this happen, and so in 2004 they changed course in their ministry, and Faith House was born.
The team initially identified two girls who were high risk and provided them with care, schooling, life skills, and the saving message of Jesus Christ. This completely changed the trajectory of the girls’ lives and was only the beginning of the impact Faith House would have. The organization now cares for 30+ girls, many of whom have become accomplished young women under the care of Maria and her team. Upon entering Faith House, the girls were malnourished, sickly, insecure, and distrustful, but through the years Faith House has given them hope and a future, helping them to become community leaders, Bible study teachers, and worship leaders. Someday these young ladies may return to their homeland, equipped to reach Myanmar with the gospel and continue the work that Maria began more than 20 years ago.
Bbright wants to equip Faith House with the funds needed to continue this good work of educating, nourishing and discipling the young women of Myanmar. If you’ve been touched by the story of Faith House and feel led to partner with us, we’d love to talk with you. Working together, bit by bit, we can bring hope to these children and give them a brighter future. Contact us today, or simply click the donate now button to start your support of the girls of Faith House.