Welcome to Jonathan's House for Orphans Online

Jonathan's House for Orphans

Message

Ahead on the dusty road you see a young child. You notice his slight frame, the obvious result of malnutrition. He picks through the dirt, scrounging for a morsel of food, savoring each small bite he finds. He looks up as you approach and reaches his hand up to you. You will choose to pass by or to look him in the eyes, grasp his hand and lift his frail body to a place of hope.

That is our mission, to reach out to the children of the southern district of Sierra Leone, until every child has hope. Explore the rest of the website to see what Jonathan's House is all about.

Joseph Bangura

Christiana Bah

John Sesay

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness this morning that I have to share with you that the Lord has taken one of our kids home to be with Him. While we rejoice with Emmanuel that he is now sharing in all the glories of Heaven, we are mourning our own loss. If I can I would like to remember some things about him. I always say about Emmanuel that he is a lover and not a fighter. The kids and I at Jonathan's House have a little game we play. In fun I let them hit my hardened stomach and then I pretend to hit them back saying that it is my turn now. Of course they always run away laughing. But whenever Emmanuel was around he wouldn't let any of the kids play the game with me because he didn't want them to hit me. I remember that every night before we headed off to bed that Emmanuel wanted to scratch my back. He was a lover. He was an integral part of Jonathan's House as he matured into a young man and a leader. He often led our church services. He was in charge of many tasks and many people depended on him. He will be missed for many reasons. Early this week he was complaining of some right shoulder pain and had some minor swelling there. The staff took him to the hospital for treatment. The doctor gave him some pain meds and some topical oils for the swelling. By Thursday and Friday he said he was feeling better. Last night he went to sleep feeling fine and God took him during the night. There is, of course, no way to diagnose his problem. We are relying on God's promise to care for His own. I also am asking you to pray for all the kids and staff at Jonathan's House. They have lost a brother and a son, and they need His grace. Pray for Jerry who found Manny. Pray for the kids here who have lost a brother. His grace is sufficient.

Until every child has hope,

Roger Hatch

News, Promise & Prayer

Praise the Lord for the performance of our three students who took the national exams to enter senior secondary school last spring. Joseph Bangura ranked first in the school on the exam and is now enrolled in senior secondary school in Bo! Christiana Bah ranked second in the school and is now enrolled in senior secondary school in a nearby town. John Sesay ranked sixth in the school and will be starting his senior secondary education in the coming weeks. Praise the Lord for the excellent teachers and staff who helped these young adults in the pursuit of their goals!

Praise the Lord for the school building under construction. The foundation is complete and the walls are 6 blocks high! God has provided $35,000 of the needed $55,000 for completion of the school building!

Please pray for our teachers who have up to 50 students in their classes. Pray that God would guide their teaching and that they would continue to be a blessing to the children whom they serve!

Pray for our children in the home and recently reunited with families outside of the home. UNICEF, in conjunction with the government of Sierra Leone, has helped to reconnect many of our children with families who were lost during the war or unable to care for their children in the past. These children will remain a part of Jonathan's House Ministries and will continue to be supported educationally, physically, and spiritually through the ministry in Bo, but have been placed in homes of people who can care for them in a family setting. Please pray for our staff as they visit and check up on these children. Please pray for the children as they come to the home for Wednesday and Sunday church activities and meals. Pray that they would be the LIGHT OF JESUS in each of their homes. (See "KIDS" for more information on these chidlren)

Pray for "Mommy Christie" as she continues to pray about her future opportunities to serve at Jonathan's house! Christie spent six months with the ministry in Bo and is prayerfully considering a return in the coming year.

Marshalltown Man Opens Home, Heart to Orphans