This spring and summer were a time of great excitement and anticipation for the Father's House. As many of you know, we are looking forward to taking in our first children very soon. The children we will house will be rescued from slavery in the fishing villages on Lake Volta. It is heartbreaking that there is a need for such work in 2010, but we are grateful that God has entrusted us with a building that will soon be home to eight boys, 5-8 years old.

Looking back over the last several months, we realize a lot has already happened at the Father's House this year.   March and April were times of intense preparation as Jeff & Lori Miller were in Ghana for 7 weeks. They worked diligently to turn the Father's House into a home for the children we will soon take in. They were also able to purchase a 4-wheel drive vehicle, which is necessary for navigating the deep sand on the road leading to the property. We are now able to drive right up to the front door, a huge blessing at any time, but even more so when building materials were being brought to the property. Jeremiah Banini was a constant presence there as well, moving from his home to the Father's House to help with building projects and to act as resident translator.

As Jeff & Lori were leaving Ghana, Paul & Chelsea Miller, along with their baby, Eden, were just arriving. They stayed for 3 months and continued carpentry, building of bunk beds, and numerous projects. Jeremiah and Paul teamed up for the weekly teachings as well as day to day discipleship of the area kids. This led to a number of salvations and baptisms, as well as walks through the neighborhood—a predominately voodoo area—in which they shared the love of Jesus and the power of the One true God with many.

On May 10, the horrors of child slavery hit very close to home when we learned that 11-year old Christian, one of the regular attendees of our weekly feedings and Bible teachings, had been taken by an uncle to fish on Lake Volta. It seemed that one of "our own" was suddenly in need of rescue. In mid-June, through a series of events that was nothing short of miraculous, Jeremiah Banini (Christian's friend and teacher at the Father's House) along with Levi Keplar, who was visiting from Kansas, ventured out onto the waters of a lake the size of Rhode Island in search of one small boy.

On this trip, they met with George Achibra, long-time rescuer and advocate for trafficked children on Lake Volta. They were introduced to former slaves whom George has rescued and heard their horrific stories, and they witnessed first-hand boys as young as 4 years old rowing and scooping water from the roughly-carved and constantly leaking boats. Boys who are fed only one meal a day and are not allowed to go to school are forced to dive into the dark waters to untangle nets from the trees below the surface. On numerous occasions, Levi and Jeremiah were told not to get their hopes up, that finding one boy among the villages on this vast lake was probably going to be impossible. But these two young men persevered. When the time came that they had to choose which village to go to (many villages on the lake have the same name), God led them to THE village where Christian's family lived.

After explaining their purpose to numerous people, they saw a group of children sitting outside the thatch-roofed huts. One boy stepped forward to shake Jeremiah's hand. Long hours of hard labor on the lake had darkened his skin and left his body very thin. Only when Jeremiah recognized his clothes did he realize that the boy smiling at him was Christian! In a rather intense conversation, Christian's grandfather asked him why two people would travel such a long distance--many hours in a van and 17 hours on a ferry boat loaded with yams and animals—to look for one boy. Jeremiah said he heard himself speaking words that he had not planned to speak. He explained that the Bible says if a shepherd has 100 sheep and one becomes lost, he will leave the 99 to go after the one. Jeremiah stood on the Authority God had given him, and went against Ghanaian culture, telling the elder man that he, at twenty years old, had come to retrieve his lost sheep. At that point, Christian's grandfather motioned for the boy to gather his things and allowed him to leave the island village with no further argument. Christian later told Jeremiah that he was not at all surprised to see them. He simply stated that he had prayed every day to be rescued, and that he knew Jeremiah would come for him. Jeremiah, Levi, and Christian returned home, to the Father's House, on June 17. Christian is living with his grandmother, who was thrilled to have him returned safely home. The Father's House is currently helping to support this family. (To hear an audio version of Levi telling this story, and the miracles along the way, go to http://newlifeequip.com/audio/Levi6-27-10ghana.mp3)

In June, co-founders Matt & Tammy Garrett and Jeff & Lori Miller were honored to meet with the founders and staff of Touch A Life Foundation in Dallas, TX. Touch A Life is an amazing group of people, led by Pam & Randy Cope, who are already hard at work, rescuing children from a life of slavery in the fishing villages of Lake Volta. They are not only working to rescue children, but are striving to end child slavery and human trafficking in Ghana and other parts of the world. Earlier this year, they visited the Father's House. We are grateful to Pam & Randy and the TAL staff for their encouragement and support and we look forward to working with them toward a common goal in Ghana. (For a glimpse into the life of a child slave on Lake Volta, watch this video by Touch A Life: www.touchalifekids.org/lake-volta-video)

Support for the Father's House often comes in wonderful and unexpected ways!

• In May, Charlotte, NC, area homeschoolers hosted by Leadership Link held their annual field day and added a Ghanaian Market to raise funds for the Father's House. These amazing students raised over $1300 and a lot of awareness about human trafficking and child slavery.
• In July, Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Balsam Grove, NC, chose the Father's House to receive their VBS offering of $550.
• Dan & Dawn Foss of Mooresville, NC, celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary in August. In honor of this occasion, they donated funds to be used for a vegetable garden and grove of grafted mango trees. This will provide food for the children as well as income when the excess is sold.
• Currently, Jerry Schroeder of enCOMPASS Advertising Agency in Cornelius, NC, is rebuilding our website to meet our growing and changing needs.
• As an independent Christian musician, Jerry Schroeder gives all profits of his CD sales to the Father's House. www.jerryschroeder.com
• In November, 2009, Kyle and Christina (Edwards) McArver met on a mission trip to the Father's House. The two were married on August 20. As part of their wedding gift registry, they requested donations be given to the Father's House. This has led to a number of donations and increased awareness.

How can YOU get involved?

PRAY! Most importantly...Please pray with us for the boys who will soon call the Father's House "home" and that God will lead us to the right people to hire as staff to care for the children.

GIVE! In addition to obvious needs like food, clothing and bedding, there are transportation costs involved in rescuing the children. Each child will also need school uniforms and medical exams. To help us as we care for the day to day needs of these precious boys, and offer them a new life of hope and joy, visit our website www.FathersHouseGhana.com and click "Make a Difference with your Donation". Your donation of any amount is truly needed and appreciated.

SPONSOR! Interested in SPONSORING one of the children we rescue this fall? The cost to sponsor a child of the Father's House is $150/month. This will cover basic living costs: 3-meals per day, clothing, school uniforms, linens, tutoring in English, as well as other necessities. The cost of living is quite high in Ghana when compared to many other developing countries. We ask that you consider sponsorship only if you are able to make a 1-year commitment. Please contact us if you would like more information or to sign up as a sponsor.

Stay Informed! Visit our website www.FathersHouseGhana.com or our Facebook page www.facebook.com/FathersHouseGhana to see our latest pictures and information.   As we post needs, please share them with others. Also, please share with your friends and family the reality of slavery in the 21st Century. We cannot change what we refuse to talk about!

Please note: You do not have to have a Facebook account to view our page.

Thank you for your support in every way!
For the Children,

Matt & Tammy Garrett

Jeff & Lori Miller

Father's House International Co-founders