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FPCT Tesifa Safe House, sponsored and supported in memory of Peter Higham.
Around 4 years ago, whilst on a mission trip in Tanga, I had the privilege of meeting Mark, Rachael, and Steve. At that time, they were running a small house church and had not been in Tanga long. To cut a very long story short, what God did on that trip sealed and cemented our very deep friendship.
Just over 4 years earlier, we had lost our son Peter, tragically and very suddenly. Peter loved Africa and wanted to help in a very real way. On our trip to Uganda, he bought three pigs (named Pete, Monksy and Nigel) for a group of families and loved playing with the children.
For a very long time, probably 30 years or more, I have carried in my heart a vision for a safe house, a place where people who were hurt and damaged, who felt abandoned and unloved were able to come and find the love of Jesus, and be healed and restored by His power and His love.
Little did I know that Rachael held a remarkably similar vision in her heart! What Jesus did on that first trip was to mould our visions together and place into our hearts and minds His Vision of the Tesifa Safe House, a place where family becomes a reality for people who have never really experienced it. As this project has grown, our passions have grown with it. We came to Tanga on our second trip, just my husband and I, 1½ years ago where we saw with our own eyes the safe house. Peter died almost nine years ago now but in honour of his memory, we all felt God asking us to be instrumental in His plan for the safe house. Obviously, Covid pressed the pause button for most of us on lots of things, it has been hard, but God has kept this ministry moving forward little by little. God has big plans, not just for one home, but for a village, because you know 'it takes a whole village to raise one child!' He has already provided the vision, for safe homes, for a community farm and the land is already a reality, and He has proven that 'with God all things are possible'. So, let us see together what God will do with this amazing opportunity....to build a safe community, with safe space, safe time and safe people - a community of the Kingdom of God.
Guest writer Chris Higham
