Faith-filled East London couple want safe house for abused kids

An East London couple, who daily walk the extra mile to serve people in desperate need, has launched an ambitious campaign to establish a safe house for the growing number of abandoned and abused children they encounter daily.

Marion and Matthew Peak started their Helping Those In Need ministry two years ago, with just R100 in their pockets — which they used to feed their first family — and a Holy Spirit-fire in their hearts to help the destitute.

Despite formidable obstacles, including Marion’s breast cancer, for which she is currently undergoing chemotherapy, they have pressed on with their calling and currently feed hundreds of children daily. They are also raising five children — two of their own, and three foster children — in their small, rented home.

Their heart for the lost extends to those who don’t know Christ and they are also active in street evangelism and Gospel campaigns where they have seen God move with many mighty miracles.

But the need that is giving them the most heartache and sleepless nights at the moment, is the rising number of abused and abandoned children that they cannot protect because they do not have a house in which to place them, says Marion.

“We see children with abused marks on their bodies, raped, small children being pimped out for drugs by their mothers. Daily we are witnessing children needing to be rescued but with no house of our own we have no choice but to leave them behind to face more heartache, praying that God would protect these children,” she says.

Watch the video below in which the Peakes talk about their safe house quest:

The Peakes say they have found a perfect house for establishing a safe house where they could save up to 35 children and babies and be mother and father to them in a loving home environment.

“It is a lot of money [needed to purchase the safe house] but we know that God is our bank account,” says Marion.

The couple has set up a crowdfunding campaign page at https://gogetfunding.com/helping-those-in-need-3/ to try and raise R2.2-million for the safe house project. On the page you can learn more about their vision and you can contribute financially.

The Peake’s passionate calling and their relentless faith that God will provide, is rooted in their personal journey, about which Marion says: “We know how it feels to go to bed hungry due to poor life choices, drug abuse, affairs — until Jesus came and rescued us and set us free to forgive, love and comfort.”

She continues: “Faith has always been a very strong rock in my walk with Christ and cancer was a true test of faith and it has not tarnished but strengthened me. I learned the saying ‘live every day as if it’s your last’. Forgive daily, laugh daily, love more and family time is utmost important.

“My day starts from 6:30 and that’s waking our 5 children with three being foster children along with our two daughters. After dropping the kids off we are met by the homeless from 8am, awaiting meals or a bar of soap. We live across a public pool and there is where I send my homeless to shower, costing me R16 each weekly and we have a large amount of homeless. I seek jobs while Matthew counsels the ones on drugs and I work with the lost women and children. In bad weather we sneak them into our small rented home.”

Feeding the hungry, praying for the sick, helping those in need, caring for abused children, and sharing the love of Jesus, are some of the facets of Matthew and Marion Peake’s busy ministry.

Matthew’s calling to minister on the streets of East London started about four years ago.

“I recall the first time the Lord sent me to the streets. I was afraid and scared of what people might think or if I’d get asked a question and I wouldn’t know the answer. But little did I know that my first time would change the rest of my life.

“I recall stopping on the side of the road to minister and to share my testimony with about 20 men seeking employment. After sharing I made an altar call and all 20 men received Jesus.

“On my walk back to the car I praised the Lord for what he had done. Right at that moment one of the men came back pounding on my car window and called out ‘Pastor! “My immediate response was I’m not a pastor but a lover of Jesus.

“He asked how is it that praying that prayer, the salvation prayer, that Jesus can forgive me as I’m a murderer.
At that moment I realised that everyone needs to hear about the love and hope of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“I explained salvation to him. This man who received Jesus and was living on the street got his first job that same day after not having a full-time job for almost two years. The following week he found a new home to stay in and his life changed overnight. He experienced the miracle of receiving the Lord Jesus as His personal saviour.”

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