Photo: Jason and Kelly Hayduk have prayerfully nurtured their sense of God’s call to establish Missionhouse for the past 24 years.
By Naomi Giles
Just over the ACT border, a healing home is being established by the Missionheart Christian faith community.
Dubbed ‘Missionhouse’, this new place is the realisation of a dream that began in the formation of this church some 24 years ago.
“Donations were given right back at the start of Missionheart, which we knew needed to be set aside for this place. We have been dreaming of this for a long time. It’s an extension of what we are called to do and gives us the space to journey deeply with people in healing,” says Missionheart leader Jason Hayduk.
An extension of their work in the centre of Canberra, Missionhouse will allow for those on the fringes to find relationship, restoration and reconciliation to God in an established loving community where they can belong and contribute. There will be opportunities for people to find freedom from addiction and illness, develop life skills, train for future employment, be spiritually nurtured, and to grow in relationship with God and others.
Leaders Jason and Kelly Hayduk, who planted Missionheart, are amazed at God’s provision of this property and deeply aware of his preparation in their lives.
“Personally, God has been preparing us for this kind of community living. Having four kids and foster kids and having people come in and out of home over all our married life, has helped us to get here. If we hadn’t had that full household, the transition would be much harder,” says Kelly.
And God has also provided many of the tangible goods needed for furnishing the new home. Kelly recounts that in packing she kept wondering why she seemed to have more than they needed, and then the former owners of the property gifted them an expansive table around which meals with an extended family could flourish.
“We want to be able to extend an invitation to people to come live with us and learn a new rhythm of life,” says Kelly.
The property is currently housing the Hayduks and two of their children, and another Missionheart family – Stew and Bec Henderson and their daughter – who are the nucleus of this new live-in healing community.
The first step for this team is to go deep in formation over the next six to twelve months to create a healthy community and to prepare the home physically for its first intake. After the spiritual and physical foundations are laid, they will begin to invite people in to journey in community.
“We know that we have to prepare the foundation and build something that will last. Within the live-in team we have to find new rhythms and hosting some short-term visitors will help us learn how to do hospitality together,” says Kelly.
Over the past 18 months, the Hayduks have encountered many challenges including the near death of one of their daughters. They reflect through the hardships they can see God has been growing their capacity to carry more.
“For a while you are in a fog; you can’t see what God is doing. But it’s about having the perseverance to walk through to the point where you can start working with God, rather than being in despair or stress. To be able to say to God, ‘Ok, I’m going to go with you on this!’,” says Kelly.
“We’ve learnt you can carry grief with joy. For a long time, I felt like I couldn’t have both those things alongside, but I now know you can,” she says.
Through searching for a property over the past year they have been deeply aware of God’s favour on them. As they step out in faith, many pieces of the puzzle are forming with generous support and affirmation from the former owners of the property and Fresh Hope Property Trust and Pioneering.
As well as spiritual renovation within the team, this time is also for physical renovation. There are several spaces throughout the property that need to be converted into bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces to welcome people into the community.
Fresh Hope Engage is supporting them in fundraising towards the fit-out of the new living spaces. The team are also aware they will need to partner with many different people to realise the potential of the property.
“It’s clear that we can’t do it all ourselves. There’s a lot of groundwork to do both within the house and around the property,” says Jason.
Kelly adds, “Some days it feels overwhelming. But when you look out the windows at the land around us, there’s also a relief in finally getting here and knowing this is all happening in God’s time.”
Read more stories of Fresh Hope HERE.
