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The India Christian
Mission Center (ICMC) exists to serve India's orphans, widows, lepers, the handicapped
and the unreached, irrespective of caste, creed, community and
religion through the love of Jesus.
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Ask Your Friends to
Sponsor . . .
www.icmcindia.org
1. Go to the website.
2. Click on Sponsor a Child.
3. Create a New Account.
Your friend will get a welcome
email within days and a profile in the mail! We need to add at
least 400 sponsors this year to take good care of these kids.
Thanks to the 25 new Spring of Life sponsors!
Click here
for common sponsorship Questions and Answers.
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A
Garage Sale Worth Thousands of Dollars
Hilltop Community Church in Lake
Havasu, Arizona got creative! They held a church-wide
garage sale and raised $3,600.00 to give to projects for the
Promised Land children. Our "junk" translates to clean
water, sanitation projects, and better health for 1,000 orphan
children.
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Dollar
Dare for Kids: Teaching Investments, Creativity, and
Generosity
About thirty
children in Hattiesburg, Mississippi are taking a dollar and
multiplying it. How? Using a little hard work
and creativity. 8-year old Jacob Sloan is using his
dollar to promote his Read-a-Thon idea. Friends and
relatives can donate dimes (or dollars!) for every book he
reads. Some kids are buying lemonade and setting up
stands on the curb. We'll hear the results and their
creative ideas next month.
Last year, $30
turned into a couple thousand dollars. This year,
Community Bible Church in Hattiesburg offered to match the
amount the kids raised. A DOUBLE Dollar Dare!
Your church,
home-school group, school, class could do this too!
For details on how to do a DOLLAR DARE, email Melissa Sloan
at mmsloan@hotmail.com
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Running for
Water in Nottingham
Julie Lewis in the
UK is running her first marathon in support of the water
purification project for the children at the Promised Land.
The Experian Robin Hood Marathon, held in Nottingham in the UK
on September 16th, will find Julie running each mile encouraged
by her sponsors. If you're in the UK and would like to
sponsor her in the marathon, contact her at
julie@17mo.fsnet.co.uk
for sign up information. She'll send 100% of your donation
to India.
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Kilos4Kids Campaign
www.kgsforkids.com
Australia's Marty Isaac
and friends
continue their fundraising campaign for an ICMC
community centre.
How?
You bet he and his friends will
lose weight before their trip to India in September.
You give a certain amount per kilogram lost with the goal of
twenty kilograms.
Visit the website to join up (which all goes to ICMC).
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Meet
the Khondha, "Timothies to the Tribes"
Photo:
Santosh, a church planting student from Orissa.
Young Timothy church
planters, trained at the India Christian Mission Centre
(ICMC), come from and go back to their own Khondha
tribe. This
animistic tribal people group in the state of Orissa
number 500,000 in small tribes scattered around the
mountains of Pulabani.
98% of the Khondha have
never heard of the name of Jesus and the good news of
hope and joy He brings.
They worship “dharani”,
the earth goddess as the Supreme being.
She was
satisfied with only human blood called “maria” or “toki”,
until the British came and convinced them to sacrifice
buffalos in place of human infants.
They worship other
spirits and deities, believe in ghosts, white and black
magic, and are motivated by shamans, dreams from
spirits, jealousy, chance and luck.
Most Khondha live in
extreme subsistence poverty.
They live in grass huts, have no electricity or
running water, eat rice they grow themselves.
They have a 70% illiteracy rate (girls are at 87%
illiteracy), and battle widespread malaria, Hepatitis B,
and AIDS.
They live in a beautiful
mountainous area with natural resources but do not (or
cannot) make use of it, because of ignorance, belief in
the will of dharani, and a fatalist approach to life.
They are an artistic
people. They
make beautiful handicrafts, tell stories, and use dance
as a past time and to appease the spirit world.
The Timothies are willing
to GO and tell their own people about Jesus.
Our PRAYER is what can battle the spiritual world
that cloaks this group in darkness.
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Children
Love Special Events
The
last month of school, and Easter week, is filled with special
events and activities for the children. They performed
dances and skits in their annual school celebration days.
They had special chicken briyani meals, special Good Friday,
Easter and celebration services. They saw the Jesus Movie
and participated in activities planned by a visiting Operation
Mobilization (OM) team from India who can really speak to the
children's hearts spiritually. Several high schoolers from
Eden Garden are also traveling with the OM team for a month this
summer to grow in outreach.
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Short
Term Teams Plan Trips
Right
Now and Ongoing:
The United Nations student
program decided it likes helping out the children at the
Promised Land. After sending a team from Korea in January,
they are now sending students periodically throughout the year
to do projects such as painting and fixing things and organizing
games and activities for the children. Students from
Belgium, Germany, UK, and other countries are there, and more
will be coming for short-term projects.
May 25
- June
2007:
Mike and Miriam Webster, from
Mississippi, are heading to India and ICMC, arriving May 25
through the month of June. "Dr Mike" is conducting a
medical research project associated with the University of
Southern Mississippi. Contact
michael.webster@usm.edu
August
6-13,
2007:
John Jackson, from Nevada, will
lead a
vision team of leaders interested in partnering with ICMC.
For more information, contact
jjackson@icmcindia.org
August
15-18, 2007:
Rev. Ap Verwaijen, a long-time
friend of ICMC since 1990 and pastor from Holland, is bringing a
team to speak at ICMC's All India Pastors church planting
conference. The gathering will bring together over a
thousand pastors from all over India for training and
encouragement. For more information, contact
a.verwayen@rafael.nl
September 2007:
Martin Isaac plans to lead a vision trip from Australia centered
around encouraging the children and the leper community.
Contact
ratsack2@optusnet.com.au
for more details.
If you have an
event or trip to post for your country, state, church, school, or
organization, please contact Jeanne at
jeannezahn@icmcindia.org
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Sponsor Question:
How do I get on automatic payment?
Start
sponsoring $25/month from right now. There are two ways:
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Set it up as
automatic payment . . .
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Go to
our website, icmcindia.org
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Click
on “Make a Donation”
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Enter
your email address and password
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Enter
your debit or credit card information
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OR add the ICMC
address below as a Payee in your bank's Online BillPay.
You can control when the funds are sent from your own bank
and you don't have to remember the address every month.
Click here
for more common sponsorship Questions and Answers.
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ICMC
Addresses
For sponsorships/donations:
make checks to "ICMC"
PO Box 530758
Henderson, Nevada 89053
For letters/cards:
ICMC
Dr. S. Jayaraj Krishnan
(Your child's name)
House of Peace
Vasanthapuram,
Chinna Thirupathy PO
Salem - 636 008
Tamil Nadu India
It cost $1.00
in stamps and write "airmail" on the envelope.
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Miss an
E-Newsletter?
Click here...
March 2007
January February 2007
November December 2006
Sept October 2006
August 2006
July 2006
May June 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
All E-Newsletters are on the
website under About Us...
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Comments? Suggestions?
Do you like this
format of getting information from ICMC? Let us know your
thoughts, ideas and suggestions, or problems viewing at
jeannezahn@icmcindia.org
NOTE: If you have a sponsorship
question, please contact Jo Marshall at
jmarshall@icmcindia.org
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Update from Mrs Christy
"What
can I offer the LORD for all his goodness to me? I
will bring a wine-offering to the LORD, to thank him
for saving me” Psalm 116:12-13.
The Lord was so great
that He has done great things for us during
this month. The heart aching court case of
ours which lasted for 2½ years came to a
victorious end on 21.04.’07 by His grace
through the precious prayers of all our
sponsors, friends and well wishers. We are
so thankful to all those who stood with us
during those hard days. It is a great relief
for us all. We thanked the Lord for His
immense grace upon us. He proved the verse,
“For the LORD loves what is right and
does not abandon his faithful people. He
protects them for ever” Psalm 37:28. All
the children were given special meals with
chicken. Let His name be exalted in and
through us.
The very first day of April was the Palm
Sunday. In all our village churches and in
three centres it was celebrated very well.
We had a procession holding palm leaves in
our hands and singing songs. Dr. Jay gave a
meaningful message at that time. A team of
five members from OM conducted prayer
meeting on that day at Eden Garden. On the
same day evening our 5 German friends headed
by Mr.&Mrs. Mike and Sabine Ziesecke arrived
at the House of Peace. Their visit was a
great encouragement to us.
On the second of April two girls from
Belgium came to our place. On the fifth of
April we had a function with our German
friends at Udayapatti Church. On the sixth
of April the German team left for Chennai
air-port. April 6th was Good
Friday. We had a very good service along
with the meditations on the seven sayings of
Jesus on the cross. It was a day of
repentance to many who attended the service.
On 8.04.’07 we celebrated the resurrection
of Jesus. We had a special service on that
day. A special meal with chicken was served
for all the children and staff.
On 11.4.’07 Jesus film was shown at the
Promised Land by the OM team. It was enjoyed
by all the children at the Promised Land. 10th
grade board exams came to an end on
11.04.’07. 3 boys (Periasamy, Suresh and
Prakash) from Eden Garden joined O.M team
for one month during their summer vacation.
Annual Day was celebrated at St. Neva Miller
Matriculation School on 13.04.’07 in a grand
manner. Many parents and the neighbours also
were the audience.
April 14th was the Tamil New Year
for us. During this month we had to prepare
for the next academic year for all our
schools and orphanage and Timothy Training
School. On 29th of April one of
our Dutch Sponsors (a wonderful sister in
the Lord) Mrs. Tineke Nieuwkerk, went to be
with the Lord. We were very sad on her death
and prayed much for her beloved husband and
children.
All our hostel children had finished their
annual exams in the third week of April and
some of them went home for the summer
holidays. Special food was given to all the
children during their vacation. We are so
thankful to every sponsor for his/her
support and prayer for our Mission. May the
dear Lord bless you abundantly!
“The
Lord will bless His people with peace.”
Psalm 29:11b
We
are so grateful to the Lord for
His grace upon us during March
’07. On the very first day of
this month XII Standard (12th
grade senior) exams started, 20
children wrote the exam. This
exam came to an end on
20.03.’07. Please pray for their
good results.
X Standard (10th grade) exams
started on 21.03.’07. 104
children (37 from Salem Centre,
8 from Eden Garden and 59 from
Promised Land) are writing the
exam. From St. Basil
Matriculation School 5 boys are
writing the exams; for the first
time we send them for these
board exams. Please pray for
their good results. For all the
other children Annual exams have
been conducted from the 3rd
week of March’07. For
kindergarden classes the school
was over and summer vacation
started from 31.03.’07.
Every Friday evening we had
special church service on the
sufferings and crucifixion of
Christ, our Saviour. Geraldine,
the girl from Belgium went back
home on 16.03.’07. She did some
voluntary work at the Promised
Land. During March the heat was
so high. Our children were given
bananas and butter milk every
day. On 30th night
two of our staff members went to
Madras to receive our German
friends as 31.03.’07 was a bandh
day for the whole of Tamilnadu.
We thanked the Lord for our
daughter Neva who got passed
with first class marks and now
she is in III MBBS (third year
medical school). Please pray for
her health and studies. All the
children are working hard for
their annual exams. This month
too we had no youth meeting due
to annual exams. Building work
was going on slowly throughout
this month at the Promised Land.
At all the village churches too
the pastors and the congregation
had meditations on the
crucifixion of Christ.
Baby, one of our hostel students
is doing her I B.A (bachelors).
She lost her father on 15.03.’07
in her village. Her father was
bitten by a snake while he was
cutting the grass. Immediately
he was taken to the hospital.
Inspite of much treatment he
died. Please pray for this girl
who is blind. Her mother is
satisfied as she is at the ICMC
orphanage. Her family is also in
need of your valuable prayers.
Now she is attending her college
staying with us.
We thank
all our dear sponsors and prayer
partners for their valuable
contribution for our children.
Yours in Him,
Mrs. J. Christy
Secretary
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You can give to
LAND, AGRICULTURE, HEALTH and CHILDCARE, CHURCH PLANTING
TRAINING, and EDUCATION:
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