ICCM Christmas Giving Guide 2018-2019

2018-2019 ICCM Christmas Giving Guide

by Blog

It’s our honor at ICCM to participate in God’s liberating work among His beloved poor and those sometimes referred to as His “cherished missing.” Our focus is on impoverished children.

Some of these children risk being trafficked and literally imprisoned. Our words and actions can protect them from exploitation.

Many children born into poverty have never known anything but oppression. They have no hope of an education, no sense of their own infinite worth, no idea that God could look on them with favor. These children are blind to their own value. When the good news comes with loving actions, it brings sight — their lives are brought into broad daylight, their eyes seeing new possibilities.

The Giving Guide is filled with ways for you to expand ICCM’s positive impact on children. We hope the pictures and projects will capture your imagination, giving new sight to your eyes. Maybe you’ll envision your contribution alleviating children’s medical needs, blessing them with farm animals, preventing trafficking or improving the hostel where they live. Whatever you can give will proclaim good news in all its beautiful and practical expressions.

Click here to view the guide.

 

 

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The Power of Sponsorship

by BlogCreative Access

I’m embarrassed it took so long to say yes. I knew about ICCM child sponsorship for years. I trusted their leadership. I was excited about their vision. I even recommended their work to many. But, I had never said yes to sponsoring a child myself.

Part of the dilemma was choosing a child. How could I possibly select one of the beautiful faces over any of the others? Should I pick a certain gender? Would an older or younger child most benefit? How would I ever narrow down my choices to a continent, nonetheless an individual country? Unanswered questions postponed my decision. My good intentions and God’s nudges were waylaid by indecision and busyness.

Soon, I promised myself. But “soon” never came. Until it finally did. With an upcoming trip to a Creative Access Country, it was time. I knew which country, and would simply select any available, waiting child. I hoped I would actually meet my child while in the country.

Even before traveling to my sponsored child’s country, holding his bio and intake picture made God’s world smaller and more personal. Here was an individual child and family I could pray for by name. I could locate where they lived on a map. I could hang his picture on my refrigerator. A 6-year-old boy in a foreign land was now part of our family.

Once in country I did have the chance to meet him. Photographs tell the story of how his smile and laughter quickly spanned the cultural and language divide. I wondered why it had taken so long to say yes to sponsorship. I wondered how enthusiastically I could encourage others to also say yes. The retired empty nesters in my church. Our passionate youth who long to make a difference. Our children’s ministry that ministers to neighborhood children whose own difficult circumstances would find resonance with their brothers and sisters across the ocean.

One simple yes. One child across the ocean. Many lives changed. That’s the power of child sponsorship.

 

written by Pastor Kristen Bennett Marble

October Receipts

by Blog

We apologize that in the transition to our new database, the mailing of October receipts has been delayed. They will be sent very soon. You don’t need to wait for your receipt before you mail your November check. Just include your sponsor number on the check and mail it to:

International Child Care Ministries
770 N. High School Road
Indianapolis, IN 46214

If you are sending something other than your regular sponsorship donation, please enclose directions for those extra funds. Thank you so much for your patience while we fine tune our new database.

 

— ICCM Staff

How I was Impacted by ICCM Sponsorship

by AfricaBlogRwanda

Alice Bland is one of the people who influenced my life. She made an incredible investment in my childhood through ICCM sponsorship. I am who I am today or will be in the future because of sponsorship.

How splendid to have received my sponsor’s first photo together with her husband Charles! Our relationship was founded on encouraging words and praying for one another.

In this photo I am holding the rabbit we purchased with a gift of money she sent. This photo of my family includes my father, Elie, my mother, Therese and my siblings, Bernardin and Alvera.

I remember how Alice was saddened by the death of my brother. Later we, as a family, mourned hearing in her letter of family deaths. I treasure these letters and photos received from Alice. My dad kept them safe and transferred them to me after my wedding. I, too, will transfer them with clear explanations to my children as a precious inheritance. May our Lord’s blessings be upon the next generations of Alice Blands who are influencing children and changing the world through sponsorship.

P.S. This would be a great time to take a few minutes and write to your sponsored child. They prize a letter or photo from their sponsor! Enclose a letter with your next check or click here to write your child  through the website. Thank you!

Brazil News and Events

by AmericasBlogBrazil

In late October the government inspectors visited our school in Monte Santo, Bahia, Brazil. One of them is holding the more than 300 pages of documents required to make the final application.

The inspectors were satisfied that the documentation can now be submitted to the State government.  It may then be approved, or there may be physical modifications to the school or other changes required before they can begin offering 10th grade. So far as we know, 10th grade in February is still a possibility. It is urgently needed. It’s still difficult and relatively rare for children in in the Monte Santo area to complete high school. Pray for this process to be accomplished to God’s glory and for the benefit of the children.

 

 

Neddy and Friends -350 CP

Visiting Ethiopia

by AfricaBlogEthiopia

“Thank you” in Amharic is “Ameseginalew” something I learned on my visit to two schools (Jimma and Beta Genet) in Ethiopia this October. These schools are bringing change to their communities. The parents want their children enrolled in our ICCM schools because they provide quality affordable education. Also, they teach good values and uphold discipline for both the teachers and the students.

 

Mengistu, our Ethiopia ICCM National Coordinator, works hard. He travels extensively to each one of our five ICCM schools to make sure all is well.

He loves the children.

 

A visit to Jimma School will give you hope. The children are clean and happy. Before class they gather together for instructions and announcements. They love to be in their school. ICCM sponsorship makes a significant difference.

 

Vickie Reynen, ICCM Africa Regional Coordinator, has worked with ICCM Ethiopia for several years. When she visits Jimma School the students and the teachers are elated. She inspires them all to keep working hard and trust God for great things for the school.

 

These Jimma kindergartens have warm, magnetic hearts; they will attract your smile. The teachers are dedicated to their calling – to teach, care and love these youngsters.

 

A visit to Bita Genet School is memorable. This school is a light to the community. Many parents are constantly seeking places for their children. The children here glow with happiness. ICCM makes this happen through sponsorship. 

 

These three girls at Bita Genet School listen with gladness to their teacher. See their eyes! They are eager and happy to learn. In this social studies class they are learning about the world.

There is a water well at Bita Genet School. ICCM in partnership with Come Unity made this happen. Now they have plenty of water.

 

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Warm Heart of Africa – Malawi

by AfricaBlogMalawi

In southeastern Africa where three major countries meet, there is a long, thin, landlocked country affectionately referred to as “The Warm Heart of Africa”. The country is Malawi – and they’ve earned that name because Malawians are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

If you are ever privileged to meet Rev. Annie Mdazyola, you will agree. Rev. Annie is the ICCM National Coordinator in Malawi, who is currently providing compassionate oversight for the children benefitting from sponsorship and scholarship.

Initially, ICCM Malawi sponsorship focused on assisting the children of pastors. We continue to do this for 40 pastors. However, in the last several years, we have slowly and steadily expanded the reach of ICCM to include several initiatives, including sponsoring orphans, reintroducing animal projects, and helping local churches strengthen their community preschool programs.

Rev. Annie is in regular communication with the superintendents of the three Free Methodist Church (FMC) conferences in Malawi, working with them to identify effective ways of meeting the needs of our own FMC children and reaching out into the community. In the past year, ICCM has partnered with the church to provide over 30 goats to needy families as a way of supplementing their diets with milk as well as supplying manure for their gardens.

This year we will begin providing goats to FMC nursery schools that are meeting a vital need for early childhood education and evangelism in surrounding communities. The Mwayiwathu Study Center and Nursery School are located along the Malawi and Mozambique border. It is being supervised by the Malawi FMC’s own cross-cultural missionary.

Malawians face many challenges on a daily basis, one of the most critical being that of access to food. Malawi often seems to be caught between either flooding or drought, both resulting in crippling food shortages. ICCM, partnering with the Board of Bishops, has been able to provide relief food supplies for our sponsored families, helping them to manage through the most difficult times.