WITH COMMUNITY N OVEMBER /D ECEMBER 2011 I N TOUCH When God Moves… -Bruce and Joanne Deckinga Prior to the 1980’s, most adoptions were “closed” which meant no identifying information was provided to either the birth family or the adoptive family. Private adoptions were illegal in Michigan at that time so all adoptions were facilitated by an adoption agency. We had discussed adoption during the mid to late 1970’s. In 1979 when we moved to Petoskey, we began the adop- tion process in earnest. By this time, we were over 35 years old. We also had two biological chil- dren. Those two facts selected us out for several agencies. However, one agency proceeded with a home study. A home study involved 40 hours of interviews either at the agency or in our home, along with countless forms and paperwork. During this time ‘our’ agency was at the forefront of the national open adoption movement; they were making many placements during those years. Thus they would take us on as older parents. Ironically though, both of our adoptions were characteristic of closed placements. We teased the agency staff that they kept us around for doing things the old- fashioned way. Approximately one year after the conclusion of our home study, we received a phone call asking us to “pick up a baby tomorrow.” We had no more notice than that. The rest is history. The next day Joanne accompanied an adoption counselor from another branch of the agency on a 5 hour trip to Southfield, Michigan. That was the “coming home day” – in adoption lingo - of our beautiful 3 day old daughter Andrea Sue, who will be 29 years old in December. Twenty-two months later another telephone call came, again, “can you come tomorrow?” and we brought home another beautiful daughter – 4 day old Jodi Beth. We celebrated her 27 th birthday on October 18. Why adopt? We both love kids; it’s probably as simple as that. We both grew up at the older end of families with six children. Our whole lives were filled with kids. Jeff and Amy were 12 years old and 11 years old at the time and when they asked why, we said, “God has given us so much love for each other that we thought we could share that love with others who need it.” They came on-board with the plan and have been wonderful older siblings. When we were in our late 30’s and adopting babies, some of our friends were puzzled, to be sure. But all were supportive, loving and helpful. I’ll always remember (Continued on Page 2) Theme: Stepping out of your comfort zone into someone else’s life — Isaiah 58
Transcript
WITH COMMUNITY
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
2011
IN TOUCH
When God Moves… -Bruce and Joanne Deckinga
Prior to the 1980’s, most adoptions were “closed” which meant no identifying information was provided to either the birth family or the adoptive family. Private adoptions were illegal in Michigan at that time so all adoptions were facilitated by an adoption agency. We had discussed adoption during the mid to late 1970’s. In 1979 when we moved to Petoskey, we began the adop-tion process in earnest. By this time, we were over 35 years old. We also had two biological chil-dren. Those two facts selected us out for several agencies. However, one agency proceeded with a home study. A home study involved 40 hours of interviews either at the agency or in our home, along with countless forms and paperwork. During this time ‘our’ agency was at the forefront of the national open adoption movement; they were making many placements during those years. Thus they would take us on as older parents. Ironically though, both of our adoptions were characteristic of closed placements. We teased the agency staff that they kept us around for doing things the old-fashioned way. Approximately one year after the conclusion of our home study, we received a phone call asking us to “pick up a baby tomorrow.” We had no more notice than that. The rest is history. The next day Joanne accompanied an adoption counselor from another branch of the agency on a 5 hour trip to Southfield, Michigan. That was the “coming home day” – in adoption lingo - of our beautiful 3 day old daughter Andrea Sue, who will be 29 years old in December. Twenty-two months later another telephone call came, again, “can you come tomorrow?” and we brought home another beautiful daughter – 4 day old Jodi Beth. We celebrated her 27th birthday on October 18.
Why adopt? We both love kids; it’s probably as simple as that. We both grew up at the older end of families with six children. Our whole lives were filled with kids. Jeff and Amy were 12 years old and 11 years old at the time and when they asked why, we said, “God has given us so much love for each other that we thought we could share that love with others who need it.” They came on-board with the plan and have been wonderful older siblings. When we were in our late 30’s and adopting babies, some of our friends were puzzled, to be sure. But all were supportive, loving and helpful. I’ll always remember
(Continued on Page 2)
Theme: Stepping out of your comfort zone into someone else’s life —
Isaiah 58
PAGE 2 IN TOUCH
When God Moves… (Continued from page 1)
someone saying that these little babies were so cute, but they do turn into teenage girls someday!☺ On a more serious note, we always felt that God had given us resources for the purpose of sharing them with those in need. When the word came to us that a baby needed a home…when her teen mom could not raise her, we were moved by God to provide her with a forever family.
When God moves in our lives, he makes no promises that if we follow his leading, every-thing will be easy and smooth-sailing. What He does promise is that He will be with us – truly with us…Emmanuel. And He has been with us every step of the way. Eventually, along with our adopted daughters, we all met their birth-parents. But that is another story. The Lord had more lessons to teach us about opening our arms wider to them and their families. Those experiences have been full of ups and downs but through it all, we are the girls’ forever family!
Consistory Corner
� The consistory has approved the hire of Gail Cherry for Children’s Minister. They also approved an increase of hours from 15 to 20 for this position. Please be in prayer for Gail.
� The consistory is working on the 2012 budget. Please be in prayer as they discern God’s plan. � Ron Cox has decided to resign from consistory for personal reasons. If you have questions,
please contact Ron.
Announcements
� Ona Miller has developed a new “Meals Ministry.” If you love to help others and you love to cook then this ministry is for you. Sign up at the information center to be part of this exciting new outreach ministry.
� The Community Food Pantry is in need of donations. Donation suggestions for No-vember include soup, peanut butter, canned tuna, and powdered milk. If you prefer, checks can be written to the Community Food Pantry and are a great blessing.
� Please join us on Wednesday evening for our Family Night programs. Dinner is at 5:30pm, children and youth classes (4 years—Senior High) at 6:00pm, and our Adult Education classes begin at 6:15pm.
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WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR ADOPTION? -Sandy Malewitz
What is God’s purpose for adoption? We may tend to think that it is a pure, altruistic act because we know we are to care for orphans. It seems to be a Godly thing to do, but we may reduce it to a simplistic concept. I believe that God usually has bigger plans than we do and uses all situations for good. That is my story.
Our adoption started innocently. I remember very clearly saying to God, naively, “Okay, I am ready to do anything for you,” and God decided to use this open door for His purposes. The very next morning, I got a phone call from Social Services. They had a two-year-old boy that needed a home immediately. Would we be willing to take him into our home? After a few family discussions, we went back to Social Services with a “yes.”
I was thinking, again naively, this wouldn’t be too hard for me to pull off. I considered my-self to be a pretty good mother with enough love and wisdom to take in a little one. It is a good thing that all God wants is a child-like faith because that is probably the only thing I had going for me. So, we welcomed Aaron into our home with open, loving arms. As our other children were seven and twelve-years-old, I had lots of time to devote to a little one with a difficult start in life. He needed lots of love shown to him. I rocked him and sang to him, allowing him to get some of the nurturing he may have missed along the way. We were off to a fairly good start!
By the time Aaron was four, we realized he was not progressing normally, so we decided to have him undergo some testing to check for any problems. We were referred to a wonderful psy-chologist who specialized in children with various development problems. The diagnosis wasn’t good. Neither was the prognosis. Wow—how could I live with the future that was predicted for this child??? Doubts and fears crept in over time. We did our very best to help him overcome his obsta-cles, always believing the best for the situation. The real obstacle was that I was a problem solver and I couldn’t fix this problem. There were always going to be issues related to parenting this child. Over time, I realized the reality of the situation. My heart grew heavy and great depression set in. There seemed to be no hope. I couldn’t live with a child that exhibited these odd behaviors. I gave up on God completely.
But God did not give up on us. God had good plans all along for Aaron and our family, but I
didn’t trust Him enough. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you—plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Aaron, almost twenty-one-years-old now, is doing really well. He has been given so many opportuni-ties to help him live a normal life—he graduated from high school and has worked two jobs with great results. It’s not perfect but that’s okay with us. God knows.
As for Jim and I, we have experienced the complexities of orphan care. We have gained a better understanding of the importance of God’s command to take care of the fatherless and poor. We are listening harder to be able to know how to continue in this work of ministering to orphans.
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Take Responsibility -Chip Sauer One of the sad trends taking place in our world today is an unwillingness to take responsibility. In essence, we say to ourselves, “It’s not my fault” AND “There is nothing I can do to change things.” Both of these statements come out of a place in us that says, “If I can say to myself that I’m not to blame and I don’t have the ability to do anything about it, well then, it’s appropriate to embrace the role of victim (“I’m helpless”) or find a villain” (“It’s his/her/their fault.”) Both of these perspectives alleviate us from taking responsibility. Both are a form of self-deception and self-protection. Both lead us to blame, judge, criticize, divide, become cynical and resigned, and don’t do anything to help. Both contradict the call God has given to us to redeem creation, to invite the kingdom of God in all areas of our lives and world. Let me say this a different way. You and I have responsibility for the way the world is. We have responsibility for the way our families are. We have responsibility for the state of our community, our teenagers, our government, the drug problems, etc. Name any issue that exists within our cur-rent lives and you and I have responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ to DO something about them. We have responsibility, including often our need to repent (for our desire to blame and complain but not to act), and to embrace the role that God has for us to DO something about them. For example, many are against abortion. I believe God is against abortion, but we need to do so much more than simply vote. We need to act to help those moms (many of them just teenagers) deal with all the responsibilities that come with bearing a child and raising a child. We need to help teen Moms and their babies and not simply vote against abortion. We need to ACT far beyond a vote. We can’t change every issue and every person, but we can make a difference in the lives of some. But it starts with our willingness to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. We firmly believe in a God who de-sires that families are healthy and growing, that drugs should not destroy the lives of people, that the government can and should exist to serve its people, that abortion is not God’s will, that people shouldn’t starve to death or die of treatable diseases. We believe in the God who cares for orphans, the lonely, the oppressed, the lost, the hungry, the sick, the people in prison/jail, the abused, the diseased, the handicapped, etc. He didn’t send us here to feel sorry for people and complain about their issues, He sent us here to DO SOMETHING that helps them know their loved, helps to allevi-ate their suffering, helps them to not feel alone as they walk through this life and these challenges. Some of you are being called to love pregnant teenagers, to know them by name, to step in and help them walk through this time in their lives. Some of you are being called to care for children through foster care or adoption. Some of you are being called to help transform our government. Some of you are being called to care for those who are sick or in prison. Some of you are being called to love those who are homeless or oppressed or abused or lonely or neglected. All of us are being called to (Continued on page 5)
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Take Responsibility (Continued from page 4) give up some of our comforts and conveniences to live into our callings. All of us are being called to seek after God for direction and courage to know what He is asking us to do and to do it. All of us are being called to love those who wonder if they are loved, to serve those who are the least of these, to encourage those who are discouraged, and to listen to those who feel alone. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. DENY YOURSELF. REPENT. AND AS THE SPIRIT LEADS, DO SOMETHING.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep
warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no
works, is dead.
James 2:14-17
RCW Corner The Fall Fiesta of Giving Auction on October 1, 2011 truly was all about giving. Through the gen-erous donations of gifts, countless hours of time, and the many people who came and enjoyed, the event was deemed a complete success. This event was a true testament to a community coming together for our neighbors who are in need.
Reformed Church of Women’s next event is the Christmas Luncheon. This event will be hosted by the Charlevoix Country Club on Saturday December 3, 2011 from 12:00 to 1:30pm. Cost for the lunch (including tip) is $15.00. Please submit en-trée selection and payment to the RCW Christmas Party box located on the information desk at CRC by Sunday, November 27, 2011.
The organizers of this event share their thoughts: "Come learn more about the RCW and how we help families in need, especially at this very important time of the year. The lunch is also a great opportunity to connect with other women from CRC and to enjoy a delicious meal that you don't have to prepare!" Please call Melanie Meengs at 348-3765 or Helen Meengs at 347-1165 with any questions.
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GAIL CHERRY--NEW CHILDREN'S MINISTRY DIRECTOR
Briefly describe your family: parents, husband, and children.
Bob and Mazie Potter are the bedrock support for my loving and extended family. They patiently raised six daughters at Community Reformed Church, including me, Judy Boss, Christie Vogelheim, Susie Miller, Paula Strange, and Amy Kovach. It’s a treat to hear the “she’s your sister?!” remarks within the church as we learn more about each other. Eric Cherry is my everlovin’ husband who keeps life hopping with his many activities and inter-ests including managing Timber Ridge Ranch, a corporate and family retreat complex, supplemented with his music and ministry endeavors. Our children include Michael and his wife Andrea who live in the area. Michael is a pilot for NetJets and Andrea is a social worker for NMR Hospital. Our daughter, Emily, lives in Lancaster, PA and is a stage manager for Sight and Sound Theatre. We look forward to her wedding next summer to Matthew Wilkinson. Frankly, Eric and I think they’re all incredibly wonderful and generous individuals. They keep us laughing and we are grateful.
What are your hobbies and interests?
While this may sound like an ad for eHarmony, my spirit soars while taking long walks on the beach or conversing with friends. Reading books, especially nonfiction or historical fiction, is relaxing. I’m slightly addicted to HGTV. Pursuits vary wildly – this past summer found me labeling trees for a nature trail, traveling, upgrading flower beds, hiking and some free-lance writing. Curiosity gets me into dilemmas but learning helps me thrive.
Tell about your educational background: high school, college
As a graduate of Charlevoix High School, I bleed Rayder maroon but have a rainbow of colors on the pal-ette. College included a B.S. degree in medical technology from LSSU, higher-ed accreditation from the Univer-sity of Wisconsin, graduate certification in Educational Technology from MSU, plus undergrad and graduate courses from Ferris, Wayne State and CMU in education and career counseling. Several courses from the Biblical Counseling Foundation are instrumental in undergirding my perspectives.
Highlight your career. Include places you have lived and your husband’s career as it has impacted yours.
As a medical technologist for many years at Northern Michigan Hospital, I worked in all areas of the laboratory but spent the later years in microbiology. Eric and I led a Campus Life club in Petoskey during this time and he traveled extensively as a musician for Christian camps and conferences. Ask him how many times he’s been to Disney World! Eric held the position of youth pastor at Stutsmanville Chapel for a few years and we have won-derful memories of trips with teens, hundreds of games of trashketball, Journey to Bethlehem outreach, and in-credible people. When Eric was offered a youth pastor position in Wisconsin, we moved there and our lives were full with family, children, youth and adult ministries and missions, plus I oversaw the children’s programming for
(Continued on page 10)
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• CONGRATULATIONS AND BLESSINGS TO: John and Dianne Cool-man on the birth of their granddaughter, Olivia Marie, on September 20th. Olivia’s parents are Brian and Stephanie Coolman; proud great-grandmother is Evelyn Auffant.
• SYMPATHY AND PRAYERS TO: Donna Yankoviak and family on the passing of Donna’s father, John Kulpa.
• WELCOME NEW MEMBERS: Chris Maki, Damaris Blatt, Ron and Jan VandenBrink, and Tim and Patti McCreadie. (Interviews to further introduce
these new members will appear in the next newsletter.)
DOWN FROM HIS GLORY
The Love Story of Christmas
Most of the civilized world can tell you who was born in a manger the first Christmas. They know where the babe was born and they know when it took place. Although billions of people know who, when, where and what took place, the vast majority of them still miss the meaning of Christmas.
The real story of Christmas is. . . why He came. Why did God leave His throne in Heaven and come
to earth? Why did He become one of us? When we understand why He came, we realize the Christ-
mas story is the greatest love story of all time. It is with this driving theme that we, once again, ap-
proach the most amazing and miraculous, yet simple moment in history . . . the birth our Savior.
Down from His Glory, a 2011 musical, will be presented at Community Reformed Church on Satur-
day, December 10 at 6 pm and again on Sunday, December 11 at 6 pm. The 50 member
chorus is from area churches and has been rehearsing since October 2nd. Cindy Mansen is choral direc-
tor and Theda Williams accompanies the chorus and rehearses with the instrumentalists.
This is an exciting and powerful Christmas musical to listen to, but also can be a tool to use to share the
story of Christmas. Invite your friends to come and enjoy this community event. May the thought
that God came Down from His Glory fill our hearts with wonder, amazement and awe.
-Submitted by Sally Bales
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5th Annual
Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Noon – 3pm
This year’s location:
First Baptist Church
6781 M-66N
ALL ARE WELCOME
(meal provided at no charge)
Sponsored by the Charlevoix Ministerial Association
To help with dinner, call Joy at 547-4813
To arrange a ride, call Gay at 547-1344
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PARENT-TO-PARENT CORNER
Are you looking for some creative ways to celebrate the holidays? Here are some ideas that I have gath-ered from friends. Maybe they will get you thinking about ways you can be intentional in teaching your children about God’s character during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Thanksgiving
⇒ Buy a plain white Thanksgiving tablecloth. Use permanent markers on it and every person present at Thanksgiving dinner that year writes something he is thankful for and then his name and year. It's really fun to look back on past years (make sure the colors don't bleed through).
⇒ Have your family join in on the making of a turkey out of construction paper. Cut out large, colorful feathers. Write things that you are thankful for on the feathers.
Advent/Christmas
⇒ Learn a couple of Christmas hymns (all the verses) starting in November, adding a verse a week. ⇒ During advent, prepare the manger for baby Jesus to arrive. Start with one basket of cut up hay and
one empty basket. Explain to the kids on the first day of advent that advent is about preparing for the coming Messiah and how your family might do that —choosing patience over frustrated words, acts of kindness or service, etc. When a child is caught being good, a parent may tell her to put a pinch of hay in the manger, but she may not point out her own goodness (humility). The goal is to reward lots of good behavior, but it’s true that not every good deed in life gets immediately re-warded. Lots of hay in the basket prepares a nice bed (and well prepared heart) to receive baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning.
⇒ Make an advent calendar for your family. Each day, there is an activity to do that involves spending time together as a family. Try to not write the activity on the calendar until the day before to in-sure that it is something that will fit into your schedule.
⇒ Bake a cake, light candles and sing "Happy Birthday, Jesus." ⇒ Buy or make one new ornament for your tree that somehow represents that year. Label each orna-
ment with the year, so you can look back and identify special family ornaments on your tree. ⇒ Listen to the Focus on the Family "You Were There" audio drama of the Christmas Story. ⇒ Before visiting family and receiving grandparent gifts, etc., remind each other that "It is more
blessed to give than to receive" and that God wants us to have a thankful heart. ⇒ Read the Christmas story from a children's Bible before opening gifts.
-Submitted by Tennille Dhaseleer
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GAIL CHERRY--NEW CHILDREN'S MINISTRY DIRECTOR (Continued from page 6)
the Saturday evening worship. In addition, I taught chemistry and biology classes for Moraine Park Technical College where I discovered what fun it is to blow stuff up!
Upon our return to Michigan, we settled in and I taught microbiology labs at NCMC, wrote for “Today’s Women” publications, and began working for Charlevoix Schools as a career coordinator. This quickly became a full-time endeavor and involved implementing career awareness and exploration activities in the elementary, middle and high schools. Eric and I continue hosting Ellsworth Campus Life in our home and we love those awesome kids and laugh at how much chocolate milk and Pizza Rolls they can consume!
This past June, I accepted early retirement from the school system and am SO excited to be offered the position overseeing the children’s ministry at CRC. I have been praying for an opportunity to be of meaningful service and what better avenue than with our precious children!
What is your vision for the position of Children’s Ministry Director at CRC? Include any personal goals.
As I research the mission statements and strategic planning decisions of those who have met and compiled the visions for CRC and the children’s ministry, my first inclination is gratefulness for the clarity of such honorable goals. I intend to listen, watch, research, and learn from parents, teachers, leaders, children, youth, and all interested parties. While we are on this mortal earth, I never expect full consensus but hope to encourage posi-tive dialogue. I genuinely respect all those who have shared their time and love for the children at CRC and look forward to working with them toward creative and meaningful educational opportunities for all types and personalities of kids. This is beginning to sound like a rah-rah success forum, but that’s not the intent! Chil-dren matter to God more than we can comprehend. Both Sunday and mid-week programs are child-centered and geared to supplement families as they model learning and service at home. As we strive to build upon this, it’s exciting to chat with others on ways to help our children recognize God’s love and grace and relate how those attributes can be applied in their own world. Service to others and awareness of the needs in the world will be one factor. Using music to instill verses to memory is another strategy. Some valid ideas are very struc-tured and sequential and others sound wackadoodle but effective. I am pumped to see where God leads us.
It has been eye-opening for me to recently join the Wednesday night meals and classes. What a spirit of car-ing! In the midst of hectic, busy home life, this church offers a haven of nurture that is so healthy for all who make the effort to join in, whether on Sundays, Wednesdays, small groups or youth groups, studies, classes, or simply with friends. What an awesome environment for our children to soak up love and learn how God uncon-ditionally loves them. The children’s ministry will continue to expand on a foundational, relational, and en-gaging curriculum in collaboration with parents. Please prayerfully consider how you and your family can join the ride. These kids are the only thing we will take to heaven with us!
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Africa has my heart. This mission’s trip was beyond anything I could have imagined. I didn't know what to expect as we went out into the communities of Swaziland. When we got to the church we were serv-ing, I saw an outpour of love and care from the lo-cals. There were hundreds of children who were ready to love, men who were ready to work, and women who were so thankful for our visit. Working with the church and being in the community was by far the most rewarding part of the trip. I've never seen so much emotion in one child's face as I looked into the eyes of the kids. Most were happy, and their
faces instantly lit up when we looked at them. Some were scared and others looked sad which made me wonder what kind of lives they have. I was truly touched by their sincerity and by the amount of love each child gave us. I will never forget this experience and pray that God will give me the oppor-tunity to go back. -Submitted by Chrystal Schemanski Continue to look for more summaries from our youth in upcoming In Touch issues...
Blue Christmas
Dealing with loss during the fun and busyness of Christmas can be a challenge. The loss can come from the death of a loved one this year or in years past, a spouse who is deployed overseas, divorce, job loss or other hardships. Finding a place to just be where you are can be difficult. Blue Christmas is designed to be that place. A place to remember, grieve and worship. Come be with others for music and sharing Thursday, December 8th at 7pm in the Servant's Quarters at Community Reformed Church for our Blue Christmas service. The Community is invited.
Local Outreach Corner
Stepping out of your comfort zone can mean so many things, and during the holiday season it is im-portant to remember those in need and "step out" and help them. Donations to local food pantries are always appreciated, bringing a warm meal to a family, or even donating a coat can make a differ-ence. Please remember those around you that may be struggling financially, emotionally or spiritu-ally, and go out of your way to make an impact.
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GIVING OPPORTUNITY: THE COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS PROJECT
• The Project is in need of 350 packages of store-bought cookies by Sunday, December 11th. Place your cookies in the box located in the entryway of the church.
• There will be a SOX BOX in which to donate socks for children of all ages, sizes infant through adult. Tube socks (S-M-L) work well for various sizes.
• If you are interested in “adopting” a child or family for whom you can purchase Christmas gifts, contact Bev Boss at 547-2078. (Small groups might consider this opportunity.)
• Mitten/Glove trees are being placed in area banks and the Credit Union.
• Toy for Tots collections are used by the Project to help provide toys for children. (This is a great opportunity for teaching kids about giving.)
• Monetary donations can be made to The Charlevoix Community Christmas Project and dropped off or mailed to Community Reformed Church, c/o John Coolman.
• Gently used coats, jackets and boots may be dropped off at the church office.
Last year the Community Christmas Project provided gifts for 450 children and their parents as well as 25 senior citizens. The Christmas Project Committee appreciates your caring, help and prayers. We pray that God will Bless this program and the people whom we serve.
The Power of A Simple Gift – Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations worldwide through simple, gift-filled shoe boxes and evangelistic materials that tell the Good News of God’s love.
� Pick up a shoe box at the OCC table and fill with small toys and other gifts.
� An instructional brochure is included to make the process easy.
� Then return your shoe box during the collection week of November 13-20.
Any questions, call Sandy Malewitz 881-4009
A simple shoe box with the lasting impact of opening hurting hearts to God’s love.
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A New Orphan Ministry!
Hope Home Imphal - Manipur, India
Hope Home Imphal is an orphanage providing care for 19 girls between the ages of 4 and 15 years of age. It is in great need as it is located in an extremely poor part of India. Many of the girls’ parents are dead or too poor to raise another child in the depressed conditions of Manipur State in north-east India. Currently, Hope Home provides only the very basics - a safe place to live and one meal per day. In the past, the girls have not been able to attend school due to a shortage of funds to send them. We are trusting God to bring in the monies needed to afford an education to provide a future for these orphans.
A little history: The Word of God for Asia has provided the minimal funding necessary for Hope Home for 12 years. This support has bridged the gap in necessary funding for operational expenses. The family that started the orphanage were originally supported by Word of God for Asia as pastors in Manipur. They left this position as they saw a desperate need for a home for abandoned girls. They wanted to build stability in each orphan’s life and provide an environment for the children to recognize who God is and to help them build a lasting relationship with God in a loving home.
Resources are extremely limited and funds cannot be collected in this very economically depressed area. We are asking you to help us continue and expand this loving care to also provide school tuition, uniforms & supplies for each girl. This complete care can be provided for just $60 per month. We are asking God to raise up sponsors for each girl. Is He speaking to you? Will you join us in this effort?
Monthly sponsorships available: Full sponsorship- $60 ½ sponsorship - $30 ¼ sponsorship - $15 Informational brochures and gift catalogs are available at the church or by request. Committee members: Ron VandenBrink, Jim & Sandy Malewitz, Judy Smith & Barb Miller
Hope Home Imphal is a ministry of:
The Word of God for Asia -Submitted by Sandy Malewitz
A Gift Catalog is also available for donations as gifts or in honor/memory of someone special.
