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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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200
New Sponsors from Central Christian
Praise
God for a wave of new sponsors from Central Christian Church in
Nevada! Welcome to our ICMC family. We appreciate
your patience in processing your child profile. It was a
challenge to move from a manual system to our online database,
processing so many at once, while weathering a serious illness
by Mrs Christy (Dr Jay's wife who handles the sponsorships).
The Tamil Nadu region and Salem were also hit by a devastating
floods, closing roads and shutting down schools. Our Central
Christian friends bring us to about 700 sponsors from the United
States, up from 3 sponsors five short years ago.
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www.icmcindia.org a
NEW LOOK
Take a look at our updated
website at www.icmcindia.org
You can now make donations online. New sponsors can see
their child's photo and send an email to your child.
Existing sponsors will be online early next year. We have
900 updated, close-up photos that were just taken. You'll
be able to see them soon!
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Christmas Cards and Gifts from You
A Christmas card with a photo of you or your family or snow is a
most treasured item. The children tuck it away in their little
trunks after showing it around to all their friends. We can't
send actual gifts to India because items are often stolen in the
mail, customs have to be paid to receive the gift, and it's
disappointing for all the other children. We encourage you
to send extra money designated for "Christmas" and it will go
towards new clothes and a wonderful celebration time for all the
children. You can donate funds online at
www.icmcindia.org and you
can send letters and photos directly to India.
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Christmas at
the Promised Land
 Every year, the
children receive two new outfits of clothing for the
year as their Christmas present. Last year,
our US team celebrated a belated Christmas with
them. It took five hours to bus all 1,500
children to the Promised Land. The girls spent
the day braiding their hair, drawing designs on
their hands with henna corn,
 and skipping around in
their new dresses. It had been a year
since they received new clothes. They lined up
for a special meal of Chicken Briayani and then spent the evening performing their
traditional and modern dances. Festive lights
hung from the balconies, the scars of poverty and
abuse from a life past, forgotten for just a moment.
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Dr. Jay's Story
 In
a moving narrative, Dr Jay shares how he came from being an
orphan in a remote village to running the second largest
orphanage in India. Visit
www.icmcindia.org/founder.htm
Left to right: Mrs Christy, David, Dr Jay, Bright, Neva
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Floods
Close Roads, Many Homeless
  From
Dr Jay and Mrs Christy: "Today all of the schools and
colleges are closed in Tamilnadu due to heavy rain and flood and
wind. Too much rain is here to destroy even the paddy
(rice) fields. It rains day and night but thank God
children are doing well...
It breaks our hearts to see the
sufferings of our fellow man. Please pray for our state,
Tamilnadu. The road to Promised Land was closed for three
days (where 1,000 orphans live). By His grace we are safe.
Thank you very much for your prayers....
Due
to heavy rain in Madras, 3,00,000 people lost their homes in
Tamilnadu. Many died in Tamilnadu. Again there is
much flood in Chennai and other five districts of Tamilnadu.
All of Chennai (Madras) is under water. Salem has much
flooding."
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40
Acres of Rice Paddies Cultivated
 From
Dr Jay, "Look at the rice field. Since 10 years we never
had such a good rain. We are digging four wells since
three years. Now our wells are full with water.
Praise God for this. Please see the new dam. We are
breaking the stones and making it. When dam is completed,
we can fill the water from country river. Once the
 dam
is full, the water level in the well will not go down....
We have already cultivated rice
20 acres. By completing this dam, we can make another 20
acres of paddy fields. We are going to keep fish inside
the dam. We will get the baby fish from Mettur dam and
grow in our dam. Wastage
of the chickens from the Poultry Farm (1,000 chickens) can be
used for fish".
Warren
Hall Crain, a Seattle rotarian visiting ICMC right now wrote, "We
were (at the new land) a couple of days ago just as the day was
ending, standing by Jay's new dam. The view (360 degrees) from
there answers a question I put to Jay some time ago. Why did you
name this The Promised Land?".
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Teacher Training Institute Opened
 From Dr Jay:
"Thank God, we got NCTE permission to run the St. Grace Lilian
Teacher Training Institute (one year program) at the Promised
Land. After so many years of hardship, we got the
permanent number. They permitted 50 seats (25 seats for
us, 25 seats for Tamilnadu government). Please pray for St
Grace Lilian College of Education (Two-year B.Ed college).
The Tamilnadu state inspection is over but NCTE team is yet to
come. We will work until we get it."
The Institute and College do
several things: create income from government and paying
students, create openings for ICMC orphans who do well
academically to be trained as teachers, and brings in educated
professors whose job descriptions will also include helping the
children at the Promised Land.
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Short
Term Teams Plan Trips
Dec 7 - 13:
Warren Hall Crain is taking
updated, closeup photos of all 1500 children for the online
child database right now. We hope to have all existing
sponsors online and linked by Feb.
Jan 10 - March 31:
Brenden Hollingsworth, Sarah Zook, and Colleen Hosey will live
with the children teaching English, teaching Creation to the
Cross classes to the caretakers and teens, completing the
sponsorship database, and laying a foundation for a future two
to five year team to work alongside Dr Jay. Contact
Brenden at
bhollingsworth@icmcindia.org
Jan 9 - 21: Busso and Janette Lemme take a team of family and fellow
rotarians to spend time visiting their sponsored children and
touring India.
Jan 20 - Feb 1:
Jeanne Zahn takes a focused team
to work in
 the office and lay
grounds for US support of the Timothy School and ICMC national
missionaries, bringing along a pastor to teach in the Timothy School, a nurse
to work in the clinic, and a psychologist to counsel some of the
children and survey for future work in the this area. Contact Jeanne at
jzahn@icmcindia.org
June 2005:
John Jackson plans to lead a team for church leaders interested
in partnering with ICMC. Contact John at
jjackson@icmcindia.org
July 2006:
Mike Webster plans to lead a team of medical and dental
professionals for a one to two month work at the Promised Land,
possibly in conjunction with a grant from the University of
Mississippi. Contact Mike at
mwebster@icmcindia.org
June 2006 for two
to five years: Brenden
Hollingsworth
 is recruiting for a short/long term team to invest
in ICMC and the children. Looking for humble, willing, and
able men, women and families. You will work alongside Dr
Jay and the national staff with the goal of mutual learning and
leaving it ultimately in their able hands. All areas
require creativity, leadership skills, and business acumen in
the particular field.
Examples include . . .
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Develop Vocational Training
Institute for the teens to learn a trade - there is an empty
building on a piece of land on the main road ready to go!
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Teach English as a second
language in their three schools.
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Develop an Art and Music
therapy school as part of the Tamil curriculum.
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Develop a Physical Education
and extracurricular sports program.
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Medical professionals, such
as nurses, will always find much to do.
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Develop the Timothy School to
the next level. Create library, mentor teachers, work
alongside current Director, live with the students, develop
curriculum.
Contact
Brenden at
bhollingsworth@icmcindia.org
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Christmas Message
from Dr Jay
“Here is a trust worthy saying that deserves full
acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners” 1 Tim 1:15
Christmas
always brings salvation, peace, hope, joy and good will to
the world. Millions are born and die every day but the birth
of Jesus Christ is always distinctive and incomparable. It
has a special purpose and meaning in human history. “Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men” (Luke 2:14)This was the Happy Birthday song of the
angels to Jesus...
...click here for more...
...ICMC family, Children at Salem, Eden – Garden and
Promised Land Wish
you a Merry
Christmas and Blessed New Year 2006. May God bless you
richly and use you mightily!
Yours in His Holy Service,
Rev. Dr. S. Jayaraj Krishnan
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You can set up
automatic payments online now! Go to
www.icmcindia.org and click on MAKE A DONATION.
You will use a secure account to debit your credit
card with a one-time or re-occuring payment.
You can
also use your online banking to have your bank debit your
bank account each month. Visit the website for your
personal bank and add ICMC as a Payee.
NOTE to
existing sponsors: You won't see your children
linked to you yet, so don't try to create a new account.
Please email
jzahn@icmcindia.org to get
your password. We
have you linked to your child in ICMC's manual system.
We plan to have all sponsors online and linked by Feb 2006.
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Your Reminder Band
 You
are now a marketing representative for the children at ICMC!
Let us know if you would like a "Live Strong" wristband that
says "Promised Land Children" and "www.icmcindia.org".
Send $3 extra in your monthly sponsorship and a note and
we'll mail it to you.
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Surrey
Garden Christian School Kids do the Dollar Dare
We gave students in Arizona each
a one dollar bill and asked them to creatively multiply it to
buy new clothes for the orphans for Christmas. "And the
man who had been given five talents, doubled what his master had
given him...and the master said, well done, my good and faithful
servant". The first child sold hot chocolate to his
neighbors and made $6. About 30 children and $30 have
turned into almost $1,300.00! One
student sold doggie bones at a dog park. Several wrote
plays and performed them for neighbors and friends. One
child did a gift-wrapping service, which in turn, created
outreach opportunities for his parents. Others sold
snowflakes, Christmas cards, and hot chocolate! Creativity,
initiative, a little passion, and a buck make a strong
combination.
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What's
Happening for ICMC in the USA
December at Spring
of Life Christian Church in Mesa, AZ:
Take a tag from the Christmas tree in the foyer. We'll
send the funds over to ICMC to buy new clothes for the orphans
without sponsors for their Christmas gift.
June and July,
2006: Brenden Hollingsworth
is available for speaking engagements at churches, small groups,
and home dinners as he recruits for a long-term team to go to
ICMC and shares the vision of ICMC with your friends and groups.
Contact
Brenden at
bhollingsworth@icmcindia.org
If you have an
event or trip to post for your state, church, school, or
organization, please contact Jeanne at
jzahn@icmcindia.org
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What
do you Think?
Do you like this new format
of getting information from ICMC? We plan on sending
it out via email once a month, mid-month. Let us know
your thoughts, ideas and suggestions, or problems viewing at
jzahn@icmcindia.org
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Addresses
For sponsorships:
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 .80
in stamps and write "airmail" on the envelope.
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