Indian Christian
Mission Centre

Seattle Team’s Visit to ICMC in January, 2006  By Janette Lemmé, Lake Forest Rotarian

Is love more wonderful the second time around? In regard to a second trip to ICMC, the answer is Yes! In January last year, 2005, I traveled to Salem with my son, Sterling, in a group of eight under the leadership of my husband, Busso. On first meeting, the orphans took my breath away. I bonded immediately with “our” children, the ones we support, and also the many others with whom I interacted, talked, hugged, laughed and played. Everyone was friendly, endearing and beautiful. There were pretty little shy girls. There were rowdy little boys. There were teenagers eager to practice English. There were teachers and aids, polite and helpful, as curious about us as we about them.

The operation of the mission was amazing. There were so many new faces and places, my head spun daily with the excitement of foreign experiences and the volume of new information. I was exhausted but thrilled with the knowledge that not only the money we contributed, but also our presence was a help and encouragement to some two thousand children and their care-givers.

This January, 2006, my husband stayed home to nurse an injured knee. This time with my son, Forrest (pictured left), I led a new team of eight to the Mission and wondered if, now that the newness was gone, I would see it with different eyes. Would the children be as engaging? Had the activities and projects grown and progressed? Would the kids and staff appreciate or benefit from my return?

The answer is yes! There is more to report than time and space allows. It was exciting to see the progress made in the past year. It’s exciting to envision yet more potential for the future. The new short term staff members, Brendon, Sarah and Colleen, have already made improvements. They are dedicated to helping with the website, office management, and education of children, teachers and personnel. A physician’s assistant and a nurse have been hired full time. The Timothy School and Teacher Training Institute are operating impressively. Four wells are equipped and functioning, a new one is under construction, and irrigation is bringing in more rice and other crops than ever. The bottom line is that the children and adults alike are benefiting from these improvements.

Yes, love is indeed wonderful the second time around. Tim Davis, Forrest and I, all second-timers, can testify to that. My whole team valued their experiences immensely. We plan to share with others at every opportunity. We want to explain the needs at ICMC and tell of the blessing of going there. My prayer is that many more people will want to support this mission with their contributions, and many will want to go, to help, and to spread the word. The Lord is in this place: His love is truly wonderful.