Ken — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:04:01 +0000

We recently received a note from Desire Murhima, our program administrator at the Patmos Children’s Village in the DR Congo. In it Desire told us of some exciting news from our Patmos Children’s Village. Here is what Desire had to say;

“Three weeks past, we [conducted] an evangelization campaign and we have been blessed with twenty-nine souls.

“We had fifteen [of] our children [from the] Patmos village [accept Jesus] and four new workers like our clinical doctor, our lab-medical technician and … two teachers [from] our university (UNILAI). Continue praying for God’s work on Idjwi Island.”

Some of those who were baptized following a recent evangelistic effort at ICC's Patmos Children's Village in the DR Congo

We know that you join us in celebrating the fact that these members of our ICC family have decided to become followers of Jesus.

Ken Wilson
Media Director ICC

DEWS Sweet Home Boys Prepare for Literature Evangelism

Ken — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:00:40 +0000

Lilly Kaligithi, from ICC’s DEWS Sweet Home project in India recently sent a report about a special opportunity for some of our boys. Here is an excerpt:

“About six of our boys have signed up to do literature evangelism in the month of May. They have special classes for one month during summer vacation. They are free only in the month of May. The Division leader and the conference leaders were here from the Publishing Department and conducted a real exciting training [session].

“They selected a president, vice president and treasurer. Moses is the president, Joshua is the vice president and the treasurer is from the dorm. I believe they did not know that these two boys belong to Sweet Home. I was invited to the last meeting.

“Please pray for these kids… I am sure this experience will prepare them for greater service for the Lord.”

Thanks for reading!

Kent Greve
International Development Director ICC

El Salvador Children’s Village Hosts Camporee

Ken — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:59:36 +0000

Campamento Lenca is a very special place for every child at the ICC children’s village in El Salvador. It’s a very beautiful green area covered with lush fruit trees and coconut palms. Every adult child who has grown up at the Hogar Escuela Adventista would tell you about many happy memories made at Campamento Lenca. They would tell you about singing around a camp fire.

They would tell you about camping under the trees and picking sweet ripe mangoes off the trees. They would tell you about the time a huge, out of season storm came unannounced in the middle of the night and flooded their tent. Campamento Lenca is as much a part of the life of every child here as the parents who care for them.

Last December the local Adventist Mission in El Salvador was experiencing difficulties finding a suitable location to hold their Annual Adventurer Camporee. The time for the event was very near and they still had not been able to find a location with a good camping area for the Adventures to have their camporee.

One of the Pathfinder groups that attended the camporee held on the campus of our children's village in El Salvador.

The Adventist Mission then decided to contact our children’s village to see if there was any possible way to hold the event within the property of the Hogar Escuela Adventista. After much planning and consultation with the main office, it was decided to invite the Mission to use Campamento Lenca for their camporee.

Due to financial limitations the children from our children’s village in El Salvador were not going to be able to participate in the Annual Adventurers Camporee this year. Even though they love the fellowship and the camaraderie that camporees offer, they accepted the fact that there were no funds to pay for this trip.

Imagine the thrill in their hearts when they found out that the event was going to be held in their own Campamento Lenca. They could not believe it. The Lord had worked a miracle and they were now going to take part in the event. Not only that, but they were also going to be able to share their beautiful camping facilities with so many other children.

Our kids from Hogar Escuela Adventista prepare Campamento Lenca for the camporee

Older children joined their younger siblings raking leaves and cleaning the camping area. They wanted their visiting friends to see how beautiful their Campento Lenca really was.

When opening day came, the Adventurers were ready like any good host to welcome their visitors. With the help of parents and some of the older children, running water was brought to the camping area and showers were installed. Soon a small community of tents went up and the laughter and noise of happy children could be heard.

Opening Day of the camporee at Campamento Lenca

I would like to share with you a small excerpt from the letter we received from our administrator;

There were our children, a small group of Adventurers, some Pathfinders, and a small team of counselors working together to get the camp ready. Some aunts from the Hogar Escuela and even the counselors helped to cook for the children….

Now our kids are excited about the next event which will take place in the month of April. It is the first National Pathfinder Camporee for the new Salvadorian Union. Our children would like to go, but we don’t have the resources to do it this time.

We pray that our God will somehow make it possible for our kids to be part of this magnificent event. There will be about 100 clubs from around the country, and we would like to be one of them.

The children who come under the care of ICC are children who have experienced unspeakable suffering. Love and compassion is not something they have known. We work very hard through our specialized programs for these children to reconstruct and repair their little broken hearts. With time, and through love and compassion, these children learn to love, to trust, and to show compassion for others.

When our children found out that they would be the hosts of this camporee they were excited, not only because they would be participants in a camporee they had known would not be happening for them, but because they saw it as an opportunity to share their lovely place with others.

They did everything they could to be good hosts and gave the best they could to the visiting clubs. We are very proud of our children and appreciate the work of all the parents, teachers, and other care providers who daily work with these children to teach them about the love of God, and instill in them valuable traits such as respect and compassion for others.

If you feel moved to help our Pathfinder club in El Salvador to be able to participate in the Spring Camporee, please visit our website and make a donation for “El Salvador Pathfinder Club Fund”. Please help our kids be part of this event. We promise we will let you know whether they were able to make it and we will give you an update on how it went for them there.

May the Lord bless you.

Joel Reyes
Director—ICC Public Relations

News of Renewed Militia Action in DR Congo

Ken — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:55:28 +0000

Some of you may have heard reports about an outbreak of fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to ICC’s director in the DRC, Desire Murhima, “the fighting is 430 km (267 miles) from Patmos Village… Up to now our project is not affected by this fighting.”

ICC’s children are blessed to live on the Island of Idjwi which is not of any strategic significance in the wars that have ravaged this country. Desire also said that while the fighting is going on “the price of food, construction materials and other things increases.” In your prayers, please remember ICC’s children and staff in this war-torn country.

You Can Change Lives In The DR Congo

Ken — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:11:36 +0000

ICC is blessed to have supporters who are willing to act when they see that “His Kids” have a pressing need. And that they want to provide a way for others of our supporters to join them in relieving these needs. Recently we published a story in our newsletters concerning shortfalls in the operating budget for our Patmos Children’s Village in the DR Congo. Because of the budget issues our staff were only able to feed our children two meals a day.

You can make a significant difference in the daily lives of these children and at the same time double your donation! Please read the article to find out how.

This was a not an acceptable situation for one of our supporters. She quickly emailed Doug Congleton, ICC’s executive director, about ways to close the gaps in the Patmos budget. Thanks to this amazing lady’s efforts a revolving matching fund has been created in which you may participate.

Each month, this rotating matching fund will double your donation until a monthly total of one thousand dollars in donations has been acquired. That means that each month your contributions to our Patmos operating budget—regardless of the amount—can become as much as $2000.

This is not an opportunity to be missed. You can make a significant difference for our children at Patmos by becoming a regular contributor to this matching fund. Please contact ICC today and let us know that you want to double the power of your donation to “His Kids” living at our Patmos Children’s Village.

Thanks for reading!

Ken Wilson
Media Director ICC

Record Cold In Romania Brings Suffering.

Ken — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:04:22 +0000

If you’ve seen recent news reports about the extreme winter weather in Europe you understand that the situation for many people is quite grim. It has recently taken a toll on ICC’s project in Romania as well. The campus greenhouse has been extensively damaged as a result of the heavy snowfall.

We don’t have information yet about the extent of the damage and whether or not the structure can be salvaged and repaired. We’ll pass along those details once they are available.

ICC Romania's greenhouse which collapsed under record, heavy snowfall. To date, some areas of Romania have received 15 feet of snow.

Taken on February 6, this photo shows about a foot of snow covering the ICC Romania campus. At the time this blog was posted the snow accumulation had reached three feet. More than 500 people have died in Eastern Europe during this record cold spell that has extended from Russia to England.

On Monday, February 13, Gabriela Costache sent an e-mail regarding the situation in Romania. Here is an excerpt:

The situation here is not good, it is snowing since yesterday and now the snow in the city of Buzau is about 1 meter… [It is] the same in Odobesti and all over the country. And the sad news is that it is going to snow until Thursday. Please, pray for Romania!

I hope God will protect the project. They have all they need and starting with tomorrow the schools are closed. They [the children] will stay home. They have enough bread and flour and yeast in case they cannot buy stuff, because now, with this situation, the food is very expensive.

All the routes are closed in the country and there are many people who died without food or drink.

Last week they changed the government… and during all this time, they didn’t have time for the people. Only this week-end they started to help…

Please pray for ICC’s project in Romania and especially for the children and staff as the struggle against this cold winter storm system.

Thank you,

Kent Greve
Director International Development ICC

ICC Story To Be Told On The Hope Channel

Ken — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:32:11 +0000

Amazing things can result from what seem at the time to be simple occurrences. In the summer of 2011, Doug Congleton, ICC’s executive director, was asked to give an impromptu presentation to a small group of people interested in learning about International Children’s Care.

One of those at the presentation somehow had some connection with Pastor Don Schneider, former president of the North American Division of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and currently host of the “Really Living” television show broadcast on the Hope Channel. This person contacted Pastor Schneider and strongly suggested that he interview Doug about ICC for “Really Living.”

Pastor Don Schneider

During the next week Pastor Schneider contacted Doug at ICC’s home office in Vancouver, WA, and after just a few minutes of conversation, was convinced that he should dedicate a full hour of his show to interviewing Doug and learning the story of ICC. Arrangements were then made to bring Doug and Daniel Ixcot, ICC’s marketing director for ICC Mexico, to the studios of Adventist Media Productions in Simi Valley, CA, to film the interview for broadcast.

The "Really Living" set at Adventist Media Productions

Pastor Schneider was deeply moved as both Doug and Daniel first told their stories of how they were each called to ICC’s ministry, and then as they each went on to relate their own personal “favorite experiences” from ICC’s amazing ministry.

We know you’ll want to see this special and touching episode of “Really Living” with Doug and Daniel so please make a note of these dates and times. This episode is due to premiere on Friday, March 9, 2012, at 7 PM Eastern on the Hope Channel. It will air again that same day at 10 PM Eastern. Subsequent airings will be on Saturday, March 10, at 5 PM and Monday, March 12 at 7 AM. Don’t miss it!

The Lights Are Up In Romania

Ken — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:13:18 +0000

Recently we were fortunate to be given the opportunity to acquire lighting, at no cost, for the new commercial bakery being built at the ICC Romania Children’s Village. The only catch was that our crew from IKN in The Netherlands had to provide the labor to remove the lights. So über volunteer Dimitri Triantos spent two days extracting the light fixtures.

Once the fluorescent fixtures had been removed IKN shipped them to our Romanian project where they have now been installed into the drop ceiling for the bakery. Thirty-three of these fixtures were sent to and installed in Romania.

One of the lighting fixtures after being installed in the ICC Romania bakery

We were informed by our staff in Romania that getting these fixtures without having to purchase them locally created a significant savings in material costs for the construction of the bakery. Typically these types of fixtures cost $120.00 each. That’s $3960.00 our staff in Romania will be able use in other ways to support the children.

One the light fixtures installed with the finished ceiling at the ICC Romania bakery

Thanks to IKN and Dimitri for providing the lights for our bakery project at ICC Romania.

Thanks for reading!

Ken Wilson
Media Director ICC

New Commercial Bakery at ICC Romania Project Slated for Summer of 2012 Completion

Ken — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:00:06 +0000

Work continues on the bakery at ICC Romania’s children’s village. Currently, a drop ceiling is being installed. Materials for the ceiling were donated by a sponsor in Romania who also gave technical training on its installation.

New drop ceiling being installed in ICC Romania's new commercial bakery

During the first part of 2012, our Dutch partner office will be raising funds for the equipment and machinery that is needed. If anyone is interested in providing funds for the machines please contact the ICC office at 800-422-7729.

ICC Congo Erosion Control Project Successfully Completed

Ken — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:00:52 +0000

In 2010 and 2011 Desire Murhima and his team worked hard to fight a severe erosion problem at the ICC Patmos Children’s Village. With the financial support of our ICC Europe Chapters and Offices they were able to successfully combat the problem. Canals to control water flow during heavy rain along with small bridges were constructed and new trees and grass was planted. Desire wishes to thank all the donors for their support.

One of the erosion control canals at the ICC Patmos Children's Village

This year, 2012, Desire wants to expand the project into other parts of the village. The need for erosion control in those areas is not as imperative as it was where erosion control was installed, but still this needs to be done.

Another view of one of the erosion control canals