“As you probably know, ICC …took in fourteen young children who had lost everything and who were on the verge of losing their very lives.”

Our hearts go out to our people in the DR Congo as we hear the tragic stories of what has been, and is happening, in the region surrounding our Patmos Children’s Village. The political and socio-economic situation in the DR Congo is volatile and fluid. Circumstances and conditions change drastically from even one day or hour to the next.

As you probably know, ICC reached out in faith and took in fourteen young children who had not only lost everything but who were also on the verge of losing their very lives (as some of their friends already had). We knew that funding to care for these new children would be and is an issue for us, but we could not turn our backs on these precious children of God.

So we are planning to ship a container full of relief supplies from our headquarters here in Vancouver, WA, to our Patmos Children’s Village in the DR Congo. Frustratingly, sending a container is not a simple one, two, three process. We are dependent upon having the needed funds to rent/purchase a container, sufficient amounts of donated supplies, not to mention the basic availability of a container and then scheduling a ship to carry it.

Even when we have a container and the supplies to fill it as well as a ship to carry it, we still are effected by conditions in the DR Congo and surrounding countries as to whether the container can be safely transported overland to Goma. Currently we are waiting for a certificate of exoneration to be apporved. All of these conditions combine to create a scenario which requires us to be flexible in our plans to deliver your donations to the children of Patmos.

As the situation stands as of this writing our best estimate for delivering this container will be early this year. Recently, there was some misunderstanding as to when this container would be shipped due to our publishing a specific date which inferred the container would be on its way by that date. We ask your forgiveness and indulgence if our miscommunication gave an improper impression.

We are still accepting donations for this shipment of provisions and will be through at least the end of this month. So, we would deeply appreciate your continuing to furnish contributions. What we need most are personal items for both boys and girls such as denim jeans, shirts, dresses, shoes, socks, under-clothing and especially personal supplies. The kinds of personal items you would give your own children.

If you are, or know of, someone who works at a retail supplier that carries personal items, please consider donating the following types of things to help “His Kids” at Patmos. Soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorants, and other specific personal things for both boys and girls. Also, we need funding to purchase any needed items that may not be donated yet would still be necessary for the children.

You can see our compilation of needed items in our Congo Container Needs List. We will be updating this list weekly. If you see an item you would like to donate on the list, it is most likely still needed.

Please go to our website at ForHisKids.org/Container or you may also click on the “container needs” graphic on our website’s home page to download the list. This way you can see what items are currently needed for this shipment.

We want to make this container a tremendous blessing for our children living in that war-ravaged part of our world. You can help us by either donating one or more of the items on the list or providing funds to cover purchasing and shipping.

Your monetary donations will help us rent a container, pay to have it transported to and from the container ship as well as cover the necessary customs fees. Not to mention the fees to actually have the container make the four-week voyage by ship to a port in Kenya.

Please drop off all your donated items for this very special effort at our Vancouver office. If you cannot personally deliver your donations, please arrange to have them brought or shipped to our headquarters. We are preparing space in our warehouse to accept all your donations.

God bless each one of you for caring about “His Kids” and for your invaluable and unselfish support of these precious lives which have been entrusted to all of us.

International Children's Care is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, USA. We can be reached by phone at 800.422.7729 between 8 am and 5 pm Pacific Time. Our address is: 2711 NE 134th Way, Vancouver, WA. 98986. Our general email address is: info@forhiskids.org.

Our Privacy Policy is this: Any information you provide us is held in strictest confidence. At no time will we share you personal information with any person or organization outside of ICC.

© Copyright October 2013
The Informateur is a publication of:
International Children's Care
P.O. Box 820610, Vancouver, WA. 98682-0013