DEWS Sweet Home – India
Isaac and Aryan, featured here, are just two of the forty children who are part of the ICC Sweet Home family. During the recent holiday season, we received a special update from India. Here is an edited excerpt from Susan Moturi, Project Administrator.
“We send greetings to you from Dews Sweet Home, wishing you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We are blessed to have the whole [Sweet Home] family for the holidays. All are doing well, and we hope you are, too.
We had Sureen’s wedding in Flaiz church with Shanthi Priya, followed by a reception at the Sweet Home campus. (Sureen is one of Sweet Home’s older boys). They have known each other since high school.
We had welcomed Sweet Home alumni to be part of the Christmas program and the wedding. Since the wedding was on 22nd, they stayed for the rest of the weekend.
We had a nice event on Christmas eve – a bonfire with snacks – and had the older brothers give testimonies about their life and what made them remain close to Sweet Home. They are very grateful to ICC.
Christmas day events included a special breakfast, beach trip, delicious lunch and play time.
All the college students are here, and they are very excited to be back home to enjoy the short break with their brothers and sisters before they head back to college.
As we come close to the year 2023 and look back on the years from 2020 forward, we know that God has blessed us with good support from ICC and the sponsors, especially during COVID. We were able to come through with very little impact on our children, except two casualties of staff members. We miss their presence.
The campus is bustling with little children running around enjoying their time off from school, playing, laughing, quarreling, and complaining. With just a small band aid of love and attention, they are happy again in no time.
May God bless us all with His mercies so we can continue to support the greater cause of preparing our children for His soon return. We are praying for all ICC families and wish them a wonderful Happy New Year.”
El Oasis – Mexico
Not only do orphan children need a loving and secure environment in which to grow and thrive, they also benefit from special activities such as learning to play a musical instrument. Children at the El Oasis Children’s village are participating in a music program geared especially for them. The following is an edited excerpt from Mauro Reyes, Jr., Assistant Administrator.
“God has been very merciful and cares for us in so many ways. Of the many activities and experiences, we want to share the following:
Our music program is advancing step by step. The children have general music classes in our school where little ones learn bells and older children learn recorder. After their meal they have private lessons and learn piano or a band instrument.
We have witnessed how through learning an instrument our children grow in confidence. To be part of the band makes them aspire and reach goals. They learn that good things take time, need continuous effort, and have a cost. To care for the instrument borrowed makes them responsible. They are taught that God gives them opportunities and being thankful makes them better persons. Finally, we can add that playing for others (like in church!) helps their social awareness, and it’s important to share their joy.
On October 22nd we were invited to have a concert at the local Adventist church and on December 2nd we went to Ensenada, Baja California, to play in a university that wanted to give us some warm blankets for the winter.
On December 1st, we held our Open House and Encendida del Árbol event (Christmas tree lighting). We went to every house to see how the kids decorated their rooms for Christmas. In each home we considered what Christmas really means and lit up the home’s Christmas tree. After going to the homes, we came to church and turned on the church’s Christmas tree and the big El Oasis Project Christmas tree that is set at the church’s side. This was accompanied by fireworks. The evening ended by playing together and having dinner in our school. This makes forever experiences and gives opportunities to be closer to one another.
Pray for us.”
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