Elim Children's Home in Chennai (Madras) India

Jacob & Dorrie pastor a church in India which has grown dramatically and minister to more than 1,000 children. Many are extremely poor. In 2003, we purchased property to build the children's home. Construction was completed at the end of 2004. It is a prime location for a home for children as we are a short walk from two Christian schools, and a Christian hospital. The home will have a capacity of up to 30 children, with a potential to expand to 70. Plans include purchasing adjacent property to enable the home to supply some of its own food.

Dorrie is the director of the home, and provides the following report of the first arrivals. January was a very exciting month for us. On January 5, we opened the Elim Children’s Home, and now there are 12 boys living there. Most of them are what the government calls semi-orphans, they only have one living parent. I would prefer to take children that have no one at all, but often, a child with one parent is in as desperate a situation as the child with none. One of our four year olds asked the other if wanted to go home to his Mother? The little boy said that he did not. The boys feel so loved, wanted and cared for, that they have adjusted very well to life in the home

Children's Home Turks and Caicos Islands.

Turks and Caicos Islands is a collection of about 70 islands, of which 7 are inhabited. The largest island is Providenciales, a popular tourist destination. The Capital is on Grand Turk. TCI is a British protectorate, and therefore English speaking, using American money, and with a close relationship with Canada. Its population of 35,000 is made up of roughly 7000 native islanders, 8,000 Jamaicans, and 16,000 Haitians, and 4,000 from 35 or so other countries.

Renovations are well underway on the Children’s Home in Providenciales TCI. The home located in the paradise like setting will care for up to 12 children in a family like environment. With the rapid development of the islands, the social infrastructure has not been able to keep pace. The home will fill a very great need to look after those children who are most at risk in the islands. It is the first of its kind on the island.

We are currently helping 4 children living in foster care with education needs.

Fred and Carol McGovarinl

Classroom is set up to teach residential electricity

New Beginnings School Turks and Caicos Islands

The New Beginnings School was started in TCI in September 2004 with the intent of helping teens and young adults who are unable to obtain employment due to lack of skills. Fred and Carol McGovarin, from Peterborough Ontario Canada, volunteered to direct the school initially as a short term mission. Fred has worked as a shop teacher, started and operated a paving company, and has been a football coach. They now feel they are called to serve for an indefinite time.

The school helped 10 young adult boys receive a new hope last fall by providing them with some basic skills for working with residential electricity. They all discovered the transforming power and hope that comes through believing in Jesus Christ. This term 16 students at night, and 9 during the day. Carol runs a literacy program for 6 young women.

The school has enjoyed the support of the Ministry of Education from the outset. That support has now translated into the hiring of 5 new teachers for the school and extending the program to include necessary core subjects. Fred continues to be the director of the school, and encouraged to maintain its Christ centred direction, and targeting those young adults with continuing education needs.

Zambia

Short Term Mission Project

Our short term mission project in November 2005 is supporting the efforts of Hands at Work Zambia which is working in several centres in Zambia, under the auspices of the South African parent organization and our sister churches in Zambia. The group provides community services in the form of a Home Based Care System, shelter, skills training and education for orphaned children of AIDS, medical and food relief, and creates small businesses for employment and economic relief. The efforts have had a significant impact in the communities where it is operating,

The team, will work with AIDS victims, and children in care, and education, as well as the construction and setting up of orphanage facilities.

The goal is to sponsor a children's home in this region starting in 2006.