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Children's Homes |
How it all started.
Coimbatore and Chenni Children's Home: We call them children homes rather than orphanages since once they become part of our family they are no longer orphans.
In January of 2005 I met Jacob Christy from Coimbatore India. He invited me to come to India to hold some crusades and minister in churches there. In planning the trip there, I mentioned to him, that knowing his heart to start an orphanage, maybe we could help him do that also, while we were there. We were planning a month long trip.
About a month before we were to arrive he mentioned to a couple of friends that he was going to start an orphanage. Just a few days later he ended up with 17 children dropped off at his home on the same day; the same 17 are still there. The next week the Tsunami hit and he went to Chenni to help as he could. He ended up with 17 more children and started the second home. A year later there were 46 children, in Coimbatore, and in June of 2007 about 80. There are currently 140 children, in Coimbatore, 36 children in a home Rajamundry, and 10 in a home about 5 hours south of Coimbatore. There are seven paid Indian staff. We were able to purchase 24 acres about a 20 minute drive outside of Coimbatore and have started a building project, raising fish and growing crops. Currently there are five buildings completed plus bathroom facilities. A well has also been drilled; 620 feet deep and about forty gallons per minute, I believe. Three of the buildings are housing the children and staff and one is a kitchen and one a dinning hall.
In the two and half years since, we have made three more trips to India spending a total of three and half months there, ministering and spending time at the children's homes.
Monrovia Liberia Children’s Home: We were contacted by Solomon Johnson from Liberia, around Oct. of 2005, and asked to come and minister there. He was a pastor, who had just recently started an orphanage. After communicating with him for some time he asked if they could join our ministry. In November of 2006 we went and ministered there and spent time at the home, helping to find a new facility as the 26 children and his family were in 300 and 600 square foot buildings. We have since purchased the small lot and squeezed on a partial church, and a partial school. The school and building projects were started last year as we had to move out of the facilities we were using. After moving the children we had problems with the landlords wanting to increase the rent beyond what was agreed upon and when we returned last June we obtained another facility to move the children to. The good thing is they now stay in a building about a five minute walk away from the school and church. We are able to stay there only until the first of next December.
Liberia is in tough shape, as it in about the third year of recovering from a 15 year (I think) civil war. Except for a portion of downtown Monrovia, I don't think there is any electricity in the country. When we are there pretty much every meal is prepared over a fire.
Rajahmundry India Children's Home: Around January of 2006 we were contacted by Prasanna Babu from Rajahmundry, India. He had been operating an orphanage since 2003, I believe. The home there joined with us in about the first of the year of 2006. On the last trip to India, November 2007, we also ministered in Rajahmundry and spent time at the home there. There are 36 children. The only help are Prasanna's family members. The home is a thatched building with a dirt floor, in need of much work. It also doubles as a church.
Prasanna and his wife, live in a small thatched home next door. The cooking is done over a fire outside unless it is raining. Last year they were able to drill a well. Prior to that, they were having to carry water 3 kilometers. The lot is very small with almost no room to play. Ideally, we need to find a better location and build suitable housing.
Expenses
Monthly expenses range from about $25 per month per child to about 35 per month, that does not include payments for property or rent. It does include food, clothing, medical, staff salaries, and transportation expenses. A bus was bought to take the children in Coimbatore to and from school; about five miles away.
Summary
We are stretched very thin trying to keep somewhat decent living facilities and conditions. The hardest situation is in Liberia, then Rajahmundry, India. As far as what we have been able to do, all I can say is that God is amazing, but we are frustrated, because there is so much need that we have not been able to help with.
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