Celebrating the Results of Your Support

Patmos children reach milestones thanks to YOU!

Celebrating the Results of Your Support...

Patmos children reach milestones thanks to YOU! At the Patmos Children’s Village in the D.R. Congo, the children look forward to the New Year’s festivities. This is a time set aside for the entire village to turn out and celebrate the beginning of a new year and also a time to recognize the achievements of some of their older siblings. The children dress up alike. And yes, if you were visiting, the campus staff would likely have a matching outfit just for you!

The morning was full of activities beginning with a spiritual focus. The choir sang and two different pastors shared messages for the Patmos family. This set the tone for the day, for even when the celebration commenced, one of the activities for the children was to recite the books of the Bible and their authors. The children also participated in traditional games and activities and performed for one another and for the adults within the community. And yes, a special meal was included.

Photo Caption 1: During the New Year’s ceremonies the children dress in matching garments, sing for each other, and play games.

Photo Caption 2: These young people from the Patmos Children’s Village in the D.R. Congo are being recognized as part of the annual New Year’s celebration. They’re being recognized for their achievements and pursuit of becoming independent individuals.

The highlight of the day was a special ceremony for the older young people who were becoming independent. At this year’s celebration, six of the youths were recognized for their achievements and pursuit of being self-sustaining.

This is an important rite of passage for these young people, many of whom feel a bit apprehensive about what it will be like living on their own. After all, for many of them, the Patmos village was a haven from traumas they experienced early in life. The Patmos project does not just send these young people away empty-handed. They provided them with tangible gifts and in many cases, will also provide transitional assistance.

It’s because of support from people like you that an ICC child can transition from a desperate orphan to an eager young adult ready to live on their own.

This mission would not be possible without the loving care that individuals like you provide for the children.

On their behalf, thank you for making celebrations like this possible!

A Special Delivery Blessing

Los Pinos wins gift from DHL

DHL is a worldwide parcel delivery company. You may have used or received a package by way of their services.

Recently, the children of Los Pinos in Guatemala received a huge and unexpected blessing from DHL No, it wasn’t in the form of a package. It was in the form of a large donation valued at around $28,000! Here’s the story.

The Los Pinos Children’s village has a local board of trustees. One of the board members is Inver Lopez. He works for DHL.

Inver found out about a special contest that DHL established for its worldwide offices. They wanted to feature humanitarian projects in countries where they work as a way of stimulating social responsibility in each country. Inver referred Los Pinos to his employer.

Last year, representatives from DHL visited the Los Pinos campus and created a video about the project. This video was then entered for consideration along with several other social service projects throughout Latin America.

Los Pinos won the contest — and 215,000 Quetzales!

Not only were members of the Los Pinos board very excited, but also employees of DHL. They were happy that the money given by DHL would stay in Guatemala to help the children.

Praise the Lord for this unique gift and for the opportunity to share this ministry for orphan children with a large corporation. Together we can all make a tremendous transforming difference in the lives of “His Kids!”

Photo Caption: Inver Lopez holds the Cheque awarded to Los Pinos by DHL.

ICC Romania Now Home to Ukrainian Refugees

First family arrives from Ukraine

The voices of small children are filling the air at the ICC Romania Children’s Village. Romania is one country where Ukrainians are seeking refuge from the war that is ravaging their country. As the crisis continues to expand, ICC has mobilized to accept families who have fled their homeland in search of a safe place.

ICC’s children’s village in Romania has the capacity to accept families with children into facilities that are currently not being used by our ICC Romania family. The refugees would not interfere with our program there. ICC president, Rick Fleck, has authorized the use of these facilities and in fact, has stated that “taking care of refugee families is very much in line with ICC’s mission.” Romanian church members volunteered to clean and prepare the homes for the refugees.

The first Ukrainian family arrived on Monday evening, March 14. The family consists of a pregnant mother and her seven children. ADRA Romania assisted this family and referred them to us.

No one knows the extent to which the refugee crisis will continue to grow and what role ICC may play in providing a safe haven for other families. We will provide further updates in the monthly Que Pasa and through e-mail and social media updates.

Double The Impact Of Your Gift This Month!

You’ve done so much for the children, and they appreciate it very much. As we mark the 44th year of ICC, you now have an opportunity to make your support go even further. ICC, with the help of an anonymous donor, has established a matching challenge of $44,000 that is designated to provide for the ongoing care of the children during these troubled times of war and rapid inflation. That’s right, your “extra” gift this month will be doubled to create twice the blessing for the children who continue to count on you for support. My mother said it well when she stated, “We still count on you, more than ever.” To match your extra gift this month, designate it as “Matching Care Fund.” Thank you!

A Personal Message

Commemorating ICC’s 44th Anniversary on April 28, 2022 - By Rick Fleck, President.

Forty-four years! What an amazing God we serve Who has guided and blessed this ministry during all these years!

During many of those years, my parents, Ken and Alcyon Fleck, were the heart and soul of ICC. I was blessed to join this team 37 years ago, and thus personally witnessed the continuing blessings of God. As I looked back at some of the letters my mother wrote over the years, I thought I would share a few thoughts and experiences from a couple of them. In her letter from November of 1988, she talked about the recent close call with bandits who intended to kidnap her and my dad while they were visiting at the Los Pinos Children’s Village in Guatemala. They had left the project a little earlier than planned. A short time later the bandits showed up demanding to see the American directors. When the bandits were later apprehended, they confessed they had planned to kidnap them and hold them for a big ransom.

In that same letter, she talked about attending the primary school graduation (they graduate after six grades) while they were at Los Pinos, especially noting a young boy named Milton.

“One of the graduates was Milton. He is eleven and small for his age. He was finishing fifth grade but had done so well in his studies that his teacher felt he could pass a sixth-grade examination. A month before school was out, he was given a sixth-grade examination. He passed it with superior grades. He carried the flag at the graduation.”

Alcyon and Ken Fleck, ICC founders.

Please note that we featured the grown-up Milton in last November’s Que Pasa which you can find at this link: https://tinyurl.com/2hzpwrz8. As well, we are preparing a “Gathering Place” video series with Milton and his wife, Grizelda. It will begin airing on ICC’s Vimeo channel soon.

My mother also attended a special service in the church, and only children were on the platform; “The ‘preacher’ was a little boy, 11 years old. He had to stand to one side of the pulpit because only his eyes could be seen above it. With his Bible in his hand, but no notes, he gave a sermon equal to most you would hear from a seasoned pastor.”

He talked about Jesus and His sacrifice for all of us and asked how many would stand to their feet for Jesus and come forward. Most of the audience went forward for a beautiful prayer given by the boy.

She said that a young girl, Maria, came and slipped a piece of paper into her hand.

“She was sent by the court from the worst possible situation. She was 13 and weighed 32 pounds. Her alcoholic father had told her, ‘If you don’t hurry up and die, I’ll toss you over the precipice.’ Her letter was full of love and gratitude, first to God and then to us.”

My mother concluded her message to the ICC family of supporters by saying;

“We can’t solve all the problems of the world, but we can do something. We can’t care for all the starving children, but we can care for some. And each one has infinite worth. God bless each one of you as you share what He has given you.”

Twelve years later, in 2000, my mother wrote at the end of her March ICC letter;

“It is a source of such satisfaction for Ken and me to see these young people who came to us as little children, many times sick and malnourished, homeless and traumatized, to see them now, achieving their goals as bright, Christian young people. The last 21 years haven’t been easy, but it has been worth it! None of this could have happened without our ICC family, people who have sacrificed and shared in our burden for homeless and hurting children. Thank you so much!”

“But the children keep coming. As older ones grow up and leave, little ones take their places. New countries are always begging us to come and help them. We can’t know what God’s plan is for every child or their potential, but we know that God is the Father of the fatherless and He uses us as His hands and feet to care for His abandoned children here on Earth. We still count on you, more than ever, as the program and needs increase. You will be blessed by helping now, but the real reward will be handed out later. God bless each one of you.”

Now, twenty-two years after that message, which was halfway to our current 44-year anniversary, I want to say again that we have repeatedly seen how marvelously God has worked through ICC to save and change lives. And the amazing thing is that He does it through YOU! Yes, it is your faithfulness and your generosity and your love that fills these broken lives with hope, joy and love. God has a plan for each of these children, and I thank you for the huge part you play in His plans!