Learning and Teaching to Read, Thanks to You!

Your support helps to provide children at the Las Palmas Children’s Village with a quality education. This includes the vital skill of learning to read.

When the children arrive at Las Palmas, they have many learning challenges. The

teachers work diligently with the children using various motivational activities. One

goal for the first-grade class is for them to be able to celebrate their graduation.

This celebration is called “Ya se leer!” (Now I can read!) This is important for the

children and places them on a path for success.

When the children finish their studies in high school, they are given the opportunity

to help in the school.

This was the case for Marva Jean Louis. When she finished high school, she

became a teacher's assistant. When the school staff saw that she had the ability

to work as a teacher, she was given that task.

Writing about her experience recently, Marva Jean said, “Being a teacher at Las

Palmas Adventist School has been a blessing for me, since teaching my brothers

and sisters at HOCAP has helped me in my own learning. Working with their

minds has been a challenge. ... Sometimes my mind gets exhausted, but seeing

the steps they take each day in their learning renews my strength. Teaching them

has helped my character, and seeing their sincerity and tenderness encourages

me to be like them. I thank God and the institution for this privilege.”

Las Palmas director, Samilin, sees first-hand the positive impact that your support

has on the children. Here is a message of appreciation she shares with you.

Thank you to all the donors who, with your efforts for so many years, have

changed the lives of children ... Thank you for showing justice to them and

rejoicing in giving so many children the opportunity to reach their goals. You are

fulfilling Jesus' principle where it says, "As you did it to one of the least of these,

you did it to Me.”

How To Rescue a Child

A few days ago, I received an urgent message. There is an immediate need of

sponsors for five children in the D.R. Congo.

Four boys and one girl, all suffering from an extremely painful past, desperately

need our help.

The £25 a month sponsorship rescues these deserving kids from an incredibly

uncertain future. It gives them clean clothes, a place to sleep, nutritious food,

loving house parents and siblings, and a Christian education. In short, it not only

saves their lives, but it also changes them.

Would you be able to commit to sponsoring one of these children today?

As I was thinking of this urgent call for help, I remembered a similar call I received

a few years ago, from a young girl in our church asking if my wife and I would

commit to sponsoring an ICC child.

In the process of making the request, she mentioned the word “rescue” — which

brought back a flood of memories about a time when I desperately needed

someone to rescue me.

While on a family outing when I was about ten years old, I got caught in a riptide at

Laguna Beach. Once I realized what was happening, I thought that a few powerful

strokes would bring me back to safety. When those strokes did nothing, I

panicked. It seemed like the harder I swam, the further I was being swept out to

sea.

My dad and brother on the beach, although knowing the techniques of escaping a

riptide which could have easily saved me, were eating, laughing, and playing

catch, and they were totally oblivious to the fact that I was in the process of

drowning.

Long story made short, when I was totally exhausted from my efforts, I gave up

trying to get back to the beach. When I did that, I drifted my way out of the riptide.

As I staggered back to my family and threw myself down on the sand, I soon came

to the unsettling conclusion that no one there had even realized my peril.

Today, we can very clearly see the peril of these four boys and one girl in the

Congo. Just as there was a right technique for me to get out the riptide, so there is

a right technique for rescuing these kids. That technique is “sponsorship.”

You will save the life of a child who needs your help.

In service for His Kids, Rick Bowes

The Impact of Your Support of the Patmos Children

Continued From The September 2022 Que Pasa

The September Qué Pasa featured ICC president, Rick Fleck,

asking some questions of Patmos director, Désiré Murhima, regarding ICC’s

ministry for children there. Following is part two of an edited excerpt of what

Désiré shared.

Q: How important is education in the lives of the children?

A: First and foremost, education brings self-discipline, a sense of responsibility,

teamwork among children and prevents children from feeling social insecurity. It

helps a child become self-confident and a good decision-maker. Hence, every

child should be educated so that they can lead a happy life and/or face life

challenges. In our experience, Patmos children who graduate from advanced

education are more successful than those who are limited to vocational training or

a state diploma as well as those who drop out from school for personal reasons.

Education sets a person free and increases one’s confidence. We have drawn a

conclusion that education constitutes the first inheritance that a parent should

leave to their children because it goes with us throughout our lives. Educating a

child is the best way to make their future bright and help him fulfil their dreams so

that they live their ideal life. We thank ICC for emphasizing the children’s

education.

Q: What is happening in the DR Congo that causes you concerns?

A: Generally, growing insecurity is what matters most. The outcomes of recurrent

wars result in high prices of items like food, clothes, and construction materials,

and ends up in mass-killings, disharmony in the society, high rates of taxes, etc.

People living on islands, like in the Patmos Children’s Village, face a lot of

challenges since prices for the fuel for our boat have increased, and we are

obliged to travel since we cannot get everything we need for the children’s survival

on Idjwi Island. On the other hand, the salaries of employees have increased only

slightly (compared to costs). The prices of items have tripled, and the employees

can no longer afford to buy what they need. The current situation is generalized to

all the inhabitants of the D.R. Congo, because they live and face the same life

context.

Q: How important are ICC donors to the children?

A: ICC donors remain very important for both the children and the personnel. They

help the children to be healthy, to study, and to have food to eat. They help

provide the children with a place to live and clothe them. They treat them fairly to

such an extent that even though they are orphans by the law of nature, they are

treated better than many children whose parents are still alive. Our children are

the healthiest in the village and the best clothed. They live in the most beautiful

houses, and they are spiritually nourished and live in the safest family

environment.

Q: Is there anything else that you would like to share with the donors?

A: Honestly and truly speaking, we first of all praise the donors’ efforts and

sacrifices so that children are given a new chance to survive. They are saviours to

children as Jesus Christ is a savior to the world. We can’t forget to plead in favour

of the children to the project donors. We pray that they continue helping children

because their reward in Heaven will be great. Children from Patmos Village

always like to be told about their sponsors. They also like to receive their letters,

postcards, their photos, and to learn that the sponsor has sent money for school

supplies, food, construction, school fees, clothes, etc. In short, the children from

Patmos Village know that their sponsors live abroad and that they provide for their

needs. We request that this connection goes on until God Himself decides that we

meet in Heaven where we will be crowned for a seed we sowed on Earth, a gift we

gave to the needy and the child’s life we completely changed.

Your ICC Family Was Represented at ASI 2022

Your ICC family was recently represented at a display at the Adventist-Layman’s

Services and Industries (ASI) national convention. This gathering of Adventist

business owners and supporting ministries was held from August 3-5 in Orlando,

Florida. ASI conventions are well known for strong spiritual programming as well

as an exhibit hall where hundreds of ministries display materials and tell their

stories.

As in recent years, attention was drawn to the ICC’s display booth due to the

artistic talent of volunteer Jean Parchment. Jean paints and dresses “Reborn

Dolls,” making them look and feel like real babies. Many passers-by have a difficult

time at first believing the dolls are not real babies. Several doll lovers have

“adopted” these life-like baby dolls, for a minimum donation. Over several years,

the doll project has raised thousands of dollars in support of special project needs

at the Patmos Children’s Village in the DR Congo. This includes helping to provide

a new clean water system and new outdoor kitchens. Jean is affectionately known

as “The Baby Lady” and “she delivers!” By the end of this year’s convention, all

four of the dolls on display were adopted into new homes. What a blessing to

ICC’s children!