On the 13th, our church, Gateway Baptist had our annual business meeting. A lot was discussed, but I had to give a little blurb about the India Child Sponsorship program. What we've accomplished and what we're doing. Since you couldn't come, I've included the words I prepared beforehand and some pictures for you that people who attended didn't get to see (aren't you lucky? you get to see pictures and you didn't have to sit through a two hour meeting?)...
Hi, I’m Alycia & as most of you know, Karen and I have taken over leadership and implementation of the India Child Sponsorship program. We were a part of the team who went to India back in September and the primary reason we went was to learn the ins-and-outs of Bal Vikas Kendra or BVK. BVK is the school and children’s home Gateway partners with and we are currently seeking sponsors for the children who live there.
I know many of you prayed for us while we were in India and we sincerely thank you. Not only were we protected, but our eyes were also opened to the needs of the children in India. Just this morning, I was reminded of why I am a part of this program. The church prayed for a little boy named Ashraf who is 10 years old. I have about 30 pictures of Ashraf as he attempted to jump into every photo I took. On the playground, in the chapel, in the classroom, he’s in the background, foreground, and off to the side of many pictures. Ashraf was desperate for love and attention and I am so glad we all prayed for him today.
The reason I’m up here today is to share with you all what we’ve accomplished thus far and what we’d like to do next year. We have started the ICS program and gained sponsors for 50 children- at $40/month per child, our sponsors have sent about $12,250! This is fantastic as we are just getting started, but there’s still 185 children remaining.
We are excited about this next year and we have lots of ideas for getting the word out about ICS, however we need your help. One huge blessing we’ve had towards gaining sponsors is a “match” program that allows individuals and families to sponsor for only $20/month instead of $40/month. This has been an incredible opportunity, but as slots for that are taken- it leaves the majority of children needing commitments for the full $40/month.
We have many ideas for getting the word out about this program, but we need your help. Our major goal for the upcoming year is to get every child sponsored. We want to try to do that by reaching out into the community. We know not everyone is in a position to commit to $40/month, however we also know that everyone knows someone who doesn’t go to this church. Whether it’s your friends, family, or coworkers- there’s someone you know who hasn’t heard of ICS.
We have drafted a letter for you to adapt to help us spread the word. We have hard copies of the letter here and we can also send it to you electronically so you can modify it so it sounds like you. It’s a way to let people know that this is something you care about without feeling confrontational or awkward. A shout-out to ICS will make a great addition to your annual Christmas letter, or if you don’t do a Christmas letter, an ICS letter is a great way to start a tradition.
We also have a sign-up sheet for anyone who wants to sponsor a child, or be involved in helping us lead this program. Karen and I have volunteered to take care of the nitty-gritty details, but we cannot carry 185 children by ourselves. We need people who are willing to advise us and be a voice for the voiceless children of India. If you have been to India before, you are a perfect advocate. We need people committed to helping, praying, and letting others know about what God is doing in India.
So some actionable steps you can do right now-
2. If you’ve signed up to sponsor a child but you’re having problems with payments or automatic withdrawals, please let us know ASAP. We want to help you, but we can’t if we don’t know there’s a problem.
3. Get a letter or sign up for an electronic copy of a letter you can send out to people you know.
4. Let us know of any organization you might be a part of that we can come speak at.
5. This is for everyone- pray, pray, pray. Please pray for the children, their families, their teachers & caregivers. Pray for Karen and I and for a group of people to come alongside us and help us.
Thank you so much for your time and for the opportunity you’ve given us to change lives.
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