Belvoir Parish Group assists ICMC India
Earlier this year 15 young people, and 7 not–so–young, from Belvoir Parish left Belfast for Salem, south India to help at the Indian Christian Mission Centre (ICMC).
During their stay they met with the 150 orphans at the House of Peace Orphanage and 1,000 children at the Promised Land Orphanage, providing them with simple items such as toothbrushes toothpaste and pens, and engaging with them through singing, talking and drama. Almost everywhere the group went they were also entertained by children dancing and singing.
For part of the trip the group split into two teams, one medical and one painting. The qualified medical team, under Dr Neill Thompson, provided 300 children with the MMR vaccination and gave 1,000 children a general medical check–up. The painting team redecorated the whole of the inside of the boys’ and the girls’ House of Peace hostels and created two murals and dental awareness murals at the Promised Land orphanage, helped by a number of boys and girls. Both teams worked long hours in extreme humidity and heat in order to finish the job, but, as the Revd Jeremy Mould explained, everyone felt that it was worth it. He also described how every morning and evening the group spent a short devotional time together, ‘which we found very uplifting and encouraging. I think we all experienced the New Testament style fellowship of the believers that you read about in Acts.’
The group visited two new churches, St Patrick’s and Omega Church (funded by Omagh Community Church) and met a local leper colony where whole families are homeless and make a living by begging (even though only one person has leprosy). They also met children from a local English medium school, St Basil’s, where the House of Peace children attend along with Hindu children, and a small team spent time with local ‘Timothy students’ who are taking a one–year theological course.
Jeremy Mould concluded, ‘A highlight of the trip was unveiling the foundation stone for a new Christian Mission Hospital. It was awesome to have your name chiselled in granite and the thought that it will be embedded in the wall of a hospital. We felt it was a great honour that we were unworthy of! This was a very special experience for all involved. The Indian Christians said they were greatly helped and encouraged by our visit. They face hostility, discrimination and constant pressure from extremists. For them to know that we are their friends means such a lot. As a church at Belvoir we hope to continue supporting the ICMC, led by Pastor Jay, for years to come. If you want to know more or would be interested in going out in Spring 2010 to open the hospital, or to join a group of 6th–formers in 2011, please let me know on jjmould@hotmail.com. The ICMC website is www.icmcindia.org.’