Coming Together - ICC's National Office Network

In just a few days ICC's National Office Representatives from Australia, USA, UK, Canada, the Netherlands and Hong Kong will gather together in Changsha, China for a week of meetings (Feb 19th - 25th). It is going to be an exciting time of connecting with ICC's children and staff, as well as planning for the future development of National Office Network.

Since 1993, ICC has worked to share the message of China's abandoned and orphaned children with the world-wide church of Jesus Christ. Our vision states that we believe God wants to 'raise up an army from amongst His church'. ICC's National Offices have been key in not only sharing the need of China's orphans, but in also encouraging believers that they can play a part in changing those tragic circumstances through praying, giving and going.

During the week of meetings, ICC's National Office Representatives will spend time visiting all of ICC's projects - Training, Group Homes, Foster Care, Residential Care, Therapy, Medical Care and Education. They will hear afresh the amazing work that God is doing in the lives of the children through each of these ministries, seeing for themselves the changes in the children.

So much change took place in the work of ICC in 2003 that the time that our representatives spend in our projects will enable them to more thoroughly represent us to churches and individuals who wish to know more of ICC.

The National Office Representatives will also have an exciting opportunity to visit Heng Yang. Many of you will have read of the great opportunities that the Lord is opening up for us there. It will be exciting for each representative to see this new work for themselves, to catch hold of the vision and to return back to their home country with the desire to challenge the church to join us in making a difference.

Please pray for these meetings - that God would meet with each representative and fill them afresh with His passion for these children. Please pray that each representative would be encouraged through hearing of the great work being done in their sister-offices around the world.

Thanks for standing with us!

Short Term Team Report from Heng Yang

Kyla Alexander (ICC Short Term Teams Leader and Heng Yang Development Officer) writes:

Thanks so much for your prayers during the recent short term team when I reported about the conditions at the Heng Yang welfare centre when I took the short term team there. When we left the centre there was still no change on the heating system, however, when the team was leaving ICC was able to give some finances to the centre leadership to go towards installing chimneys to pipe the carbon monoxide from the coal burners they were using out of the rooms.

When our National Office staff visit the centre in February I will be asking them to follow up on whether this situation has been fixed.

During the two week team 4 new little babies were placed in the disabled children's area, where they were not receiving adequate care and attention, 3 of these children had been abandoned at local hospitals.

Sadly, 3 of these children passed away. I advocated for the 4th child, a little baby girl with Down's Syndrome, asking the leaders at the centre if they could move her in with the other infants, they very quickly moved her and when the team left she was getting lots of love and care from one of the carers in that area. I look forward to my next visit to see her and see how she is progressing. Please pray that they will continue to value her life.

During the team I had several meetings with the welfare centre leaders who are very enthusiastic about gaining ICC's long term support and help in the future. During the time they gave me a proposal of how they see ICC could work with them in the future.

We are excited to work with the Heng Yang Welfare Center and will continue to consider their proposal in the coming weeks.

Please pray for the Heng Yang children that each one will continue to know the Father's love.