A Exciting Report from India

I've just returned from India again. 

Most of our documentation has been updated. We have brought our FCRA account up to date. 

This account is a must to bring currency from outside India. All documents have been secured. Some were lost and we now have certified true copies. 

The board met last Saturday and we are moving forward. 
Should have the renovation plans back this week.

UPDATE as of NOVEMBER 2:

I have finally received our updated drawings and pricing to renovate our current building. 
Total price $55,000USD. This includes adding some washrooms and upgrading the entire building. 

Onward we go!

~Dennis

October Trip

Dennis is in Tamil Nadu this week at a conference. 

We continue to pray for sponsors, for administrators for our orphanages, and for houseparents. 

When you have seemingly nothing to work with, you are living in God's upside-down economy! 
He owns it all and He is not limited to what we have in our hands.

~Denie

An Autumn Update

It's been a while since we have posted..

Summer came and went and lots of waiting and renegotiating on the current building renovations. 

Dennis just left for a few days to India. Pray for wisdom and favor. A full update will be coming with him at the end of the week re the status of the Minju Orphange Project!

~Tracey

April Update

Dennis is in India right now, at a convention, speaking and then meeting with people.

We have some things on the table right now concerning the orphanage(s) that require much prayer and wisdom.

Thank you for praying...God answers.

Thank you for giving. God provides.

Thank you for caring. God loves the orphan.

~Denie

UPDATE: contractors, legal documents & plans

I traveled to Chennai India on March 24 with the main purpose to meet the contractor and builder that I have used before in India. I like his work and he seems very reasonable in his charges. Plus he seems to know what he is doing.

We rented a taxi and drove to Minju - our site. It took a little less than1 hour. One of the first comments he had was the level of the property. The property is the same height a the street and there is no drainage on the street. 

 

He asked the care taker if the property floods. "Yes", we were told. If the rain is heavy or long the whole property is flooded. So the first consideration was to realise the whole property needs to be raised 18". 

 

 

 

They took many measurements and have prepared two drawings which I just received yesterday. 

 

 

Depending on which way we choose to go he will prepare a price on the construction and remodelling of the old building.

Most of our legal work is completed to bring Gentle Hands of India up to date. We have no outstanding obligations from our previous administration and we getting ready to move forward.

The normal practice is to give about 30-50% down payment with some additional payments throughout the project. We will know the full costs as soon as we send the plans back to him selecting the plan we wish to use. 

 

However we are in the process of studying them and may make other modifications as well.

 

This coming Monday, I will be back in India. More to come.

 

Dennis

The next steps...by Dennis Heppner

30 January 2013

Dear Friends,

What a privilege it was to spend a few days in India considering the possibilities
of ministry for orphans. I apologize for being slow in putting this email together. I am currently in South Kerala attending various meetings, about 5 per day and have a little time between meetings so I write a few emails.

The Need

Around 40% of children under age three suffer from malnutrition, since inadequate sanitation and lack of clean water multiply the water-born diseases that impact mostly children and the poor. In India, an estimated 900,000 people per year die as a result of drinking unclean water or breathing polluted air. The health sector is overstretched, under-resourced and prone to corruption. India has the world’s third-largest HIV-positive population and accounts for one-third of the world’s tuberculosis cases.

Children in crisis – no country can rival India’s staggering need. 

Of India’s 400 million children under 15 years old, possibly up to 35 million are orphans. Eleven million are abandoned (90% girls); three million live on the street. There are 20 million child laborers (including many instances of bond slavery to pay family debts) – some estimates claim 50 million. Up to two-thirds of children suffer physical abuse, and one-half some kind of sexual harassment or abuse. Over 1.2 million children are involved in prostitution; many of them are Nepali or Bangladeshi.

The Opportunity

To reopen the Gentle Hands orphanage in Tamil Nadu with a potential of caring for 100 orphans.

The Reputation

Gentle Hands originated in the Philippines in 1990 as a service to the urban-poor pregnant women and babies. During the early years of Gentle Hands Philippines over 5000 babies before the organization shifted towards child care in the mid 2000s.

In 2004 Gentle Hands refocused it's emphasis towards crisis childcare and adoptions. Currently, Gentle Hands Philippines is directed by Charity and Evan Graff.

Gentle Hands India was opened in 2002. Due to some administrative issues ceased operation in 2009 and after restructuring will reopen an orphanage in Tamil Nadu.

The Challenge

First - to finish the legal requirements for reopening - in process

Second- to draft plans for expanding the current building

Third- to renovate and enlarge the current facility

Fourth- to select appropriate qualifies staff

Fifth -to select search for appropriate children for the facility

Sixth- financial

Money is needed for the following purposes

• Immediate administrative costs of finishing the legal work - $2500
• Obtaining an exact cost of construction - $5000
• General administrative expenses $10,000
• The cost of construction estimate - $100,000 (Will have definite price once I consult with the builder.)
• Raising a new operational budget estimated at $50 per child per month.

Once we start the renovations we'll begin screening new potential staff.

Would you have any contacts or people of interest who might be able to help raise this money? Please contact me as soon you can and we can get necessary information to these individuals; it would be great to see this project under way just as soon as we can.

Blessings,

Dennis Heppner
Projects Coordinator,
Gentle Hands of India

An Update of January Trip by Tracey

Here is a letter that Tracey sent out to her supporters in regards to her experience on the trip...

Hey friends & family!



As you know, myself along with Jonathan's dad, Dennis, my cousin Blayne and wife Tara, and brothers David & Greg Evans from the USA all went to India in January. 





Our main purpose was to scout a building and property that was given to Gentle Hands of India, which was running a few years back until there was some administrative issues that forced it to close. 





What we saw was awesome--the potential for this very run down building was great: a building that could be renovated and then house up to 100 children, on property that has space for a large grassed yard plus a garden. It is located in a nice middle class neighborhood. 



After touring through it, taking photos from all angles and listening to Dad and some Indians talk about the actual structure of the building, it really came alive! Our whole group was very excited about the potential that this ministry could do.





Here's a part of something I wrote about my trip to India...



i recently went on a quick trip over to india from the philippines. 6 days actually. and in those six days i took 7 flights, stayed in 3 hotels, drove by bus, van, taxi, auto (3 wheel trike), train and walked a ton.


the trip was for the main purpose of documenting for an NGO that will be opening a girls home/orphanage sometime this year, outside of chennai, tamil nadu.

then we went to mumbai for 2 days and then to nagercoil for the last two.

what i didn’t know is that my world would be completely rocked in mumbai.
 
“mumbai 10:30pm – i have no words to describe what i saw. all i know if that i will never be the same. and i will not be silent.

driving through the infamous “cages of mumbai”,  in amongst pimps by the hundreds, lie dozens of streets upon streets of what look like residences. except they are not. we are in amongst the biggest known brothel of the world. women and children, stolen & bought into sex slavery. they say there are over 200,000 people living in this area.

when my eyes wandered thru the crowds as we slowly drove thru this hell on earth, I saw one–one young lady sitting, waiting. and as we drove past her, I saw her eyes meet mine and all there was was dark loneliness screaming for hope, or someone to love them. as we drove past and onto the next street, a couple of young children no older than 5 playing at 11pm at night in the streets, in the middle of this hopeless death.

I am only one. and I am not sure what one like myself can do. but I know I came here for a reason. more than one reason. and I, in my own brokenness and frailty, will now begin to search out where it is I fit in all this…because I know one thing–I cannot be silent after what I saw tonight.”

i have always had a heart for india. and in recent years been more and more aware of the the reality of the sex slavery that goes on in our world in this day and age.

i loved every single moment i spent in mumbai. in all of india actually.

and so as i am back in my home in manila, philippines, i see those girls in my dreams, i see them daily. and i anticipate the days ahead when i can go back…and do more.
 

This describes my time in Mumbai, yes, but also describes my heart for the children of this nation.



Gentle Hands of India needs your financial help and many prayers. 

If this is something that moves you, and you would like more information on how to be involved, we would love to have more conversations with you about it.

So that is the basic of my update regarding India. It was really an amazing, eye-opening trip. And I’m excited to see what is in store for the many orphans of India.

Much love,
Tracey