| GIFT GIVING CAMPAIGN |
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Because of your generous donations during the holidays, over $10,000 was given to buy gifts for ICN's sponsored and non-sponsored children around the world
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Children and families were so grateful for the love you shared, and some came to us in tears to tell how grateful they are for the love they have been shown. For many, this is the first time they have received such kindness and support, and they can hardly believe it exists! Because of a simple gift, they now know that they are loved, and they
DO
matter!
THANK YOU for sharing your love with these children and families around the world by giving to our "Hope for the Holidays" Campaign!
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MATSIKO TOUR DATES
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April 1-7 Spokane, WA
April 7-8 Helena, MT
April 8-9 Billings, MT
April 9-15 Watford City, ND
April 15-20 Rapid City, SD
April 20-21 Sioux Falls, SD
April 21-28 Eu Claire, WI
April 28-May 4 Madison, WI
May 4-11 Decatur, IL
May 11-16 Indianapolis, IN
May 16-23 Cincinnati, OH
May 23-30 Louisville, KY
May 30-June 2 Columbus, OH
June 2-6 Cleveland, OH
June 6-13 Pittsburgh, PA
June 13-20 Buffalo, NY
June 20-23 Rochester, NY
June 23-27 Syracuse, NY
June 27-30 Albany, NY
June 30-July 5 Portland, ME
July 5-11 Boston, MA
July 11-14 Providence, RI
July 14-18 Hartford, CT
July 18-21 Long Island, NY
July 21-25 Woodstock, NY
July 25-31 Trenton, NJ
Aug 29-Sept 5 York, PA
Sept 5-12 Baltimore, MD
Sept 12-19 Washington, DC
Sept 19-26 Richmond, VA
Sept 26-29 Norfolk, VA
Sept 29-Oct 3 VA Beach, VA
Oct 3-10 Charlotte, NC
Oct 10-17 Columbia, SC
Oct 17-20 Charleston, SC
Oct 20-24 Jacksonville, FL
Oct 24-31 Orlando, FL
Oct 31-Nov 7 Miami, FL
Nov 7-14 Tampa, FL
Nov 14-21 Tallahassee, FL
Nov 21-28 Tuscaloosa, AL
Nov 28-Dec 5 Atlanta, GA
Dec 5-12 Nashville, TN
Dec 12-15 Memphis, TN
Dec 15-19 Little Rock, AR
Dec 19-22 OK Springs, OK
Dec 22-23 Wichita, KS
Dec 23-Jan2 Central City, NE
Jan 2-5, 2017 Sterling, CO
Jan 5-9 Denver, CO
Jan 9-10 Rawlings, WY
Jan 10-12 Salt Lake City, UT Jan 12-16 Boise, ID
Jan 16-Feb Seattle Area
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If you shop on Amazon, you can now visit
www.smile.amazon.com and select International Children's Network as your charity. Anytime you purchase eligible items through Amazon Smile, %.5 of the price will be donated to ICN.
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2015 CHILD PROGRESS |
ICN just finished its worldwide visits to all our sponsored children, and we were absolutely overwhelmed at the progress
 of the children. This progress is the direct result of your love and support. We will bring you more specific updates on each country in the future, but we were so excited to share the hope that you have given to these children today! Sponsorship with ICN is unique because it continues through the university or vocational levels and actually empowers the individual to get a job in a career that will allow them to help children who live life like they once did.
 This year we met with students ready to graduate and full of hope for their future from the continents of Africa, South America and Asia! These children once had no hope at all, but because of people like you they will now be able to help children just like themselves through their jobs as engineers, architects, mechanics, electricians, chefs, doctors, nurses, teachers, pastors, lawyers, accountants and many others. We are excited to share with you that your support is changing the life of your child, their family, village and nation! Thank you!
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PROPERTY UPDATES |
Property in Liberia has finally been acquired, and it is beautiful! We were able to gain favor in Liberia to obtain an acre of beach front property in the city of Monrovia. Plans are underway to build a child center for free tutoring, shelter, feeding, after school development, ICN headquarters, and lodging for our guests who visit Liberia!
Because of our work in Peru, we have received favor from the Catholic Church and will now be able to receive below-valued property in Arequipa and Chivay in order to do the same. We are now reviewing plans to begin similar projects in India, Nepal, the Philippines, Ghana and the other countries where we partner. Our goal in building these centers
is to provide a safe space where we can work with our world's neediest children and see them grow and develop into wonderful leaders!
In addition to these centers, plans are also being made to build schools in Liberia, Ghana, Peru, India, the Philippines and Nepal. Schooling for the most neglected and forgotten children in the world is usually not up to standard. We have b
een able to use our leverage in order to represent these children and fight for them to receive a real education and care when they are able to attend school. However, more can be done. With our after school centers, free tutoring is offered. However, ICN's own schools would provide better teachers, proper care of the children, and a complete focus on their education. The goal is t
o see even better results in the lives of sponsored children around the world.
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JOIN ICN IN INDIA & NEPAL |
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Service trips are happening all the time with ICN, and we always welcome volunteers to come along with us. This spring we are planning a service trip to India and Nepal to work with the Matsiko children and do valuable sponsorship work. If you would like the chance to understand the challenges and real opportunities of our world's least fortunate children, to play with them, help them and live among them, this trip is for you! Tentative dates for the trip are April 18th - May 2nd, and the estimated cost for airfare from Seattle, lodging, transportation and some meals will be roughly $3100 per person. If you book your own flight to New Dehli, the cost for all other fees will be approximately $1800 per person. (Prices will vary based on daily exchange
rates). This is a once in a lifetime trip! You
will get the opportunity to see the Taj Mahal and the
Himalayas while also
seeing the impact your support has on these children, their
families, and their communities. If you are interested in joining the team for this trip, please contact us at
[email protected]
. We welcome any questions or concerns!
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MATSIKO ARRIVAL |
The Matsiko World Orphan Choir is preparing for its 2016 US Tour! We are currently in the process of applying for passports and visas for children from Liberia, Peru and India. We are also working on getting approval for children from Nepal, Ghana and the Philippines to join us later in the year. If everything goes according to plan, the children will arrive in Seattle in March to begin their training before the tour begins in April.
The 2016 tour is an exciting one for us because we are planning to introduce the fantastic Matsiko World Orphan Choir to the East Coast! On the left, you can see our proposed tour schedule. We are looking for people in each area that we visit to help find performance venues, coordinate host housing, collect items needed for the children, and more. If you are interested in helping with any of these areas, or if you have any contacts who may be able to help, please contact Jennie and Kate at
[email protected]
. We are also in the beginning stages of planning a West Coast tour that will start in September. So if you do not see your city on our list, stay tuned for further updates!
We are still looking for volunteers to travel with the choir. If  you would like an adventure and to serve and support the needy children around the world, consider taking 3 or more months to tour with the 2016 Matsiko Choir. It will be a life-changing experience for you, as well as for the children!! Be a part of changing lives into something greater! We need chaperons, drivers, merchandise table workers, sound engineers, choir leaders, choreographers and so much more! For more information about this unique, life-changing opportunity, contact us at [email protected].
We hope to see
YOU
on this tour! You will not want to miss seeing the children from the Andes Mountains of Peru, the streets of India, and the bush villages of Africa sharing their amazing message of HOPE!
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Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love and support you show the children! We are so grateful for all of our sponsors, host families and supporters!
Sincerely,
Don Windham
INTERNATIONAL CHILDRENS NETWORK
MATSIKO WORLD ORPHAN CHOIR |
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