On Tuesday, November 29th, ICN will be participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving.  Last year more than 45,000 organizations in 71 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. 

This year, ICN's focus during #GivingTuesday will be to raise money for our NEW After School Center and Children's Shelter in Liberia.  We have purchased the property, and now we need to raise the funds for the building. Donate during #GivingTuesday and help purchase building supplies for this project.  If you would like to make a more personal impact on #GivingTuesday, please consider sponsoring a child. 100% of the money donated on #GivingTuesday will go directly to the cause you designate, and ICN will cover any fees for these donations.  Donating to either cause will change children's lives around the world!  Join the movement and show that the world gives as good as it gets! 

We are beginning to make plans for service trips to India/Nepal and Peru, and we want to invite YOU to come with us!  Matsiko alumni will be excited to see you and share all they have accomplished since returning home. You will get to witness the preparations of the children hoping to be chosen for the next US tour.  And you can meet your sponsored child and see personally the impact your sponsorship is making in his or her life. There will also be some time for sightseeing at places like the Taj Mahal, Mt. Everest and Machu Picchu.  The dates of these trips are not set, but they will take place for 7-10 days this spring. Once 

Thank you for fueling the travels of Matsiko in order to provide as many of our world's orphaned and at-risk children the chance to receive a complete education through their nation's universities and vocational schools.  We have continued our journey down the East Coast this fall, and we continue to be blown away by the love and support of everyone we meet!  

In Washington, D.C. we were honored to be invited to the White House for a personal tour and humbled to personally meet with many of our nation's Congressmen and Senators. Several of these men have been influential in helping us get the approval needed to bring the children in the choir over from Peru, Liberia and India, and it was awesome to be able to thank them in person!  

As we continued our journey through Virginia, we had a wide array of experiences as we visited beautiful beaches and rich historical sites.  But the beauty of the state was far surpassed by the wonderful families and friends that we met who will remain in our hearts for a lifetime.  In the Carolinas, we experienced the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, delicious food and the warmth of Southern hospitality!  

In the seemingly endless state of Florida, we enjoyed everything from alligators to the Everglades!  It is difficult to know which is greater...the love of the people, or the number of roads we traveled to get through the state!  Disney World invited Matsiko to perform, and of course, we also had to give the children the chance to have their dreams come true by meeting every prince and princess imaginable!  We also had time to bask in the beautiful beaches in Miami and the Florida Keys!  

We are now in Alabama, where we will celebrate Thanksgiving.  We are looking forward to our next stops, which include enjoying Nashville and Atlanta before heading to Nebraska for Christmas.  From Nebraska, we will be heading back to the Seattle area to share our adventures with all of our supporters at home.  We invite each of you to come see us in Seattle before we leave!