COVID 19 MESSAGE
Dear Students, Colleagues and Faithful Supporters,
The world is facing an unprecedented challenge. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, people worldwide are facing challenges, both physical and psychological, the like of which has not been seen in many, many years. This crisis has affected nearly every aspect of life; the teaching-learning process is no exception.
At this time, India Christian Bible College campus remains closed. What can you do in the mean time? Start with the small things, such as practicing physical distancing and personal hygiene, avoiding public and open spaces, discouraging panic buying, ensuring no one is hungry in your neighborhood, spreading only credible information through social media, taking care of persons with special needs, and above all, lifting up your prayers and supplications to God.
During trying times, the true character of a person is often shown. We encourage you to stay in the Word. Seek God’s guidance. Continue seeking his will for your life. God is the One who can give you strength and the power to endure. We encourage you to remember that God loves each of us and has demonstrated that by sending His Son to die for our sins. So even in the midst of fear and loss, be strengthened by the assurance of God’s genuine love for you.
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to; Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Let us not forget that crises and disasters may, indeed, expose the fragility of human life, but also offer an opportunity to reveal the Holy Spirit that lives within you.
Study and Research at home. Stay safe, healthy, contribute and enrich. Pray!
Best Wishes and may God bless you!
ICBC Helping During the COVID 19 Crisis
Helping our Neighbors
We are distributing care packages to the poor in the area around the college. This time around we are donating 50 bags. Each bag contains the following items: Coconut oil, tea leaves, sugar, chili powder, onions, potatoes, green gram, garbanzo beans, lentils, bath and hand soap.
These staples make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for these impoverished people.
The need at this time is great.
- UPDATE 4/11/2020: Many people in the area have come to us asking for help. As a result, we have now given 95 care packages. While this is very expensive for us to do, we simply cannot turn away these people in need.
- UPDATE 4/13/2020: Due to the high demand, we are preparing another 50 bags to pass out tomorrow.
- UPDATE 4/15/2020: People keep coming asking for the grocery kit. Right now, we are out. Tomorrow we get new stock so I've told them to come back the day after.
- UPDATE 4/16/2020: Another truckload of groceries. Because the need is so great and the Lord has heavily burdened my heart, I believe the Lord is leading us to provide the meal packages to the needy for the next 3 months, or until such time as things begin to get back to normal. We will be opening a food pantry in a store front near the college where we plan on distributing 300 food packages per month. The food pantry will be open twice a week in the afternoons, 2 hours per day. We will date and initial the recipient's passbook to certify they only receive 1 package per month, to ensure we can help the maximum number of families. The cost to provide the packages for 3 months will be $10,800 USD. We are trusting in the gracious provision of the Lord to provide food for these needy people.
MAY HE RECEIVE ALL THE GLORY!!!
- UPDATE 4/21/2020: We have opened the store-front distribution center and have now distributed 400 food packages to needy Christian, Hindu and Muslim families. Thank you for enabling us to do this work! We have raised a little over half of the funds needed to complete this effort. We thank the Lord for his provision and trust Him to provide the remainder!
- UPDATE 4/28/2020: Thanks to the generous giving of God's people, we have now distributed 595 food packages to needy families - touching over 2000 people. 100 more packages ready for distribution on Saturday. PRAISE THE LORD!
- UPDATE 5/31/2020: To date, 1,766 packages given, which represents approximately 8,830 people have been recipients of the food packages. See full message from your missionary, John , below.
- UPDATE 9/11/2020: Total number of food packets given is now 3000, which represents approximately 15,000 individuals reached through this ministry.
Distributing the Packages
4/16 Update
Another truckload of Groceries
Because the need is so great and the Lord has heavily burdened my heart, I believe the Lord is leading us to provide the meal packages to the needy for the next 3 months, or until such time as things begin to get back to normal. We will be opening a food pantry in a store front near the college where we plan on distributing 300 food packages per month. The food pantry will be open twice a week in the afternoons, 2 hours per day. We will date and initial the recipient's passbook to certify they only receive 1 package per month, to ensure we can help the maximum number of families. The cost to provide the packages for 3 months will be $10,800 USD. We are trusting in the gracious provision of the Lord to provide food for these needy people.
May He receive all the Glory!!!
Distribution Store
Thank you for enabling us to open the food pantry. We are actively passing out food packages to the needy 2 afternoons a week. To date, we have provided 400 food packages to Christian, Hindu and Muslim families. We have raised a little over half of the funds necessary to purchase the supplies needed to meet our goal.
4/28 - We have now distributed 595 food packages to needy families - touching over 2000 people. 100 more packages ready for distribution on Saturday.
5/31 UPDATE
From the desk of Dr. John Philipose
Dear Friends and Partners,
This is John your missionary writing from India. Covid-19 has hit India badly also. Due to the lockdown, many have lost their jobs and all businesses are shut down. As a result, common man has become poorer and the essential commodities have become dearer. Poor families around our college are in dire need of a helping hand.
There are two things that prompted me to start feeding the hungry in our neighborhood.
- During my childhood I had suffered famine and starvation, so I know starvation and hunger.
- Remembering the words of Jesus “When I was hungry you fed me.”
Therefore, India Christian Bible College has launched out this noble project of “Rice for the hungry” which is our practical worship right now.
Now my dear brothers and sisters let me take a moment to thank you and your partnership with this project and God has confirmed this ministry is a need of the hour. I am so grateful to the churches and individuals for the generous giving.
Let us see how your generosity resulted in abundant blessing.
- So far 1,766 needy families have received food packets which means approximately 8,830 individuals have enjoyed the benefits.
- Token system was introduced to control the crowd.
- Each sack contains rice, sugar, tea leaves, cooking oil, dal, chili powder, chickpeas. These items are their day to day staple food. The cost for one sack is $8.00.
- A note is placed in every packet asking the following: A. as you open your food kit, praise God for providing this food, B. Pray for the people who are suffering without food, C. Pray for India Christian Bible College.
- Beneficiaries are mostly Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs.
- Our Pastors and some of our believers are also benefited.
- People from different states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Tibet, Nepal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab thankfully received your help.
This is our short term general charity which might continue for two more months and hopefully Covid-19 lock down will end soon.
Our long term project is to provide food to widows, individuals on hospice care and destitute in three states, namely Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab through our churches and Pastors. We would like to choose 150 families who are either elderly widows who are physically unable to work and bedridden patients. Both categories are less fortunate and nobody is there to support them. This special project costs $9 per month per family; $1350 monthly. I would like for you to prayerfully consider this project.
Thank you for the trust in me. I am committed to do my best for the Lord with the remaining years. God bless you is my prayer.
In Christ
John Philipose
