Telephone:
412-721-4070 PO Box 751
Pittsburgh, PA 15146

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Update on Angels’ Place during the Manipur Crisis

Image courtesy of The New India Express

The rioting in Manipur has subsided, and while the situation remains a concern, the children at Angels’ Place are safe. The rioting has affected both Imphal and Churachandpur, where Angels’ Place is located. In Churachandpur, the rioting stayed in the business district of the city and did not reach the residential area around Angels’ Place. The campus of Angels’ Place remains secure and undisturbed by the rioting. All children have remained on the campus throughout the recent events, and on-site staff care for their needs. Food delivery has been a concern, and delivery from Imphal has not been possible. Staff have had to make arrangements for food deliveries from the more distant city of Aizawl, Mizoram, and recent delivery of rice, potatoes, and dal has reached Angels’ Place. The schools have been closed throughout the time of political unrest. Internet communication remains restricted, but we are maintaining phone contact with our partners in India.
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The rioting has displaced a number of our friends in India, those who provide for the children and manage Angels’ Place. Sanga, the Director of Angels' Place and our primary contact in India, was in Imphal where much of the rioting occurred. He and his family have relocated to the city of Aizawl, Mizoram. Others in his Imphal School of Preaching, like many in the area, have left to stay with relatives in nearby villages. Many of our friends have suffered substantial loss, including the destruction and looting of homes. The violence has resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, and tens of thousands have been displaced. While our friends and colleagues are among the displaced, we are grateful that all have relocated safely. Yet their losses have been great, and many of their homes, cars, and items of personal property have been looted and destroyed. We ask for your continuing prayers for the safety of the children, the staff, and all of our friends who make possible the work of Angels’ Place.
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We are working with the Church of Christ in Holiday Park PA and Manassas, VA to set up a fund to help Sanga and his people. Raising funds for their losses is a separate mission from the James Connection but we will keep you posted on how to help if you feel called to do so. More information to follow.

Crisis in Manipur

Many of you in our community are aware of the crisis happening in the state of Manipur, where Angels' Place is located. The orphanage is currently protected by guards and the children are safe but the violence in the district of greater Chruachandpur continues to escalate. Here is a brief summary of what we know…
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Spring 2023 Update: News from Angels’ Place

Computer rendering of new health care facility

As you may know, Jim Ice and I were finally able to visit Angels’ Place after the pandemic restrictions ended. We each wrote lengthy reports of our visit which are posted on this web site. (click here to access the article with reports.) Please give them a read. They are lengthy but comprehensive descriptions of the wonderful work our great staff is doing there.

We also listed what we must accomplish to continue to advance our mission to help the needy orphans of India. That list is long and expensive to accomplish, so, we have begun to raise the funds to make Angels’ Place even more wonderful.

Our first project is to fund a new water purification system to supply potable water in our faucets and fountains for all our kids. We are optimistic that we can secure the needed funds in the near future with a grant from a corporate partner. We have made this project a high priority because water borne diseases are an ever-present danger to our children and the bottled water we have relied on is increasingly expensive.

Location of new health care facility

At the same time, we have begun work on building a health care facility where our pediatrician and nurses can work. We will equip the facility with all the necessary devices and space to treat all first aid needs plus sufficient space for isolation of children needing long term care. The hospital in Churachandpur is simply not adequate for the needs of our children. We must provide this building for all future health care eventualities. Our experience with the pandemic proved this need for us. We were blessed to survive the pandemic with only one child showing symptoms, but we had to isolate 16 girls and one boy who tested positive but were asymptomatic. We must be prepared for such problems that may arise again. Included with this report is a photo (above right) of the vacant area in the corner formed by Lydia’s House and the vocational education building plus the computer rendering (top of page) of the new health care building prepared by Siam, our resident supervisor.

We are also working to fix our roads, our basketball court, our soccer field and our playground equipment. We have 170 kids to nurture, feed, educate and entertain with sports and play and all the things healthy kids need to grow.

We also have been blessed with wonderful, generous patrons and we trust that blessings will continue to come so we can fund this work. If you would like to make a contribution please do so securely on this website or by mailing a check payable to James Connection to PO Box 751, Monroeville, PA 15146.

I treasure the privilege of doing this work and I hope you do too. Surely, God has shown us what can be accomplished if we keep praying and moving forward.

In Him,

Jan Swensen
Executive Director

Fall 2022 Update: Jan Swensen and Jim Ice Visit Angels’ Place

In October, James Connection Executive Director Jan Swensen and Board Member Jim Ice traveled to Angels’ Place. These regular trips have several goals that center around maintaining a safe, healthy, and nurturing life for the children. They both kept a full schedule during their week-long stay, and their activities included: meeting with the children; meeting with the staff in order to review operations, programs, and financial management of Angels’ Place; reviewing the educational progress of the children and their medical care; and assessing the facilities for maintenance and capital needs.

Jan had a special intention for this trip, which was to meet with some of the recent graduates of Angels’ Place, and his report underscores one of our most important goals for our work. Angels’ Place exists not only to take care of the children but also to prepare them for their lives as adults. Jan’s report contains many heartwarming stories of how these precious children have grown into young adults who are making their way in the world. As for Jim, he has been working for several years on developing the vocational programs at Angels’ Place. During this trip, he devoted significant time to reviewing curriculum, mentorship, and facilities. He is pleased to report substantial growth in the program – another effort to ensure that the children become productive and self-sufficient when they enter adulthood. To read the full reports, click the links at the end of this article.

By both accounts, the children are doing well and the staff at Angels’ Place are providing good care for them. Please see Jan’s and Jim’s summary reports below for more detail. We thank you for your ongoing support, for you have made Angels’ Place a nurturing home where children can count on a brighter future - one that they would not have had without you.

Read Jan's full report

Read Jim's full report