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Category Archives: Angels of the Week

Angel of the Week: Jem

Tinneijem, known as “Jem,” is a recent arrival to Angels’ Place. Her father died from liver disease while she was in her first month of infancy. Now ten years old, she says that her life was “unbearable” because “there was no one to take care of me.” She came to Angels’ Place earlier this year and has found a new home, and a new life.

Jem’s favorite subject in school is Moral Science, which she enjoys because “It teaches us to love God and people.” That sort of kindness and compassion comes through in her experience at Angels’ Place where she is known as being sweet and cheerful. She enjoys singing and dancing, two of the regular activities for the children in the orphanage. In her short time there, she has also made a group of friends and says that playing with her friends is her favorite part of her new life.

Angels’ Place has opened a brighter and more promising future for Jem, and now that she has left behind her desperate conditions of her early childhood, she is looking forward to her education and even a future in the Indian Administrative Service. She knows that this path of hope has become possible because of the care and generosity of others, and she feels deep gratitude for her sponsors who are supporting her.

If you would like to learn more about children like Jem, and how you can give a promising future to a young life, visit our Ways to Help page.

There are many other gems like Jem, and your support can help them to shine!  Read more stories by clicking "Angel of the Week" under Categories to the right of this page.

Angel of the Week: Kaplianhau

“I love Angel’s Place.”

Kaplianhau arrived in Angel’s Place last year, and these are his words to describe his experience. Now seven years old, he has lived through much grief and hardship already in his short life. His father died in 2015, and his mother was forced to live with her parents. Kaplianhau went to live with an uncle, who brought him to Angel’s Place last year.

Life before Angel’s Place was “miserable” in Kaplianhau’s words. He remembers being hungry and cold on most days. Now his life has turned around, with a warm place to stay and a healthy diet. Angel’s Place has also provided him with companionship, and he says that his favorite part of his new life is his circle of friends. In school, his favorite subject is drawing, which he thinks is “fun,” and when not in class, he enjoys playing football.

The story of Kaplianhau’s hardship is all too familiar, and Angel’s Place has an opportunity to transform these young lives. Angel’s Place is providing them with the basics of shelter and food, and it is also working on the other needs for a happy life: education, friendship and community. “I am happy,” says Kaplianhau, and we have all of the James Connection community to thank for one more story of need turned into a story of hope.

There are hundreds of children just like Kaplianhau on the waiting list for Angels' Place.  Help us make room for them by visiting our Ways to Help Page.

To read more Angel stories, click on "Angel of the Week" under Categories to the right of this page.

Angel of the Week: Ching Mary

Meet Ching Mary, our first Angel of the Week for 2017!

Like so many children in India, she came from a life full of struggle and hardship.  When asked about her childhood before Angels' Place, she replies "It was terrible.  Life was hard".  She describes how, after her father's sudden death, her mother fell into extreme poverty and could no longer take care of her five children.   With no health care, Ching Mary was often sick.  Hunger was normal for her and education a lost dream.

The film "Lion", nominated for an Academy "Best Picture" Award this year, is a heartbreaking, yet eye-opening look into life on the streets for millions of "lost" children in India.  Children, like Ching Mary, who never found their way to a home like Angels' Place.  They are sleeping in bus stations and digging through trash for food.  Many are captured and forced into slavery or the sex-trade.  Thankfully, Ching Mary does not have to fear such a bleak future.

At Angels' Place, Ching Mary is thriving.  What she likes most about her life there is "the love and care of the staff".   She gets to go to school and study her favorite subject, Social Science.  In her free time, she is busy being a carefree teenager; singing and dancing with friends and watching movies.  The caregivers know her as a sweet and cheerful girl with a bright future ahead...a stark contrast to the millions who have not been so blessed.

There is hope for these lost children.  Hundreds are on the waiting list to get into Angels' Place alone.  We just need the room and funds to accommodate them.  Visit our Ways to Help page to find out what you can do to help a child desperately in need of a good, loving home.

To learn more about our Angel of the Week project and read more stories, click on "Angel of the Week" under Categories on right of this page.

 

 

Angels of the Week 2016!

Happy New Year from the James Connection!

Yes, we realize the year is not so "new" anymore, but we were busy in January with website maintenance and upgrades.  Finally, we are ready to get back to our Angel of the Week project!

We are starting off 2017 with a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to all of our 2016 Angels' of the Week.  Pictured are: (First Row, Left to Right) Manlamkim, Vungliansang, Niangnunhoih, Niangbiakhoih, Dimneihhoih, Kimnunmawi, Chinlunmawi, Niangneihmawi. (Second Row, L - R) Mangmuanlian, Hnunliansang, Manglalthuam, Suan Simeon, Nenggousiam, Muantanlian, Ginmuansang, Thangkhanmuan. (Third Row L - R) Chingmalsawm, Chinglianmawi, Lamneichong, Akip, Vunghoihkim, Suresh, Thangzareng, Siamson.

These kids are living proof how the work we do changes lives.  They all had tough stories, coming from unimaginable poverty before they came to Angels' Place.  They were cold at night, hungry all day and many had guardians who mistreated or neglected them.  Some had no families at all and were destined to live on the streets.  A good education was a luxury few could afford.  They came to the orphanage desperate and lonely, some barely surviving.  Their despair showed in their tired faces as each walked through the doors of Angels' Place for the first time.

Then everything changed...

The first day for a child at Angels' Place would be like walking into a dream.  For many, it was the first night they would ever sleep in a warm bed all their own.  Suddenly, they had a sponsor from across the world who paid for their care and loving responsible adults to look after them.  There were three nourishing meals a day (unthinkable for most) and doctors to help them regain health.  There were singing groups and sewing clubs to join and a computer lab to practice technology skills.  Then, they were off to school, and many discovered a love of learning for the first time.  Within just a few days of arriving, caregivers would notice more smiles and a brighter demeanor.  Within a few weeks, a young boy once sullen with despair rediscovers the joy and playful spirit of childhood.  After a few months, a young girl, pale and emaciated from malnourishment when she arrived, dances with her friends, her cheeks plump and rosy with the glow of good health.  Life for these children, once bleak and fearful, is now a happy adventure full of opportunity.

We will feature over 20 new Angels over the course of this coming year.  Please read and share their stories!  We need your help spreading the word about these amazing children and the hundreds still waiting for a home at Angels' Place.  To learn more about what you can do to help, visit our Ways to Help page.