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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.

Meet Nenggousiam, our last Angel of the Week for 2016!

We are honored to finish the year with his amazing story.  Like all the other Angels we have featured, he has survived a life of unimaginable hardship, and yet has triumphed with the help of The James Connection and Angels' Place.

At only 10 years of age, Nenggousiam came from a home so troubled he feared for his life.  "I came to Angels' Place for survival," says the young boy as he recalls the fear and insecurity of living with a violent, alcoholic father.   His mother was often ill and unable to protect him and his other siblings from the tirades.  To make matters worse, there was often no food, and they were hungry and cold most of the time.  "My life before Angels' Place was miserable," he recalls with sorrow.

Today, Nenggousiam is on a healthier and happier path thanks to The James Connection.  Though the caregivers at the orphanage realize it will take time to heal the pain of his early childhood, they are already seeing tremendous progress.  Despite his tough history, he is a cheerful boy full of hope.  He loves to read in the library and play sports with his friends, and also enjoys learning math in school.  He wants the world to know how thankful he is for the opportunities that The James Connection and his sponsors have provided.

When asked what he likes most about Angels' Place, Nenggoussiam replies "The food and friends to play with."  No longer starving for nourishment or healthy human connections, this young boy is on the path to being another James Connection success story!

There are hundreds of children just like Nenggousiam on the waiting list to get into Angels' Place.  You can help make room for them by visiting our Ways to Help page today.

Look for more Angels of the Week coming in 2017!  To learn more about the Angel of the Week project and read more stories about our amazing kids, just click on "Angels of the Week" under Categories to the right.

“I am lucky. I am in Angels’ Place.”

Niangnunhoih, our Angel of the Week, offers up these words as she considers the transformation of her life since she arrived in 2015. Niangnunhoih came to Angels’ Place from a family of seven children. When her father died, her mother could no longer support all of the children. “We were cold and hungry,” says Niangnunhoih as she remembers that period in her life.

Now 11, she is living a good life with food, education, and friends. While we may think of the basic needs of food and shelter provided by Angels’ Place, Niangnunhoih points us to something else tremendously important: a sense of community. Her life previously lacked friends and the simple joys of companionship. Now she delights in having other children with whom she can study and play. Angels’ Place is nourishing a complete life, and a life with a future.

In school, her favorite subject is Moral Science because “it teaches us to be good and kind.” These words of wisdom come from one who is deeply grateful for the life and possibility that Angels’ Place provides. Those words speak to all of us, reminding us that goodness and kindness are blessings that multiply in the world. Your generosity makes possible the nurturing that Niangnunhoih now enjoys, and she is making goodness a part of the new life that she is building for her future.

If you would like to transform a life and give a gift that cultivates such goodness and kindness, please consider a sponsorship for a child like Niangnunhoih. Angels’ Place not only saves the lives of children; it cultivates their goodness that they might go out into the world to and share their blessings in turn.

Visit our Ways to Help page to learn what you can do.

"Thankful!"

This is what Ginmuansang wants the world to know about him -- a good message for all of us during this week of Thanksgiving.  He is thankful for his sponsors who make it possible for him to feel the warmth and love of "home" every child deserves.

Ginmuansang is one of the newest children to join the Angels' Place family.  As you can see from his photo, he radiates a cheerful spirit, but this was not always the case.

When Sang came to the orphanage, he was very quiet, shy and withdrawn.  The caregivers were concerned about him, but given the circumstances of his home life, they realized it might take a while for him to come out of his shell.

Sang's father was a drug addict and eventually left his mother.  He remembers how miserable his home life was back then. Combined with the devastating stress of extreme poverty, Sang's hope for a happy and successful life was very slim.  He was following in his father's footsteps, heading down a path so many young men follow when trapped in the grips of despair and hopelessness.  His future looked bleak.  Like his father he was vulnerable to addiction, living on the streets or in crowded slums and resorting to crime or begging to survive.

Eventually, Sang's mother remarried, a blessing for her but not for her children.  Her new husband did not want Sang, and he was sent to live with his grandparents.  It was not long before they realized they were too old to care for him, and they brought him to Angels' Place.   Though Sang was deeply wounded by the pain of losing his family, this decision was a turning point for him.  It was a blessing in disguise that would lead him toward a new path...one of hope.

It only took a few months before caregivers at Angels' Place began to see a change in Sang's demeanor.  With proper nourishment and a loving peaceful place to call home, this little boy's naturally cheerful and kind spirit began to emerge.

Today, Sang is thriving at Angels' Place.  When asked what he likes most about the orphanage, he responds: "The people are kind."

As you nestle into the warmth and love of your own homes this Thanksgiving, please remember all the children in the world who are cold and lonely.  There are hundreds still on the waiting list at Angels' Place.  You can help us make room for them by visiting our Ways to Help page.

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