For the latest updates on the orphange project, click here.
The information below was also updated on June 1, 2005.

Reaching Out to the Victims of the Tsunami Disaster
Making a difference in one community

The South Asian tsunami devastated thousands of people and communities in a matter of hours. News reports evoked a flood of concern from people around the world, millions of whom were ready to respond immediately.

Members of Bethel were alerted to a unique opportunity to help one particular community in Chennai (aka Madras), India. A coastal city of several million people, the tsunami left hundreds of children there homeless and parent-less. There were immediate needs for food, shelter, and clothing … and long-term needs for new orphanages to care for the child victims.

That’s how we became involved.

In October, one of our members, Todd Heidelberger, and Pastor Rhodes visited a number of orphanages and day care centers supported by a Lutheran foundation in the United States (Bethania Kids). We were so thankful to experience such well-managed, caring, Christ-centered facilities that have made dramatic influences on the lives of the children living there and in the communities surrounding them. 

One such orphanage – in Chennai – barely escaped the devastating effects of the tsunamis. The 75 children living there are safe. But children in the surrounding community – especially children in the fishing community – were not so lucky. A terribly large number are now orphaned. They knew of nowhere else to go … except to the front door of the Bethania orphanage. Clearly, there was a desperate need for a new orphanage immediately ... a home for the many, many children in that one community whose fathers and mothers were taken from them in a few short moments at the end of 2004.

The leader of the present orphanage, Bishop John Sathyakumar of the Anglican Church in India, wrote this email we received in early January...

“In our orphanage, those affected in this community and surrounding areas were given asylum and their immediate needs are being met. The immediate needs are food, clothing, medicine, bedsheets, utensils, and sleeping mats…. Most of the children are in pathetic condition. We are being asked by local leaders to accept these children into our home [for long-term care].”

Unfortunately, the present facility was far too small to accept another 100 children as permanent residents.

Bishop John located a separate facility that could be turned into an orphanage in a short amount of time. Keep in mind, in “creating” an orphanage, we are not providing a temporary fix. We are providing a loving, Christ-centered, long-term solution for children who have nowhere else to turn.

The Children at the Chennai Orphanage.

Bishop John with the children of Chennai.

Members of Bethel were eager to take on the challenge to “create” the orphanage. To do so, $30,000 was needed.

On January 4, the India Orphanage Fund was created to solicit donors for a new orphanage in Chennai. This website and members’ willingness to forward targeted email messages generated immediate interest. Within a week’s time, the goal was met. A week later, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans announced that it would match all donations up to $40,000. By the first week of February, $40,000 had been raised, effectively generating $80,000 for the India Orphanage Fund.

The Fund was “officially” brought to a conclusion in early March. Total contributions now exceed $110,000. The most recent gift was a check for $250 from a home for abused girls in Massachusetts, the result of a fund-raising effort they initiated. God placed upon their hearts an eagerness to help. The India Orphanage Fund was a conduit for their ministry.

You will be happy to know that the additional money will be used to build not one, but three orphanages. housing a total of 130 children. Two will be located in Chennai, while a third will be established in Kodaikanal. 

Ongoing Support Needed for Tsunami Orphans...
Thanks to your financial and prayerful support, children are moving into their new homes. The India Orphanage Fund will provide all operating cost for the first year, but ongoing support will be needed. Can you help?

Partner congregations and individuals are being sought to sponsor one or more of the 130 children for only $240 per year. Your gift will fully provide all of the child’s needs, including health care, education, and food.

Interested? Let us know by e-mail. Send us your name (individual and/or congregation) and the number of children you would like to sponsor, and we will be in touch with specific details.

Want to know more? We’ll keep you informed through periodic updates. Or you can visit BethaniaKids.org. If you would like additional information, contact Todd Heidelberger at 540-539-6040.

LWR Partners with Bethania
Thanks to the India Orphanage Fund, Lutheran World Relief became aware of the ministry provided by Bethania Kids in India. Three members of Bethel participated in meetings in Baltimore and Chennai to help work out the details of a significant partnership in which LWR will fund construction and operating costs for community centers in India, while Bethania will manage day-to-day operations.

The Christian faith is all about new beginnings. It is our prayer that these 130 children will be blessed with a new beginning that is surrounded by love, grace, and mercy.

Thank you for your support of the India Orphanage Fund. You can be assured that every penny of your contribution will make a dramatic impact on the children so terribly impacted by this tragedy. If you would like to consider other ways to help, please visit the Lutheran World Relief website at www.lwr.org. Lutheran World Relief is widely recognized as one of the most efficient and effective relief organizations in the world. One hundred percent of all contributions to their ‘Wave of Giving’ campaign will go to help those in need.