I have been offered an opportunity to join a team from Granger Community Church (GCC) to go to the tsunami zones in Southern India (Tamil Nadu region), from July 30 – August 9, 2009, as part of a community health team/project, and I would like to invite you to join me in being a part of my team!

While in India, our team will work with the Bethel Agricultural Fellowship Center in Salem, to provide community health support. In Salem, many families cannot afford for one reason or another to raise their infant daughters when they are born. As a result, they quietly allow the children to die so as to “spare” them the pain, trauma and shame of living in a world where they cannot be well cared for. Our team will partner with local trained church planters and ministry partners to help in the following fashions:
· Medical-Bethel Agricultural Fellowship Center is a ministry partner who operates a hospital and orphanage for girls whose parents have surrendered them rather than kill them. Our team and local church partners will be trained to aid GCC and Bethel physicians to administer basic medical care for these girls.
· Micro-Enterprise-Because financial destitution is one of the primary reasons that families choose not to allow their daughters to live, our team will be trained to help provide new business training and start-up support to local families. These families will continue to be served by local church partners.
· Education/Conversational English-our team will be trained to provide basic Bible study curriculum for Salem area families and local church partners regarding God’s plan for the family and His design for their health and function. We will also provide Conversational English basics to the girls currently under the care of Bethel Agricultural Fellowship Center.
In the process, we will also have opportunities to develop relationships both with the local church planters and with the people in their villages in order to build their status in the communities and open doors for further ministry and for sharing the Gospel of Christ. If you want to track the training and progress of the trip, you can check our blog at http://gccindia2009.blogspot.com/.

The cost to be a part of this team is $3,000.00 (plus an additional $200 for the necessary vaccinations), and we are encouraged to raise this money by building a team of families and individuals who are willing to join the opportunity to participate with us through both financial support and dedicated prayer. Any financial contributions should be mailed to GCC to Jeanna Tripp’s attention. GCC’s address is 630 East University Drive, Granger, IN 46530. An on-line giving account has been set up for me. If you would prefer to contribute to this trip on-line, click on the following link & follow the instructions provided: www.gccwired.com/missiontrips.

I am excited to be a part of this opportunity to further God's kingdom by bringing "Up There Down Here"!