Honeoye Falls - Lima Manor School students ran a penny drive to collect funds for a new mini-bus for the Miracle Garden orphans. They raised $1000 in pennies and change! The project was spearheaded by 5th grader Brennon Thompson. Oh, and his mom, Cheryl, helped a lot, too! :-) Way to go Mannor School students. Your contributions were the inspiration for a matching grant of $7500. If we raise $7500, then a foundation called Christian World Relief will match the $7500 dollar for dollar. You have jump started this project with your generous gift of love.  

Sponsors and friends from Brockport UMC. You have greatly blessed the children of Miracle Garden Tsunami Children's Home. Thank you Cheryl & Richard Codori for your valuable sponsorship and your efforts to set up this meeting! 

John & Michelle Pandian join Rev. Sinathamby Thevanesan and his wife in Brockport for a meeting with sponsors & prayer partners. Thank you Rev. Thevanesan and members of Brockport United Methodist Church for your hospitality.  

John with Pastor Doug & Nancy Wilson of Geneseo United Methodist Church. 

John & Michelle Pandian, with son Adam, pose in the foyer of Geneseo UMC near their display. What a wonderful "family reunion" for the Pandians and for the missoins team from Geneseo that went with Michelle to India last Christmas (Bill & Ruth Percival, Deloris Hanrahan, Marion Taylor, and Charlotte Emonde). The Geneseo contingent was joined on this day by Asbury First UMC team members Merilyn Israel and the Church family. 

Orphan sponsor Doug McCoy raosts a mean hot dog at the Geneseo UMC picnic during John's visit/ 

Bro. John speaking at Geneseo United Methodist Church on June 28th. Pastor Wilson and the congregation had a wonderful service prepared and a picnic afterwards. They had also collected many baskets of vitamins, medicines, socks, and clothes to send to the orphans. John was able to meet many of the sponsors from Geneseo and we had a great time of fellowship. Thank you Geneseo UMC! 

More summer fun! Thanks to Merilyn Israel's family, who sponsored a trip to the water park in her honor for Mother's Day, the kids enjoyed a day at Kovai Kondattam on May 24th. Shown here are Vignesh (arms out), Kanmani, and others. 

Summer Field Trip! The orphans who did not go to visit relatives took a field trip to Mysore, Karnataka, in May before John came to the US. Shown here are the girls in front of the Mysore Palace. Mysore used to be the capitol of the princely state and the king had many palaces and gardens here. Both girls and boys went. Shown here are (from left) Kanimoli, Tamil Alaghi, Guyathri, Suwathi in front, Mohana, Ellakiya, Yamuna, and N. Surya. They look so American in their western-style clothes! Except N. Surya, who apparently doesn't know her white outfit is really a pair of pajamas. :-) 

May Mysore trip - the girls outside the hostel where everyone stayed. From left - N. Surya, Kanimoli, Mohana, Tamil Alaghi in back, Yamuna, Ellakiya, Guyathri.  

May Mysore trip - boys on a boat tour of the bird sanctuary near Srirangapatinam.  

Two boys unload the 65 book bags for the children. As school supplies are needed year round, donations are always welcome. "American" pencils, pens, erasers, etc. are a hot commodity at Miracle Garden and are used as rewards for good behavior. If you send a box to a child at MG, please include a packet of colorful pencils. God bless you. 

Another Mother's Day blessing - School supplies. Each child was required to have at least 6 notebooks. Thank you to everyone who blessed the children with school supplies. This is an ongoing need at Miracle Garden, although June is the most expensive month as that is when the kids begin their school year.  

The girls enjoyed mangos also. This native Indian fruit tastes sort of like a cross between a strawberry and a carrot, and is soft and buttery to the touch. The children LOVE them. Thank you Mother's Day donors! 

Mangos, yea! Each child got a mango in honor of Mother's Day from several special donors. Apples or grapes will be given on another occasion. Thank you for thinking of our little ones on your special occasions! 

Here is Kavitha (DK) with her new driver's license and new scooter. Thank you Lancaster Presbyterian Church for empowering her in this project. She now is able to legally drive children to school, run errands, and take care of business for both the orphanage, college, tailoring school, etc., as the needs present themselves. What a blessing for her and us as well! 

Orphan sponsor and December team member Beverly Davies at our display table during the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Western NY. Thank you Beverly for your tireless efforts to spread the word! 

Thank you, thank you, Lancaster Presbyterian Church, for your generous donation of $18,000 toward the purchase of land for the new dormitory for the orphans. Pictured here is Pastor Dave Kunselman next to John and Mr. Ken Gordon, who visited Miracle Garden last November with a team from Lancaster. God bless them as they partner with us in ministry.  

Professional psychologist Rowan Moore, who visited Miracle Garden in Nov. of 20005 with her colleague, Dr. Beverly Ingelse, from the American Association of Christian Counselors, is pictured here with a few small gifts she purchased for her sponsored orphan, Tamil Selvi. John and Michelle spent 2 wonderful days with the November counseling and therapy team discussing current needs of the children and a future visit to the orphanage. The children continue to need your prayers and support for healing from the trauma of domestic violence and the tsunami disaster. 

Bro. John shares about the orphans with Sunday School classes at Geneseo United Methodist Church. The children in turn drew pictures and wrote letters to the orphans.  

Family and friends celebrated Michelle Pandian's graduation with her master's degree on Saturday May 27th. Thank you to all sponsors and supporters of Miracle Garden who gave gifts to the orphanage in honor of Michelle's graduation! 

Thank you, thank you to the directors and trustees of the Dorothea Haus Ross Foundation, who approved a matching grant toward the new dormitory building for the children. John & Michelle had a wonderful lunch with them during John's visit to the US.