International Sanctuary Ministries, Inc. is a U.S. based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Abilene, Texas, partnering with the non-profit Truth Ministries Social Organisation in Tenali, district of Guntur, state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Truth Ministries Social Organisation is registered in India to receive foreign contributions under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) of 2011.  Sanctuary Home was conceived in 2006 as two families, the Palaparthis in India and the Pettits in Texas, who wanted to open a children's home for street children in Tenali. From there, the two organizations, complying with laws of their respective nations, were formed, and the children's home was started.

In June 2006, known then as Sanctuary Home for Children, we opened our doors with 5 children in our orphanage.  Since then, we have grown to provide a Christian home for ~100 children, with our eyes on helping even more kids in poor circumstances in the future.  

 

In the intervening years, our ministry has grown to the point where we are no longer "just an orphanage," although that is still a vital part of what we do.  In addition to helping the orphans, we support a about 30 Christian widows and assist colony of Christians with leprosy.

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We also support the director of our operations in India, Isaac Palaparthi, in his efforts to spread the word of Christ's salvation to the people of his country. Additionally, we have hired six full-time evangelists to preach and teach throughout the state of Andhra Pradesh.

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As we get donations, we drill water wells in poor villages.  We construct the wells near church buildings, and use the wells as a tool for evangelism.  The fresh water is free to all who need it.

 

We have "adopted" a slum area and renamed it "Hope Village."  With the generous donations of our supporters, we have drilled two water wells in that slum, hired Christian teachers to teach the children there, and we provide an unaccredited school for those children, which is the only education these kids would have.  With the help of the Highland congregation in Abilene, we also have constructed a building and a wash station.  The structure is used as a church building, a school for the children of the slum, and as a community gathering spot and refuge from the heavy rains and flooding that seasonally affect the slum.

 

In 2017, In order to more fully express the diversity of our mission efforts, Sanctuary Home for Children as an organization changed its name to International Sanctuary Ministries, Inc.

 

International Sanctuary Ministries operates solely from the generosity of individuals who make monetary donations. Many of the donations come in the form of monthly sponsorships for the children and widows, but we also receive large and small undesignated and designated monthly and one-time donations.  Please note that those of us working in the United States are all volunteers so every penny possible can be used to directly support those who are part of International Sanctuary Ministries and its projects in India.

 

Our current board members are: Garry Bailey, Cheryl Merritt, Matt Merritt, Cleddy Varner, Pat Varner, Allison Wellborn, Kevin Wellborn, Cheryl Wheat, and Loren Wheat.   

 

We continue to work together with our supporters to help destitute children and widows, remembering that true religion is looking after widows and orphans in their distress (James 1:27).  In other ways, we provide benevolence to the poor and needy, all while spreading God's news of salvation through His Son, and thus doing what we can to help fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)  

 

For more information, please contact us.

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To donate to International Sanctuary Ministries, click HERE.