LELC - Anna Irbe Foundation - Creating Caring Communities amongst all castes and creeds.
In 1933, Anna Irbe, daughter of Bishop Karlis Irbe, of Riga, Latvia, started a Mission Station in the Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu.Rev. G and Mrs. Mabel Stephen, fourth generation Christians, joined her,working together for 14 years. They established an holistic Christian centre with a working farm, Homes for children and old people, as well as Primary health care and Outreach spiritual educational and social work in the surrounding villages. In1938 Dr Feldmanis, the Latvian Mission secretary, visited this unique Swedish-Latvian-Indian community. He wrote:” the message of love was preached to the villagers in the context of their lives.” In 1968 Reverend Stephen established similar Mission work in the Tiruchy District of Tamil Nadu.
Churches are the focus of Communities, holding communal congregation meals on feast days thus breaking through barriers of caste. Churches are used for Sunday Services as well as daily early morning prayers and evening homework tuition classes, free meals for the disadvantaged, all night prayers and women's meetings. Churches conduct Outreach work in the form of prayer for combating fear of hospital operations or evil spirits, counselling and helping sick and despairing persons, especially Aids patients, in 11 villages. Our aim is to develop responsible self supporting communities.
Boys home in Kalpoondi village, for 31 boys aged between 4 and 16 from destitute, violent, or one parent families. There is supervised homework each evening, an emphasis on moral values and social skills in a family atmosphere.
