For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD — Marshfield’s India Mission Joy recently went to India for sightseeing and mission work. On March 12 at 12:30 p.m., the group is hosting a program in St. John the Baptist School’s Columbia Room to show photos of the trip and discuss projects it worked on in India. Prior to the presentation will be an Indian meal at $12 a plate for adults, children younger than 15 are $6 a plate, and children under 4 are free.

Last August the group held a fundraiser called Mother Teresa/India Festival at Marshfield High School. The event included an Indian meal, Indian dancers, music, presentations, and a silent auction. Through the event and other fundraisers, the group was able to send more than $12,000 to India for projects.

While in India, India Mission Joy visited Mother Teresa’s tomb and orphanage in Calcutta, where the group distributed school supplies and money. However, the main projects for the group were at the St. Ignatius High School and Orphanage in the southern Indian village of Kokkudi.

The chief task in Kokkudi was building new bathrooms in the high school, which has over 950 students. The ribbon cutting for the restrooms was on Jan. 12 and was celebrated by the whole village. Food, music, and entertainment followed the ribbon cutting event.

After the entertainment India Mission Joy visited the orphanage in Kokkudi, where there were more than 85 girls between the ages of 10 and 17. The group again dropped off school supplies, an iPod, and money.

India Mission Joy’s next projects are bathrooms for the girls orphanage and a well in the village of Kokkudi. Planning has started for another fundraiser to be held Aug. 5 in the Junior Fair Building at the Central Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. Activities will consist of an Indian meal, music, and dancing. It is planned to be a much bigger event than the first year.

For more information on India Mission Joy, contact Dennis Boucher at dennismarshfield@yahoo.com, or visit indiamissionjoy.org.