Where our name comes from
The Bible refers to fresh water coming from snow-covered Mount Hermon (highest mountain in Israel), bringing life and fertility, “as if the dew of the Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” - (Psalm 133)
As a result of Christian love and caring, we have the desire to help both physically and spiritually – with fresh and living water.
We know the name is somewhat long and awkward ;-)
How it all began and shaped up
Frances van Halem met Joseph and Geetha Komanapalli (now the Indian directors of HLWM in India) in 1985 for the first time when she visited several Christian organisations in India. For many years they corresponded via mail until the Komanapallis visited Adrian and Frances van Halem in the Netherlands in 1997.
Joseph and Geetha told the retired couple their vision that they had been praying about for so many years. This vision was to bring Christian hope to Indians (mostly Dalits) in need in the remote delta area of the Godavari river near to where the Indian family lives.
After their visit to Europe, the Komanapallis built with the financial support of the family van Halem a small church in Kalipatnam, a village located in the river delta. Joseph then invited the Dutch couple to come to India in February 1998 in order to inaugurate this church building. Deeply moved by the poverty and the desire of the many people to learn more about Christianity, Adrian and Frances returned inspired to the Netherlands.
In 1999, Adrian and Frances van Halem together with Joseph and Geetha Komanapalli founded the charitable foundation Hermon Living Water Ministries (HLWM) with headquarters in Narsapur, India. Since then, Adrian and Frances have been travelling to the delta area in India at their own cost for about three weeks each year to locally support the work of HLWM. During the rest of the year, they have worked full-time to raise funds to finance the activities of HLWM on a purely honorary basis.
In 2000, Stichting Hermon Living Water Ministries was registered in Zwolle, Netherlands, as a charitable organisation with honorary members to financially support the activities of HLWM in India. For their work among the Dalits in India, Adrian and Frances van Halem were knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands in the order of Oranje-Nassau on the 24th of December 2008.
From the year 2000 until 2008, the Dutch foundation was chaired by Adrian van Halem (born 1932) who had been praying for several years to find a suitable and committed successor with leadership skills.
Ron Feith accepted this huge responsibility and took over the position as chairman in 2008. Ron and his wife Judith had supported HLWM generously for many years and visited HLWM in India several times. In order to be able to focus his attention more on HLWM activities, Ron has even given up his full-time career as a senior police officer.
In 2000, Stichting Hermon Living Water Ministries was registered in Zwolle, Netherlands, as a charitable organisation with honorary members to financially support the activities of HLWM in India. For their work among the Dalits in India, Adrian and Frances van Halem were knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands in the order of Oranje-Nassau on the 24th of December 2008.
From the year 2000 until 2008, the Dutch foundation was chaired by Adrian van Halem (born 1932) who had been praying for several years to find a suitable and committed successor with leadership skills.
Ron Feith accepted this huge responsibility and took over the position as chairman in 2008. Ron and his wife Judith had supported HLWM generously for many years and visited HLWM in India several times. In order to be able to focus his attention more on HLWM activities, Ron has even given up his full-time career as a senior police officer.
