Tuesday, July 3, 2012

FoR i KNoW THe PLaNS i HaVe FoR YoU

This week has already brought about some more prayer requests.  Please pray for the following ministries.

On Saturdays I have been participating in Kids Club at a local church.  Basically, there are about 50 kids who come to church, have a snack, Bible Lesson and then play games.  I help out with the lesson and games as needed.  Next to that church is a Boys Orphanage called Josiah's House (named after a 19 year old boy who was killed in a car accident years ago.  He loved the Lord and thus a church named the boys’ home after him).  At Josiah's house, there is room for 32 boys.  Eventually, there will be 4 homes, but right now there are 2, one in which missionaries are living while raising 4 boys.  Previously, I have gotten to hang out with the boys both here at SCORE and during Kids Club, but this past Sunday I also got to attend church with them and meet the missionaries who are raising them.  They are incredible.  After being here for one year with the boys the boys now are able to read (upon coming to the home they were illiterate) and they seem very well nourished and overall happy.  Most importantly, they are learning the word of God.  My prayer for this ministry is that God would continue to provide the missionaries with endurance and soft hearts for these boys, that the boys would continue to learn how to read, and that God would continue to provide avenues for them to learn more and more about Him.  There is a possibility that I may stay at Josiah's house this weekend to learn more about the ministry.  Please pray for that time as well.

Today, I returned to my bi-weekly visit to Emanual House (yes, it is actually spelled with 1 “m” as it would be spelled in Spanish) where school is back in session since yesterday.  With about half of the kids back at school without chicken pox, I was able to get a glimpse of a normal day. My day took a turn though when we went on a few house visits to check on some families.  We went to one house and eventually found out that the mother of 4 had been abused by her husband just Sunday after he came home drunk late Sunday night.  He had cut her face (fortunately not too deep) with a machete and had threatened both her life and the lives of her children.  After praying for the family and for guidance, we went back to Emanual House, spoke with Mirqueya (she really is an angel) and we eventually left with the entire family before the husband got home from work.  The family, without even milk for the 7 month old baby nor a change of clothes, fled.  According to the mom, she has endured 10 years of physical abuse, but this time was just really afraid because he said he was going to kill her and the children.  After taking the family to a center for domestic violence in a nearby city, we have brought the family to the complex where I am staying where they will be safe for a few days.  The kids swam in a pool for the first time, were fed a full meal, and had plenty of water (all commodities that they are not privy to on a day to day basis).  My prayer is for a long-term solution for this family.  While they don't have much, they left it all.  I am not sure if or how they will be able to get the little belongings that they do have.  Second, please pray for the health of the little ones.  The kids are 7, 6, 3 and 7 months.  The smallest one, while 7 months old, appears to be about 3 or 4 months old due to his malnutrition.  He also has some health problems.  Please pray for their health.  Pray for the mother, who must stay strong for her children, but I know this must be very hard for her.  Pray for her to lean on the Lord for strength.  Also, please pray for safety.  No one really knows how far the father will go. Pray that the family will stay safe.  Lastly, pray for the people, including pastors and psychologists at the domestic violence center, who are working to help this family long term.  Pray for wisdom and discernment.

As for me, please pray for continued peace in my work here. Pray for humility, patience and compassion.  I cannot believe that this time is winding down, but I am hopeful that in these last two weeks, I will be able to be completely present. 

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