ORPHANOS
Memphis Messiah
On December 12th, for the third year in a
row, Orphanos will be hosting the Memphis Messiah. MM08 is
a partnership with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Choir, the
Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, the Memphis City School
System, and the Catholic Jubilee School System.
Essentially, Orphanos enables around 6,000 students to attend a
performance of Handel's renowned work, Messiah.
There is no charge for the students. On December 13th
there will be a public performance with tickets sold on
Ticketmaster. This is a very unique concert event.
Please go to our website:
memphismessiah.org
for a detailed history of the event, how it ties in with
Handel's life, and how it serves the children at risk right here
in Orphanos' home town of Memphis.
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Pray for the hearts of the students who
will hear God's Holy Word set to music.
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Pray for the many logistics surrounding
transporting so many thousands of students.
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Pray that the Lord Jesus would be honored
in this effort.
INDIA –
Bihar State
What has happened as a result of the floods in India is a
story that winds itself through about 15 districts of Bihar
state leaving behind 3 million displaced people. It includes
stories of entire villages being washed away in 20 feet high
powerful waves and water currents. Children have been separated
from families. Wives have lost husbands. The aged have died an
early death unable to resist or fight. The society was fractured
as the fury of the waves continued through this state with a
massive 18-31 kilometre wide track swallowing up hamlets, towns
and even cities.
There is good news however; many of our friends and partners
have been working tirelessly to respond to the desperate needs
of those affected by the devastation. The NIEA (New India
Evangelistic Association) have now completed Phase I of their
response, working to rebuild communities both physically,
emotionally and spiritually. Now in the Phase II they aim to
provide medical services to 5000 victims in camps and villages,
provide family packs to be distributed to 1000 families and
continue with their feeding, schooling and counseling services.
After their initial response to the needs of their own orphans
they quickly gathered themselves to act and respond to the needs
of wider communities. They report that many tears are being
wiped away and wounded hearts being touched.
- Praise God that
NIEA have been able to join in unity with many other
ministries to create teams with various responsibilities in
the first phase of response.
- Pray for the 60 or
so staff on the ground who are praying with, loving and acting
to help the homeless and displaced.
- Pray for their
strength and health as they work tirelessly to meet the many
and varied needs.
- As they enter the
second phase please pray that NIEA would continue to know
blessing, wisdom in planning and strategy so that they can
reach areas as yet unreached.
- Pray for the camp
where 17,000 people are currently housed with only one medical
doctor. Pray that disease and death will not creep in.
- Pray for the many
churches, projects and ministries responding to the issues of
orphan care,
- Pray for those who
are putting rescue measures in place for displaced families
and particularly for protection of young girls and mothers who
are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
- Pray for
rehabilitation of land and farming.
First India ‘Cutting Edge’ conference –
Viva India, along with its network partners are hosting a
‘Cutting Edge’ conference entitled ‘Making children visible’ in
Secunderabad, November 10 -14. It would seem to be timely that
this group of child care practitioners, ministries and
organizations are coming together to consider the needs of the
many children in India who suffer. Most of us have become aware
of the persecution of believers happening in Orissa and realize
that there are great challenges happening for the Kingdom of God
in India at the moment.
- Praise God for the
150 or so conference delegates registered so far. That they
would benefit enormously from attending this strategic
gathering on behalf of children at risk in India.
- Pray that Father
would shape and lead the speakers to present issues that are
close to His heart and that participants would see new ways in
which by working together there can be greater and more
significant impact and responses made on behalf of children at
risk.
- Pray that there
will be divine and strategic connections made within the body
of Christ to see a turning of the tide working against this
generation.
ZIMBABWE –
Zimbabwe remains in need of our daily prayers, inflation
estimated at a staggering 2.2 Million % is in reality much
higher The severe food crisis in Zimbabwe is putting the lives
of the country's children at great risk - with many youngsters
already beginning to succumb to the effects of malnutrition,
disease and starvation.
Aid agencies have predicted that up to 5 million Zimbabweans
will face starvation by January, but the present crisis and
unraveling humanitarian disaster is already taking its toll and
an entire generation of children is unlikely to survive as far
the end of the year. At the same time farmers unions have said
that food aid will be vital for at least the next eighteen
months because of poor harvest projections for the upcoming
farming season. The government banned food aid distribution in
June and this has now been partially lifted with aid agencies
now battling to try to get food to those who are most desperate
and at risk.
Reports say that emaciated children are being taken to
hospitals, but half of those are being turned away, with half of
those lucky enough to be admitted dying, who knows what happens
to those that are sent home? The smallest victims of the
country's combined crises all carry signs of kwashiorkor with
hair in clumps on what look like oversized heads and their
bodies swollen with oedema.
- We need to press in
daily to seek the Father on behalf of those who cry with
hunger at the head of every street.
- Pray for the aid
workers and the humanitarian response, for compassionate
response and great wisdom with distribution of food resources.
- Pray that the
negative harvest projections will turn to positive and that
the farmers will begin to reap over and above what has been
sown to the glory of God.