Edition 47, September 9, 2008

Orphanos-Mission Teams

Praise for the completion of another successful summer of mission teams and internships.  All teams have gone and returned with physical safety.  We feel the Lord was honored in those experiences.  We were not without opposition this summer from the dark side: at least one team experiencing direct physical warfare. We appreciate your prayers and encouragements.  The next scheduled team is in December to Korea.

Orphanos-Robins Nest in Jamaica

Our partner home in Jamaica is in search of a couple to assume responsibility as Directors at the home.  The founding director Michelle has retired. Currently a young couple named Andy and Laura are managing the daily affairs of the home, but only until a more long term situation can be established.

• Pray for wisdom for Andy and Laura
• Pray for a couple to be identified quickly and put in place by early in 2009.
• Pray for the 45 children as they say goodbye to Michelle and wait for their new "parents" to be identified.

Orphanos-Memphis Messiah

As many of you know, Orphanos does not charge our partner homes for the services we provide.  But those services do not come for free.  The December concert event, The Memphis Messiah, is one of two annual fundraisers we do to help defray the cost of the ministry.  As a service to our local low income children, we also provide free tickets to 5,600 children to attend the concert.

• Please pray for this even to be a huge financial blessing.
• Please pray for the little minds that will hear God's word sung.

Increasing Persecution in India

Jossy Chacko, founder and international director of Empart, (a church planting organisation in India,) reports, "We are currently facing the most challenging time in our 10 years of ministry. There is so much happening on the field.” He lists numerous incidents and issues they have faced over the last few weeks. "When I speak to our leaders the only thing they ask of me is, 'Please, ask others to pray for us – ask everyone to pray.' Two of Empart’s children's homes are under police protection, although the police are demanding that they send the children away and close down the homes. Another children's home building (built and owned by Empart) has been destroyed. So, on their behalf, we ask you to STAND in the gap and pray for these persecuted brothers and sisters and particularly those ministering to the children. This growing persecution is making their job even more difficult.

• A Church Planter, Raj, has died in Uttar Pradesh – leaving his wife 5 small children and a young church. Please pray into this situation.
• There are huge floods in Bihar – over 1000 people have died and more than a million people are desperate for help. Pray for the ministries and organisations who are reaching out compassionately at this time. Pray for their protection, strength and wisdom.
• Pray that the police are moved with compassion to support the children’s homes and help increase the response to the children.
• Pray that hope can be restored and a rebuilding of the children’s home that has been destroyed.
• Pray as the early Church did in the face of persecution: ‘Now, Lord, consider these threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ (Acts 4:29-30) 

Hurricanes Gustav and Ike

HAITI, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, CUBA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, and UNITED STATES are all suffering the after effects of Gustav.

• Please be in prayer for the children and people of Haiti as they cope with the after effects. This country of 9 million is very vulnerable to mudslides and flash flooding because many of the hillsides have been stripped of trees by those harvesting firewood. Last week Haiti was hit by Tropical Storm Fay.
• Pray for those in surrounding countries that may were impacted by this storm as it moved through the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico. Please also pray for the children and caregivers at Canaan Orphanage and Robin's Nest Home for Children as they deal with the effects of these storms.
• Pray for those in the path of Hurricane Ike. Already hundreds are dead in Cuba and more deaths are anticipated. Often children suffer the most during these natural disasters.

Uganda, CaRNaC – (Children at risk National Collaboration.)

Praise the Lord that funding has been secured to roll out VEP (Viva Equip People) training Program in 2 Centers. This program is popularly known as Celebrating Children and is targeting equipping grassroots child care workers with skills to provide high quality child care.

• Pray that the Lord will bring two highly motivated and professional people to the CARNAC staff team to spearhead VIP Program. We need 2 staff persons by October.
• Pray that the funding request to ProVision Foundation for a National Church Leaders Conference and 3 Regional Child Practioners Worskshops will be positively considered.
• Thank God that Families for Children (FFC) is able to fund 4 Children Homes to do 120 home visits
• Pray for work revising the Parents Manual to make it more contextualized and relevant.
• Thank God for one FFC member who has adopted two babies. Pray for grace and provision for the family and that the children will find a home in their hearts.
• Pray for Rudo, World Vision Director and a member of the network for grace as she copes with the departure of her husband towards the end of August. He passed on while going through treatment in Nairobi.

Togo -

Bethany Children’s Trust reports that Togo has recently been hit by heavy rains and severe floods. Staff and volunteers at one of their projects ‘Vinodi’

were frequently first on the scene helping to rescue children and their families from flooded villages.

• Pray for the most vulnerable children who are being cared for by church families in Tsevie.
• Church members are being encouraged to assist the flood victims. Pray for them and Praise God for this opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love in action in communities entrenched in Voodooism. Declare ‘He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy’ Psalm 72:4