ORPHANOS

For the past two years Richard and Ximena Roseland have served the Lord at an orphanage in Queretaro, Mexico. After college they dedicated two year of their life to the mission field. God has used them in a powerful way to love and serve the children of Mexico. Their two year commitment has ended and they are now expecting their first baby in late June or early July. They have decided to take a year off and care for the baby and raise support for the future. They are back in Texas now and are doing well. Richard and Ximena have a desire to serve God in long-term missions and during the next year at home they plan to search out the next location of missionary service.

Please pray for them as they leave the mission field and settle back into life in the states.
Please pray for baby Santiago Caleb and Ximena during the last few weeks of the pregnancy.
Please pray that God will show them the next step in serving Him through missions.

UPDATE ON CHILDREN BEING ACCUSED OF SORCERY –

Since the last prayer news we have received some excellent feedback from people prepared to commit to praying into this issue on an ongoing basis. As mentioned last time, the issue of children being accused of child sorcery and witchcraft extends around the world. Please pray that as the prayer and advocacy momentum increases it will draw key people and make an impact to address the complex issues of abuse these children have suffered.

Pray for good collaboration between projects, organizations and churches in highlighting abuse.
Thank God for answers to prayer already and for the many doors that are opening, allowing the light and truth of Jesus to be shone in darkness.
Let’s continue to pray protection over those at the forefront of highlighting the issues.

COLOMBIA –

There are around 4 million internally displaced people in Colombia. 75 percent are women and children. Colombia has the largest displaced population in the world. Pray for families forced from their land by legal and illegal armed groups. Over the past 20 years, an estimated 7.2 million acres have been stolen from Colombians who were displaced from their property. More than 3,000 poor Afro-Colombian farmers, descendants of African slaves, were forced off their land by illegal militias over a decade ago. That land was seized by businessmen with political connections and then turned into lucrative palm oil plantations. Illegal drug traders have also played a huge part in displacing families with much abuse being done to women having knock on effects to children.

Give thanks to God that the government of Colombia has recently ordered the return of thousands of acres to displaced farmers.
Pray that the rest of the land will be returned to its rightful owners and that families will be able to go home.
Pray for those working to give alternative employment to farmers wanting to be free of illegal drug manufacturing, that alternative businesses can be established and that a new generation can emerge with better future prospects.
Pray for the restoration and dignity of women and mothers, many of whom have suffered deep psychological hurt.
Pray for the children who are caught in the middle. Our partner home in Leticia, Colombia helps care for children like these.

CAMEROON -

According to recent reports there is a SILENT emergency happening in Cameroon. The situation is yet another case of malnourished children.

In northern Cameroon global acute malnutrition (GAM) – weight deficit for height – stands at 12.6 percent, striking 115,000 children under five, according to UNICEF. Nearly forty percent of children – some 350,000 – suffer chronic malnutrition. The World Health Organization classifies a GAM between 10 percent and 14.9 percent as "serious", warranting supplementary feeding; Nutritionist ‘Garnier’ states there is an "urgent" need to reinforce communities' capacity to deal with and prevent malnutrition. UNICEF and the government plan to scale up malnutrition treatment services in the north. A training on community-based management of malnutrition in three northern districts is planned for end of April. To its great credit Cameroon has opened its borders to refugees from Chad and Central African Republic, though this means that there is a great deal of pressure on already scarce resources.

Pray that the government will continue to respond to the threat of the longer term effect and have the fore sight to continue feeding programs and management of young children’s nutrition.
We believe in the Godly principle of reaping what we sow and pray that there will be great reward for the kindness this Nation has shown to other Nations surrounding them.
We pray that there will be EFFECTIVE and good solutions to the issues of malnutrition and that the emerging generation would know great favour to grow fully in Spirit, soul and body.

SCRIPTURAL ENCOURAGEMENTS

Thanks to feedback after the last prayer news, the following scripture was highlighted..

Isaiah Ch 6– v 8

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said ‘Here am I! Send me.’”

Thank you for praying.

To learn more about our work with children, or to make a donation to the work of Orphanos, click HERE.

Children at Risk Prayer News is a partnership initiative of Viva, Faces of Children, and Orphanos. Where individual children are referred to, names a re changed to protect their identity.