SCRIPTURAL ENCOURAGEMENTS

Jesus said "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt.11:28-30).

ORPHANOS -

Lar Batista, an Orphanos partner home in Brazil, was able to experience their own extreme makeover without the cameras and the budget of the TV show.  A team from Iowa traveled to this home from June 5th to the 16th and were responsible for the makeover.  It was a very interesting project and an opportunity to trust the Lord in every little way.  Stressing to get the work finished some of the guys would say "the show is not until Sunday." So much was done in the short amount of time but they were able to give the girls at Lar Batista a new roof, a new building color, and new paint inside the girls dorm.  The next prayer request is for renovations of the boys dorm.  This project will cost approximately $3000.   

§  Praise that the girls dorm was given a makeover.

§  Pray that the girls will give God the glory for sending the team from Iowa to help with the makeover.

§  Pray that the girls will take care of the new dorms for years to come.

§  Pray that God will provide the funding so that the boys will be able to receive an extreme makeover. 

WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOR -

Friday 12th June saw the 10th anniversary of the world day against child labor. UNICEF joined its partners in calling for action to tackle the underlying poverty that leads to child labor. According to their recent report, there are an estimated 100 million girls involved in child labor who undertake similar types of work as boys, but often also endure additional hardships and face extra risks. Moreover, girls are all too often exposed to some of the worst forms of child labor, often in work situations that are out of sight, hidden behind the walls of factories, deep in fields or behind the doors of their own homes.

According to the International Labor Organization, the worst forms of child labor include practices such as selling or trafficking children, the forced recruitment of child soldiers, using or offering children for prostitution or the production of pornography, and using, procuring or offering children for illicit activities or any other activities likely to harm children.

§  Pray that the positive progress made during recent years in boosting access to education and reducing child labor will not be derailed by the impact of the current global economic and financial crisis, which poses a threat to further progress.

§  While many countries have reached the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education, in many other countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, primary and secondary school attendance rates continue to be low. Pray that government commitment will not fail.

§  Pray that there will be more significant partnerships developed who will work together to address the issues that provoke child labor.

CHILD LABOR IN BRITAIN? -

Around 175,000 children and young people, some as young as eight, are thought to be caring for their parents in Britain, doing everything from washing and feeding the adults to running the household. "Caring tasks included the collection and administration of medicine, first aid and dealing with family finances," reports Ofsted.

Under the favored term "Young carers", these unfortunate children are reported to be struggling at school. Ofsted, in it's "supporting young carers" survey, describes them as often "unidentified, unsupported and without a voice." A recent news headline in the UK states: "We rightly applaud the characteristics of young carers but do nothing to help them in their plight." The quoted 175,000 is thought to be an underestimation of the numbers of children acting as young carers, due to many families not revealing their situation.

§  Pray especially for those "hidden" and unknown situations, that awareness and support would be given to these children laboring alone and unacknowledged.

§  Pray that these children's needs will be highlighted and that there would be greater government recognition and solution to the needs of families.

FOSTER CARE -

We praise God for the development of Casa Viva, a model of church based foster care being championed in Costa Rica. It is encouraging when we learn of the compassionate responses of people opening their homes to children in need of families and care. Families for children (FFC) based in Uganda, is also championing foster care and adoption in Africa. We continue to pray particularly that this model of care would increase and more people would open their homes to embrace children in need.

§  Pray that people would become more open minded to embracing children in need and that models of church based foster care would increase.

§  Pray for those families who have recently taken on the challenge of foster care, that they would know strength and wisdom and draw deeply on the Father's love.

FEEDBACK FROM WORLD WEEKEND OF PRAYER -

With an eye on news headlines we were interested this week to see a breaking story emerge in the UK regarding a nursery nurse teacher accused and then arrested on suspicion of taking pictures of children in her care for pornographic and abusive purposes. We praise God that things being done in darkness against children are being brought into the light.

As stories come in of the prayer events held over this weekend and of the many thousands of people pouring out their hearts on behalf of children at risk, we celebrate the breaking news and continue to look with eyes of faith. We have been delighted to receive feedback and photo's from Bangladesh and Pakistan, where our networks have been amongst the first to respond with feedback and who request our ongoing prayers for the many "unreached" people groups in their countries. The photo's of children praying on behalf of children at risk move our hearts. It is humbling to think that a generation is being raised in these Nations who are calling on the name of the Lord.

§  Take a moment to thank God for all the ways He is answering prayers prayed on behalf of children at risk.

§  Pray for increased and sustained prayer on behalf of the ones who are suffering and that "the Lord of the harvest" would send more laborers.

§  Pray for listening and obedient hearts to respond to the call of our Father to bring the good news of the gospel to the orphaned and abused in our world.

§  Pray that our responses would be in word and deed prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for praying.