Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the week of 05/19/10

Chad/Niger
• Please pray for the 100,000 children in Chad and those in Niger who are susceptible to severe malnutrition because of the alarming food shortages in their countries. Poor rainfall and infestations last year have reduced the amount of food produced in the Sahel, a strip of land that stretches across the south of the Sahara (and includes parts of Chad and Niger) and is prone to drought and famine. Pray for those who are migrating to larger cities to seek food... that they will be protected from exploitation, especially children who are sent to beg in the streets.
A report from Reuters and alertnet.org

Haiti
• Pray for the 1.5 million people of Haiti who are still living in makeshift camps in Port-au-Prince and surrounding towns five months after the January earthquake.
• Continue to pray for the health and safety of the children in these overcrowded, cramped tent camps. Pray for children who are suffering serious health problems. Crowded and inadequate living conditions are contributing to illnesses like diarrhea, measles, tetanus, and diphtheria.
• Please continue to pray for children who have been traumatized psychologically by the earthquake ... for those who have lost relatives, friends, schools, and homes. Pray that God will comfort children who are feeling the deep loss of security, protection, and love.
• Pray for the resources needed to provide hurricane resistant housing for everyone now that the hurricane season has started. Forecasters predict that this may be one of the worst hurricane seasons in decades.
• Please pray that the government of Haiti will quickly finalize its hurricane contingency plan, provide public information on preparing for the storms, and also provide a comprehensive housing and resettlement plan.
A report from Reuters and alertnet.org
A report from the Washington Post

India
• Give thanks to God that the cyclone that hit southern India last month weakened before making landfall. Pray for the children and families that were severely affected by the heavy rainfall, flooding, and high winds from Cyclone Laila. Pray for those whose homes, schools, and businesses were flooded. A report from ReliefWeb
• Give God thanks that the children and staff of Grace Home, Orphans First's orphanage in Guntur, were all safe and that the damage to the facility was limited to the outside walls. Pray that God will provide the resources needed to make repairs to the orphanage.

Pakistan (Presbyterian Education Board - http://www.peb.edu.pk/)
• Thanks be to God for the work of the Presbyterian Education Board staff and volunteers in Pakistan with at-risk children from low income families. Pray that God will provide this ministry with the resources necessary to continue this work and reach out to and educate more impoverished children.

Uganda/United States
• Please keep the mission team from First Presbyterian Church - Midland in prayer as they travel and minister in Uganda. Pray for their health and stamina on this mission trip. Pray for the children and families who are on the team and for those who remain behind providing support.
• Pray that God will provide them with the right words as they move out onto the trail to share their faith with children, youth, and adults who might not have heard of Jesus Christ. Pray for the children and young people on this team as they share the message of Jesus Christ in schools and orphanages.
• Give thanks to God for this opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ and help with a new church planting effort

Faces of Children
• Give thanks to God for the opportunity to invite women to pray for children at the Mo-Ranch 2010 Women's Conference in Central Texas earlier this month.
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.