West Texas Missioner: 2014

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Partners Blog: "Up in the mountains"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. Their mission is to demonstrate, through holistic action, God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Burma.

Up in the mountains

High up in the mountains of Kachin state, 9,500 feet above sea level there is a small internally displaced persons camp of more than 600 people. It gets bitterly cold there in winter with up to 1 foot of snow in the camp and 5 foot in the surrounding area. It’s too cold and the ground is too rocky to be able to grow anything so they live off what little aid they receive from the Catholic and Baptist churches.

The people are hardy but friendly, walking around in flip flops in the middle of winter ...

• read the rest of this post

Partners Relief and Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, working with communities impacted by war in Burma. For more information aboput Partners, visit their website at partnersworld.org/

In the News ... "PERRYMAN: Food bank networks offer economic benefits"

• Enormous social costs of hunger could be virtually eliminated

By Dr. M. Ray Perryman, Columnist
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - While it perhaps should not be necessary to suggest solving pressing human and social concerns for pecuniary interests, the evidence is both persuasive and overwhelming.

As noted in last week’s column, we recently studied economic aspects of hunger. The cost of hunger (when measured comprehensively) includes 2.5 million U.S. jobs on an ongoing basis, with the long-term consequences of a single year of hunger in America being in the trillions of dollars in lost business activity.

A second major economic aspect of hunger that we analyzed is the economic stimulus provided by the nation’s network of food banks and the charitable distribution operations they facilitate ...

• read the rest of this OA column ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

YELLOWSTONE PRESBYTERY - In Yellowstone Presbytery every congregation is encouraged to seek, discern, and develop God’s mission in its community. So, St. Andrew Presbyterian in Billings hosts a community garden, First Presbyterian in Miles City is launching a preschool, and First Presbyterian in Bozeman is successfully reaching university students at Montana State through Presby Cats, a pilot campus ministry in the PC(USA)’s new UKirk network. Other congregations are teaming up to send mission crews across the state and to Central America. Please join us in thanking God for the 26 Yellowstone congregations joining in God’s mission ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook now available ...

The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the compassionate and prophetic disciples among us. They proclaim God’s justice — extending God’s reign each and every day through their lives and work. Their stories will inspire and encourage you. Engage in ministry alongside them by praying through the Mission Yearbook each day.

• Order your copy from the Church Store ...

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Word from Uganda: Recommended Reading

Missionary teacher Natalie Rolfe writes, "'When He calls me, I will answer ... I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.' My call was Mbale, Uganda and that is where I have returned to serve for another year. Specifically, I am teaching phonics at Lulwanda Children's Home, an orphanage and school for 90 kids." Natalie also keeps an online journal of her service at the weblog, When He calls me, I will answer ...

Recommended Reading

"I recently read this article and thought it was pretty accurate (surprising how many things in this article have already been things I have asked the Lord to provide). Have a read if you are interested.

Thank you for praying for me. I am so grateful. Maybe I will see you in Texas soon :)"

• read "20 Ways to Refresh the Hearts of the Missionary Saints on Furlough" ...

Special announcement for this week's "Invitation to Prayer"

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).

The Love We Most Long for, God Gives Freely

Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Creator will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." John 14:23

“God, in total freedom, has decided to love us.

This may not seem very inspiring, but if you reflect on it deeply, this awareness can affect and influence your life greatly. Jesus is the revelation of God’s unending, unconditional love for us human beings. Everything that Jesus has done, said, and undergone is meant to show us that the love we most long for is given to us by God—not because we’ve deserved it, but because God is a God of love…Jesus is God’s most radical attempt to convince us that everything we long for is indeed given us. What God asks of us is to have faith in that love. When Jesus talks about faith, he means first of all to trust unreservedly that you are loved by God.

O God, forgive us for so often failing to recognize and trust wholeheartedly in your redemptive love poured out through Jesus.”

Living in Hope: Advent Meditations from the writings of Henri Nouwen by James E. Adams

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will not meet on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 as our offices will be closed for the New Year holiday.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the littlest citizens of God’s Kingdom! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Christmas blessings,

Chris

Prayer Concerns for the Week of 12/31/14

Israel/Palestine

• Please keep in prayer the more than 600 children who attend Jerusalem’s Hand in Hand school, a place where Palestinian and Israeli children study together in a bilingual setting. Jewish extremists are suspected of setting the school on fire late the night of November 29, 2014.
• more on this request ...
• Pray for Jewish and Arab students who are frightened by the violent threats left on the walls of their school. Pray for the first graders whose classroom was torched. Pray God will give them courage and peace in the face of this disturbing violence. Pray for their protection from further violence.
• Pray for the staff and administrators at the school as they work to calm the fears of students and parents, as well as their own worries. Thanks be to God for the commitment to co-existence they model through their work.
• Please pray for parents who are frightened to send their children to school. Pray God will bless them with the peace that surpasses all understanding.
• Give thanks to God for Jerusalem’s Hand in Hand school in which its student population is equally divided between Jews and Arabs. Thanks be to God for the four other schools in the Hand in Hand network throughout Israel. Please pray the relationships forged here between students from different ethnic, racial, religious, social, and national backgrounds will carry over into their communities.
• more on this request ...

Pakistan

• Please be in prayer for all of the children and staff affected by a recent, violent attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan. Militants from the Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility for the December 16 attack on a government-run school that killed 132 children (many of whom were children of military personnel) and nine staff members and injured 125 others.
• more on this request ...
• more on this request ...
• more on this request ...
• Pray for those hurt when militants, disguised as soldiers, broke into the school and went classroom to classroom, shooting students and staff indiscriminately. Pray God will bring healing to those who were shot or injured by bombs set off by the militants. Doctors report many of the victims have head and chest wounds.
• more on this request ...
• Pray for children who watched their friends die in the attack on their school. Please keep them close in prayer as they grieve their friends and process the trauma of the violence they experienced. Pray God will bless them with the peace that surpasses all understanding and lift any lingering fear they may have.
• more on this request ...
• Pray for children who are responding to the trauma of this experience by wanting to extract revenge on the perpetrators.
• more on this request ...
• Please pray for the parents and loved ones of children killed by militants in this attack on the government school. Pray God will comfort them during this season of loss and overwhelming grief.
• more on this request ...
• Keep in prayer all schoolchildren, teachers, and staff throughout Pakistan as the Taliban has threatened to attack more schools in the country.
• more on this request ...
• Give thanks to God for the way in which the citizens of Pakistan are uniting because of the massacre of these 132 innocent schoolchildren. Pray for peace and healing in this region.
• Pray for those who use violence against children to achieve their own means.

United States

• lease pray for a young set of twins who were recently orphaned in the murder/suicide of their parents. Their father Chad is believed to have shot their mother Sandra and then killed himself. Pray God will provide healing and comfort for toddlers Caiden and Emmarie during this frightening season. Pray for their caregivers as they help these little ones cope with the trauma and violence they’ve experienced.
• more on this request ...
• ray for Sandra’s parents as they deal with the death of their daughter by such violent means. And pray for Chad’s parents as they also experience great loss and grief. Please pray for the couples’ extended family, friends, and co-workers who are stunned by this inconceivable act of violence.
• more on this request ...
• more on this request ...

Faces of Children

• Please keep close in prayer the daughter and granddaughter of Faces of Children intercessors Susie and Steve. Their daughter Sarah learned recently that the baby she is carrying has a heart defect and will need surgery when she is born this spring. Please pray God will bring peace to Sarah and healing to baby Sylvie.
• 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.

If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net

In the News ... "Homeless Seek Refuge from 'Life-Threatening' Arctic Front"

• Seeking donations of winter accessories

Julia Deng, Reporter
KWES-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - A cold front slammed Odessa Monday night, dragging temperatures down to the low 20's and forcing dozens of homeless people to seek refuge at local shelters.

"Cold weather like this is a big problem when you don't have a place to go at night," said Joe Honeycutt, a Tyler transplant who arrived in Odessa on Christmas and stayed with the Salvation Army while looking for work.

"The volunteers [at the Odessa Salvation Army] have been a blessing. They fed us on Christmas [with] a huge meal, gave us backpacks full of blankets, food, hygiene products [and] everything you're going to need."

However, hundreds of the Basin's needy were not fortunate enough to take advantage of those limited resources ...

• read/watch the rest of this KWES report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF WYOMING - Wyoming is a large state with few people, qualifying it for identification as a frontier area. The state therefore has only one four-year public university, the University of Wyoming, in Laramie. In spite of this, or perhaps because of this, wonderful things are happening on our university campus.

As youth enter their late teens, they are blessed with the opportunity to go to Presbyterian Youth Triennium. Wyoming sent nearly 60 youth and adults in 2013. Though this may not sound like much, when you remember that our state population is just over 500,000, that isn’t a bad showing ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Monday, December 29, 2014

ChinaAid: "UPDATED: Compilation of persecuted Zhejiang churches"

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

UPDATED: China Aid receives compilation of persecuted Zhejiang churches
Distributed by ChinaAid, December, 2014 ...

ZHEJIANG, CHINA – China Aid recently received a compilation of all known church demolitions, cross removals or modifications, and notices received by churches concerning the above-mentioned actions for cases of persecution in China’s coastal Zhejiang. The list, below, gives the name and, in most cases, the date that 64 (426 as of Dec. 12, 2014) churches were persecuted ...

• more on this story from China Aid

Special announcement for this week's "Invitation to Prayer"

In the News ... "Congregations provide social services to community"

OA Photo by Courtney Sacco

• Church services help fulfill roles

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Most Odessa churches are busy enough with traditional activities, but a number of them are addressing things like divorce, grief, addiction and helping released prison inmates.

Citing scriptures, they say people in pain or difficulty need someone to show them the love of God before they can deal with their problems.

Crossroads Fellowship Life Care Pastor Al Workman said the seven-week program on divorce that his church offers free three times a year “enables individuals not just to go through divorce but to grow through their situation" ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Sunday, December 28, 2014

"I Am Second" Video Collection: Baron Batch

Inspiring the Revolution of Second

I Am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.

You are here for a reason. We all have needs and could use some help. Talk to us. Call, chat, or email. 24 hours a day.

Go a step further, talk with the people in your life. Spread the revolution of Second. Share the videos with friends. Gather a group of friends to discuss the films. Start an I am Second group.

Volunteer at concerts. Serve through I am Second community service events. Organize your own I am Second events. Sign up for an I am Second Expedition to help people in other countries. Check out Live Second for other opportunities. Connect with us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

I am Second is designed to help people discover their purpose in life. Have you discovered yours?

To find out more about the people and leadership team behind I Am Second you can check out Who We Are.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

MINUTE FOR MISSION: UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY - The summer before starting college, Logan Webb fervently prayed to find other Christians on campus, so that by their friendship he might continue to grow in faith and receive encouragement. You see, just months before heading to the University of Dubuque, Logan decided he would unreservedly live for Christ. Despite this new enthusiasm, he knew enough to fear that, without fellowship, faith might be left behind at home.

God answered Logan’s prayer through campus-ministry student leaders, who greeted him on move-in day to carry his belongings to his dorm. ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF UTAH - Mount is an alternative gathering tasked with reimagining the traditional definitions of worship and faith to try to reach an audience that has little or no interest in traditional church. Many of the Mount’s regulars are mature followers of Jesus, but others are not: the Mount has a diverse mix of people at different places in their faith journey.

One such person is Alex, 25, a geographic information systems specialist. After serving his Mormon mission, Alex says he “felt disillusioned with Mormonism and more or less didn’t believe in God” ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Friday, December 26, 2014

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: "Miracles through Mobility"

Founded in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, FWM works around the world in partnership with a vast network of humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope.

Friday Story: "Miracles through Mobility"

Greetings and happy Friday!

With the Christmas season upon us, I wanted to share a story of hope, love and miracles:

Emily, five years old, lives with her mother in Peru. She was born 3 months premature and spent several months in the hospital to grow to a healthier size and weight. While at the hospital, she acquired Spinal Meningitis that left her unable to walk, talk or see.

Her mother does everything she can to help Emily get the care she needs, but without mobility, caring for her sweet daughter is difficult — that is until Emily received her very own FWM GEN_2 wheelchair ...

• read the rest of this story ...

Want to take one of these wheelchairs for a test drive? During normal business hours, visit the lobby at the Texas Street entrance of First Presbyterian Church-Midland, at the northwest corner of Texas and A streets, on the west side of downtown Midland. You can give the gift of mobility. The cost of $72.00 is a bargain to us ... but it is a life-changing gift to impoverished and disabled recipients ... and there are times when your contribution will be matched, reaching not one - but TWO, and sometimes FOUR recipients. Please note on your check "Wheelchair Gift."

In the News ... "Midland Soup Kitchen Ministry Hands Out Warm Surprises"

KMID Photo

• "Secret Santa" donated three hundred jackets to the ministry

Lauren Tropea, Reporter
KMID-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Midland Soup Kitchen serves Christmas dinner to hundreds each year, and this year people got a warm surprise as they walked through the door.

"If it's a hug and a smile or a coat, that's what we want to do, and I want to teach my kids how to serve and to love others," said volunteer Layne Coco.

It's a family affair at the Midland Soup Kitchen Ministry. Layne Coco and her kids come out to help make others smile ...

• read the rest of this KMID report

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 26, 2014

PRESBYTERY OF PUEBLO, COLORADO - The Presbytery of Pueblo has formed a task force on new worshiping communities to explore and support a variety of possible initiatives. Most recently they met with someone in the initial stages of forming a new community in a Colorado Springs neighborhood. They gathered on a Friday afternoon to get a progress report, engage in dialog about potential approaches, and offer their support for this venture. Following a meal, they proceeded to the neighborhood—often referred to as the Ivywild area—and walked its streets together. As predicted, the place took on a different character as daylight faded and the weekend began.

This initiative has been undertaken with both enthusiasm and diligent thoroughness ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

**From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" ... a parting message**

"A gift from our community of faith to you. We at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary are devoted to preparing outstanding leaders for Christ’s church. One of the ways that we nurture leaders is by building a loving community of faith and extending God’s grace to others. In this season of anticipation, we extend God’s grace to you and invite you to explore this book of Advent devotions. Through this collection, please join us as we prepare to receive God’s greatest gift—the birth of Jesus Christ."

CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

A parting message from Austin Seminary ...

Thank you for making this journey with our students, faculty, and staff. We hope that you have indeed prepared the way for the Lord in your life as you’ve read these devotionals and prayers. And, we hope this Advent season was a meaningful one for you.

Please know that Austin Seminary’s dedicated, diverse, and loving community of faith is not complete without you.

Did you know?

• Students in our masters-degree programs receive up to 85% need-based tuition aid.
• Historically, more than 80% of our graduates are called to congregational ministry.
• Our students come from more than a dozen denominations.
• Our alumni serve in ministry in 48 U.S. states as well as in 20 different countries across the world.

Your gift to Austin Seminary contributes to scholarships, housing, computer equipment, library materials, and other resources needed by seminarians as they fulfill their calls to Christian service and leadership.

Your support underwrites the finest theological faculty and an administration committed to upholding the highest standards possible with respect to the unique vocation of ministry.

Every gift is significant and is appreciated. They are put to work right away and make a real impact. Please send a gift today.

CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

These Advent posts were produced with Bible Gateway references/links

Thursday, December 25, 2014

In the News ... "Christmas Dinner At The Salvation Army"

KMID Photo

• People of Odessa show up and provide a great Christmas

Christina Dawidowicz
KMID-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - Turkey, potatoes, gravy and dessert! The fixings for holiday meal filled with good cheer.

"Oh, it's a blessing, it's a blessing," said Richard Betancourt, who has lived in Odessa his whole life.

The Salvation Army of Odessa was ready to serve 300 people for their annual Christmas dinner. And people's favorites?

"Well, the whole plate, but the favorite, well the ham and the turkey and the potatoes," said Mike Chavarria, who spent this year's Christmas at the Odessa Salvation Army for the first time ...

• read the rest of this KMID report

In the News ... "Midland Soup Kitchen Ministry Serves on Christmas Eve"

KWES Photo

• Always looking for more volunteers

Kalene O'Brien, Reporter
KWES-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - On Christmas Eve the Midland Soup Kitchen Ministry saw more people than they do any other day of the year. They gave out food, presents, blankets, and warm coats. Over 100 people showed up to the Midland Soup Kitchen for a special Christmas Eve meal. It's the 28th year the soup kitchen has opened their doors to give back during the holiday.

"There's no one too high or too low. We're all family here. We just love it. We took it over from my grandparents. They started this and I'm happy to take it over," Jay Ivy, grandson of the founder, said.

This was the first year the Midland Soup Kitchen Ministry was able to hand out much needed coats ...

• read the rest of this KWES report ...

In the News ... "Pope Francis Christmas Message"

Vatican Photo

• Pope condemns religious violence in Christmas address

Staff Report
BBC News

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis has denounced the "brutal persecution" of religious and ethnic minorities, in his traditional Christmas Day address.

In his second "Urbi et Orbi" - to the city and the world - Christmas message, the pontiff highlighted the plight of victims of conflict in Syria and Iraq.

"Too many people are being held hostage or massacred" in Nigeria, he added.

Pope Francis also urged dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and condemned Taliban attacks in Pakistan.

Tens of thousands of people turned out on St Peter's Square to hear the Argentine Pope deliver his annual message ...

• Read the rest of this BBC report ...
• Read the full text of the Pope's message, and watch a video ...

In the News ... "'Tis The Season For Giving"

KMID Photo

• "Step up" ... a challenge to all companies

Lauren Tropea, Reporter
KMID-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - During the holidays some companies like to give back to the community and this year is no different. Families in need, saw generous donations from several organizations, including the Odessa Police Department.

"It just feels great, it adds that Christmas spirit to the whole thing," said CanElson General Manager Ryan Hawkings.

'Tis the season of giving and receiving ...

• read/watch the rest of this KMID report

Faces of Children: Prayer Concerns for This Week

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 12/24/14

China

• Please pray God’s healing mercies will be upon three little girls at New Day North foster home in China. Rina, Ruby, and Clara were significantly malnourished when they entered the program at New Day and have continued to struggle with digestive issues and other serious medical problems. Please pray these little ones will improve quickly. Give God thanks for the nannies who are working hard to make sure Rina, Ruby, and Clara receive the nutrition and love they need.
• more on this from the New Day website ...
• Please keep 3-month-old Esther in prayer as she is in very serious condition and needs a new liver. Doctors are only giving her a few weeks to live, but she must be 6 months old before she’s eligible to go on the waiting list for a liver transplant. Pray God will bless Esther with a miracle of healing. Pray she will grow stronger and defy the odds she has been given. Pray for Esther’s nanny and other New Day Foster Home caregivers as they work tirelessly to help this little one survive.

India

• Please keep in prayer the children and people who continue to be affected by the world’s deadliest industrial disaster 30 years ago in Bhopal, India. More than 5,000 people were killed when a toxic gas accidentally leaked from a pesticide factory on December 3, 1984 and was blown into the slum colonies surrounding the plant. Activists believe 25,000 people have died since then from illnesses connected to the leak of 40 metric tons of cyanide gas.
• more on this issue ...
• Pray the thousands of tons of toxic waste buried inside and outside the pesticide factory will be cleaned up soon. Pray for the 50,000 people living around the site whose drinking water has been poisoned by this toxic waste seeping into the ground.
• Pray for the survivors of this disaster as they struggle with long-term health issues like cancer, blindness, respiratory difficulties, and immune and neurological disorders. Pray they will receive the support and health care they need to cope with these devastating disabilities.
• Please pray for the second and third generations of children affected by this disaster—children born to survivors who were exposed to the gas and to women who drank water contaminated by undisposed toxic waste around the factory. Pray for children born with congenital deformities possibly linked to the deadly leak. Pray for healing and comfort for children born with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Down’s syndrome, cleft palate, mental disorders, and speech impairments.
• more on this request ...
• Give God thanks for the work of Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla—two women survivors of the Bhopal disaster—who established a charitable rehabilitation center to help care for 700 children affected by the calamity. Thanks be to God for the dedication of these women and the staff and volunteers with Chingari Rehabilitation Centre as they provide children with physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy, and hope for the future.
• Please pray for wisdom for those in the Supreme Court as they decide which Bhopal victims are eligible for compensation and free health care. Pray the youngest victims will be recognized and given the support they need to survive and thrive.

Philippines

• Please keep the children and people of the Philippines close in prayer as they recover from another powerful typhoon that struck the archipelago’s eastern island of Samar on December 6, 2014. Typhoon Hagupit crushed more than ten thousand homes and damaged twice that number of houses as it followed almost the same path taken by last year’s deadly Typhoon Haiyan.
• more on this issue ...
• more on this issue ...
• Thanks be to God the Philippine government evacuated millions of people to higher ground before Hagupit made landfall. And give God thanks the loss of life (an estimated 27 people so far) was significantly lower than with Haiyan which left more than 7,000 people dead or missing and left millions homeless.
• more on this request ...
• Pray for children and families in remote villages who’ve been cut off from help by washed-out roads. Heavy rains, storm surges, flooding, and landslides have made it very difficult for emergency workers to reach coastal villages hit by the storm. Pray assistance will reach those who’ve been stranded; that God will fulfill their most immediate and deepest needs.
• Pray for all those affected by Typhoon Hagupit … for those who’ve been left homeless; those who are in need of food, water, and safe shelter; and for those who have lost crops and livelihoods.

Faces of Children

• 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.