Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Their mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, they 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).
Invitation to Prayer ... TODAY
Hi Friends,
Please join us in lifting up the needs of vulnerable children around the world. Faces Of Children will be meeting at 11:00 (not 11:30) this Wednesday, October 17 - TODAY - for prayer. We are now meeting in the prayer closet at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, instead of in the gym conference room. The prayer closet is near the library and reception desk of the church. I hope you can join them to pray together for children in our community and around the world!
Warmly,
Carrie
Dear Intercessors,
Before I begin, I wanted to let you know that from Oct 15 through Oct 30, I will be out of the country visiting some of our partner ministries. I will share more about the trip when I return, but for the next two weeks there won't be a prayer email. However, I invite you to continue praying for the children... in your home, in your community, and around the world. And if you don't mind, add my two little girls (and their mama) to your prayer list. I've never left my children for this length of time, and I'm a little nervous!
This past week, the world celebrated International Day of the Girl. While there are still so many challenges and disparities young girls face in the world today, there are some very bright stories of hope and transformation. This story, in particular caught my eye:
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| Photo by Zacharie Rabehi/Le Journal for the Guardian |
"Shyam Sunder Paliwal knows his way through the trees. Pushing through low branches, he reaches a shady copse where a profusion of different varieties grow. Every evening, he comes here on his motorbike to see one tree in particular, a burflower - kadam in Hindi - that symbolises sublime love. In the silence of the copse, he wraps both arms tightly around the slender trunk and rests his head against it, eyes closed. "This is my daughter's," he says. Kiran, Paliwal's 16-year-old daughter, died in 2006 - a tragedy he marked by planting the burflower tree. He went on to channel his grief into a mission. "She meant so much to me. How could parents kill a baby girl in the womb?" He knew what used to happen in Piplantri when a baby girl was born. A family member would push a hard, jagged grain into her mouth. That would generally be enough to start an infection that led to the baby's death. But after Kiran's death, Paliwal, the village chief, vowed there would be no more piteous wailing when a girl child was born. Henceforth, the birth of a baby girl would be celebrated with the planting of trees." Keep reading this story of profound cultural, political, and environmental change ...
This father's story reminds me that sometimes the most significant large-scale shifts can start from small acts of love. Let's pause and praise God for the transformation this community is experiencing as a result of one father's love and use this story as a reminder to look for those acts of love in other places and to show those acts of love whenever we can.
SYRIA // Our School Reopens!
This summer our children raised money to rebuild a school in Syria with Partners Relief and Development. At the end of the project, we had enough money to refurbish two schools and another church has already sponsored a third. This video celebrates these kids, girls and boys, going Back to School!
As you watch this video, I hope you'll join me in praising God for the restoration and revitalization this moment represents. There's still much to be done, but we can trust God is already at work -- rebuilding out of the rubble.
FLORIDA // Hurricane Michael Aftermath
The damage of Hurricane Michael seems particularly horrific, as the storm packed an unusually strong punch in winds. Aerial views of some of the harder hit areas look as though a tornado rather than a hurricane swept through. Now, people are in those early days of trying to put their life back together, and with long lines for supplies, limited infrastructure, and shortages it's a difficult situation. Please pray for the children who are in the middle of this... waiting with their parents for gas and water and ice and food, watching the adults in their lives grapple with the magnitude of the destruction, feeling afraid and uncertain about where they will live and sleep and go to school. Please pray for the children especially... for God to guard their hearts, protect their bodies and calm their fears Keep reading ...
Praying with you,
Carrie
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
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