Burma
Several years ago, Nancy* formed
a children’s home in Burma called Hallelujah Orphanage. She and her family care
for 11 abused, neglected, or orphaned children in their home. They provide a
loving environment that is safe and stable for these very vulnerable children.
The children who live at Hallelujah Orphanage are able to pursue an education
and experience daily the abundant love of Jesus Christ. *Name changed for
confidentiality and/or protection.
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Please pray God
will provide the resources Nancy and her family need to continue helping these
children. Pray God will also bring healing to Nancy as she suffers from frequent,
severe headaches.
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Give thanks to
God the children have done so well on their year-end exams. Please pray for God’s
comfort for the one girl who did not pass her final exam and will have to stay
in the same class next year.
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Pray God will
bring rain to their province soon so they might be able to work their land and
tend the crops.
Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, United
States
The number of unaccompanied
migrant children entering the United States has increased drastically in the
last three years. A total of 38,833 minors traveling without families were
detained in the U.S. last year alone—more than half of them apprehended along
the southeastern edge of Texas. Three-quarters of the detained youths are male;
however, more girls and children, some as young as 5 or 6, are crossing into
the U.S. now. Immigration advocates believe the majority of youth and children are
fleeing violence in their home countries in Central America. They say drug cartel
and gang violence in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are driving out many
of these young people and children. Apprehended children and young people tell
disturbing stories of abuse and hardship during their trips north. Many have
been attacked, robbed, chased, sexually assaulted, or kidnapped and trafficked
by drug cartels; struggled with hunger, thirst, illness, and exposure to extreme
heat or cold; or witnessed brutal and traumatizing events. http://tinyurl.com/l3bqak7
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Please keep in prayer unaccompanied children who are migrating or have
migrated to the U.S. Pray for those who have experienced violence at home, only
to go through it again during their journey north. Pray for children who have
been apprehended and are now in shelters and in the custody of the Office of
Refugee Resettlement in the U.S. Please pray for those who are frightened and
feeling alone.
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Pray for parents who make tough life and death decisions about their children…whether
to keep their children home where they’re vulnerable to extreme violence from
drug cartels and gangs or send them north on a treacherous journey.
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Please pray for the family and friends of 12-year-old Noemi Alvarez
Quillay who is reported to have committed suicide while being held in a Mexican
shelter for children. Noemi’s parents hired coyotes, human smugglers, to bring
their daughter from Ecuador to New York last February, but she was apprehended
at the Mexico/Texas border a month later. Pray for Noemi’s grandparents who
raised her and four other grandchildren when their adult children migrated to the U.S. without visas. http://tinyurl.com/l7yj585
United States
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Please keep 2-year-old Jake close in prayer as he receives treatment
for leukemia. Pray God’s healing touch will be upon this little one. Pray for
his parents as they make important decisions about Jake’s medical care.
Last
summer, sixth-grader Shianne Stull was diagnosed with hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy, a congenital heart condition with which she was born. Shianne’s
thick heart muscle is stiff, making it difficult for the heart to relax and
blood to fill the chambers. She has gone through three surgeries, but the only
cure is a heart transplant. Shianne’s condition must worsen before she can be
placed on a transplant list. She tires easily and cannot participate in any
sports activities at school. http://tinyurl.com/kjfjcb2
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Please keep Shianne close in prayer as she goes through this
challenging season in her young life. Pray God will sustain and encourage her,
especially in those times when she is feeling anxiety and fear.
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Pray for her parents as they navigate the medical system and make
decisions about her care and treatment. Pray God will also comfort them when
they are frightened for their daughter but don’t want her to see their fear.
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Give thanks to God for the strong support system surrounding Shianne
and her family.
Faces of Children
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Please keep in
prayer Louise, the mother-in-law of Faces of Children prayer partner Karen, as
she faces a long recovery period following surgery. Pray Louise’s pain will
subside and God will bless her with complete healing. Pray for Louise’s family
as they help care for her during this difficult season.
