Pray for their past

Here is how I would ask you all to pray this week:

Pray for how they deal with their past

One of the greatest things about this trip was that we were able to converse with these kids in ways we never could have imagined possible two years ago.  At one point we broke them up into discussion groups to talk about some serious topics, and we were blown away by how willing they were to open up and speak in front of their peers.

As great as that was, some of the stories they told us were equally devastating.  We all knew that these children have experienced abuse in the past, but it is another thing to hear about the specifics.

The most troubling of all is to learn about how this past abuse has shaped their current worldview.  We all have heard that abuse is cyclical, and that's because, for these kids, they don't know a world any different.  Their past informs how they treat their own bodies and the bodies of others in terrible, terrible ways

That's why I am asking you to pray for how they deal with their past. Pray that they would see abuse for what it is, abuse, and not how normal life is or should be.  Pray that they would strive for better in their own lives and relationships, and that they would regain respect for themselves and for others around them.  Pray that the truth of Christ would be a part of that.  Pray that our time spent with them, and the interactions they witnessed between us, would better shape how they think about themselves and other people.

I can tell you with renewed confidence that your prayers for these children and this mission are effective.  We have witnessed it first hand this past week.  Thank you for being a part of this mission.