Today my heart is aching for the family I spent this Christmas season with a year ago. I just learned of some difficult news that calls me to pray and ask you to join me in petitions for this family and for one child especially.
Debbie is preparing to move again to another part of India, as our Father is leading her to work with another population in Eastern India. She has been working to get the legal paperwork and meeting with each child's family so she can move her foster children with her. The two boys of concern-Tarun and Shubbam, will be going with her-with, sadly, little concern from their parents. Debbie has a lawyer helping her with paperwork for adopting the newest member of the family-Joshua, who joined us last spring. All these are answers to prayer, allowing her to continue to invest in these children as she takes them with her. Praise be to Him who has moved in her to allow her to take this step and bring these children with her. However, the one of greatest concern on my heart has been Mariam.
She is the sweet girl, age 11, who nearly died two years ago. Each time she goes home for a few days, or even a couple days, to spend time with her family, she has often come back sick or down in weight. Her family just doesn't know how to care for her best, and Debbie has done so much for her. The family is Hindu, and they have decided to keep Mariam. The first time I went to India, Deb was just trying to gain the family's permission to take care of Mariam in her home; after weeks of meetings and struggling with the family, the father finally agreed to let Deb have Mariam on the following conditions: they would still get to see her, Deb wouldn't make her a Christian, and Deb wouldn't take her out of India.
I ask that you would pray for this family, and especially little Mariam. Pray for Deb to have courage and faith to continue toward what God has called her, and entrust this precious one to His care. Pray that Mariam's family would have a change of heart, come to know Christ, and perhaps even realize that they aren't able to give Mariam what she needs. Pray that the relationship started with this family would not be lost, and that by His grace and power all of this would be for His glory!
Thank you for joining me in thanksgiving and prayers for His work here and around the world. What Joy we have in Him who gives us faith to Believe in His past and present work, and to know that He "is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" (Ephesians 4:20).
Merry Christmas to you all!
lifting Mariam and her family to our father
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