World Vision Hope Prayer Chain

 News-December 2010
The world that Jesus was born into could only be described as brutal. Life expectancies were low, the gap between the rich and the poor was massive, slavery was widespread, and human life had little value. Unfortunately, this is still the reality for millions of children around the world:

• 500 million to 1.5 billion children have been affected by violence.
• 15 million children have lost one or both parents due to AIDS.
• 4 million newborns die within the first month of life.
• More than a million children every year are trafficked for forced labor or sexual exploitation.
• One-third of infants in Sierra Leone don't receive routine immunizations.
• Almost 55 million children are underweight for their age in India.
• Approximately 1.1 million Mexican children under the age of 14 — the legal working age — are engaged in child labor.
• An estimated 1.5 million of Mozambique's 11 million children were orphans in 2008. (Source: World Vision and UNICEF'S "The State of the World's Children 2010.")

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior this month, let us remember Christ's deep love for children — and act as His hands and feet on their behalf.

Suggested prayer points
First week of December:
Pray for Aaron, 11, and his little sister, Marguerite, 9, who live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. They should be spending their days in school, learning history, math, and language. But since their father died two years ago, they must work beside their mother, Sylvie, digging gravel in a quarry to find rocks to sell. Sylvie also brings her 3-year-old daughter, Songa Songa, because there is no one at home to watch her. On a good day, the family earns the equivalent of about $2.20.

Ask God to open doors for Sylvie to obtain a microloan so that she can start a fish-selling business, which, if successful, would pay for the children's school fees. Pray that Aaron and Marguerite will one day achieve their dreams — Aaron to be a doctor, and Marguerite, a dressmaker.

Second week of December:
Pray for Mehak, 4, who lives in Pakistan. When floods surged toward her village in August, her father, Niaz, rushed the family to his mother-in-law's house — and then went back to try to save their belongings. Niaz hasn't been seen since. Mehak, living in a tent with her mother and siblings, doesn't understand where her father went or why she can't go home. She refused to eat and grew weaker by the day. "Mehak has lost her smile," says her mother. Then, World Vision opened a Child-Friendly Space in their camp. World Vision worker Afshan Mehtab managed to cheer up Mehak with a cartoon movie on his mobile phone, and now she enjoys painting, dramas, games, and playing with new friends.

Lift up Mehak and other children affected by the Pakistan floods who are mourning the loss of family members, and pray for their comfort and healing. Pray that children in other disaster zones around the world, like Haiti and Chile, would also receive the emotional support they need to recover.

Third week of December:
Pray for Rachida, 6, who is among the 7.8 million people in Niger, West Africa, to suffer from the food crisis. Rachida's family helplessly watched their food supply dwindle until they had nothing left to eat and nothing left to sell to buy food. Rachida was so hungry, she cried herself to sleep. She would flee from school and hide because she couldn't concentrate on her lessons. But recently, Rachida and her family received maize and beans from the World Food Programme and World Vision, and the girl is beginning to recover from malnutrition.

Ask God to continue to heal and strengthen Rachida, and pray for the end of drought and renewal of her family's farmland. Ask God to bless the efforts of the World Vision Niger staff members as they work to save millions of lives threatened by famine.

Fourth week of December:
Pray for 8-year-old Robert, a bright, happy second-grader living in Romania who has cerebral palsy. With the help of World Vision's program providing education access for children with disabilities, he is one of 35 children integrated into a regular public school. His teacher says, "It is not easy to be different from other children, but Robert compensates through his attitude and will. Because of his disability, he cannot write by himself, but he is very good at reading and adding numbers." Robert also participates in twice-weekly occupational therapy activities provided through World Vision's program, which have helped him overcome his shyness to become a sociable, active boy.

Praise God for Robert, who, like the Apostle Paul, has learned to be content, no matter what. Thank God for guiding you through the difficulties in your own life, and ask Him to give you faith, strength, and joy like Robert's.