July 2011
Dear Friends,
On May 16th our two teens (Eleni and Florin) finally came to stay. This past month has been really, really great. That doesn’t mean it’s been easy or without challenges. There have been some huge challenges. But it has been amazing to have Eleni and Florin living with us and becoming a part of our family. Of course, when your first two children are 15 and 17 years old the learning curve is quite steep. But learning we are, albeit slowly. Thankfully, God is both powerful and patient.
Thank you for your prayers for Ana and me and for the teens. Please continue to pray. Pray for healing of past wounds. Pray that Jesus will put a stop to lies that have been heard so many times (“you’re not loved”) and are now involuntarily played over and over in the mind. Pray that He will replace those untruths with His truth, that we are loved and accepted in Christ. Pray that our Father in Heaven will give to Eleni and Florin a hope and a future.
I’ve had a few people ask about financial needs for Eleni and Florin. We recently made up a budget for them. We may need to reevaluate after a few months of reality, but currently all their needs (food, housing, clothing, etc.) come to around $375 per month. If you would like to contribute toward their care please let me know and I can help you proceed.
Please continue to pray for our summer programs here at the day center, as well. The summer is a great time to be with the kids since we don’t have to schedule our programs around school, but it can also be tiring. If we aren’t well organized or if we don’t work well together as a team we can quickly fall. Pray for grace and for the Lord’s hand to lead us this summer.
Please pray also this month for the team coming to visit from my home church in Omaha. There is a team of nine coming to learn and serve with us from July 9th to the 19th. Pray for safe travel. Pray that their time here will be directed by the Lord and filled with His Spirit.
Love,
Paul and Ana