Dear friend of orphans:

My husband and daughter are preparing to hike a stretch of the Appalachian Trail. As they gather equipment and portable snacks, we parents have begun to wonder, “What will it be like for our daughter to be “unplugged” for a week?

Like most young adults, she spends much of her time connected to the internet in one way or another. It may be itunes or twitter or texts or a host of other options. But she’s usually on her phone—just not talking on it!

What will her world be like without it all?

Our hope is that she and her dad will have some good old fashioned conversation. And we’d love for her to revel in God’s creation.

Even more, we pray she’ll hear God’s whispers in a way she usually can’t through today’s noisy, traffic-jammed airways. We long for her to hear—in moments where the only sounds are rustling winds and sticks underfoot—clearly from her Lord. We desire that she would experience prayer as a two-way conversation with the creator God.

Because, really, it’s the only “connection” that matters.

I may not be on the Appalachian Trail next week, but I’m going to commit to listening less to facebook and more to God. I want His voice to be woven into my thoughts and guiding my steps. I want His words to be the loudest ones I hear.

Will you join me and find a way to tune in to the Lord more intently this month?

As you spend your connection time with the Lord throughout August, please remember the following praises and requests:

Thank the Lord for answering prayers! In May, we asked you to pray for Grace, one of the girls at Agape Fellowship Home who was wrestling with debilitating rheumatoid arthritis. She has shown such dramatic improvement that the doctors have described as “miraculous!”

Please continue to pray for all the legal documentation needed for us to establish the Russian Christian Foster Home in Vladimir. We’re getting so close!

Thank our heavenly Father for providing a summer intern. Maggie is incredibly gifted, has worked hard, and was a joy to have around. Pray God will continue to make her a blessing to others as she returns to Indiana University.

Ask the Lord to provide the remaining financial resources needed for the upcoming house parent training in India.

Also, cover Priya, Selvankani, and Premlatha in prayer. They were just brought to Daya Vihar Girls Home. We long for them to know God’s presence and peace as they adjust to a new living situation.  

Selvankani & Premlatha

Priya