Isaiah 66:13a

As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;

What a wondrous thought! God comforts us just as a good mother would.

Often, when I speak to elementary-aged children about the needs of orphans, the challenge is to help them imagine life without a parent. So I usually begin with the question, “What are some things your parents do for you?”

The answers very from “Buy me clothes,” to “Teach me about Jesus” with nearly everything in between. Once the first few, brave children offer an insight, the hands start going up rapid-fire.

“Wash my laundry.”

“Cook my food.”

“Help me do my homework.”

“Put me to bed.”

“Buy me presents.”

After a few minutes, the list becomes quite lengthy. Parents have a lot of jobs!

I then try to help them imagine life without a parent, to envision having to figure out all those tasks on their own.

Today, I want you to do the opposite. I want you to imagine taking on this long list of responsibilities for any number of children you never met before.

Our house mothers are saints, in my book. I’ll stack their tireless efforts next to those of the Prov. 31 woman any day. I have watched them cook over open fires, teach about prepositional phrases and square roots, and cry over teenaged challenges. More importantly, I have heard them cry out to God for the children they’ve chosen to take on.

As Mother’s Day approaches, I hope you are able to reflect on the sacrificial, nurturing love of a devoted mother. But as you remember her, would you do me a favor?

Please also remember, celebrate, and pray for these house mothers who live so sacrificially, that their needs would be met, their hearts would be full, and their children would rise up and call them “blessed.”

I can tell you with certainty that your prayers mean the world to them.

While you’re in prayer, please also remember the following:

 

Praises:

• Praise God that Yana, the first child placed in our Russian Christian Foster Home, is adjusting well to her life in a family. Be sure to visit https://www.boazproject.org/welcomeyana for your video greeting from her new parents.
• Thank the Lord with us that Megan and Joelle have returned safely from their year of service to the orphans at Daya Vihar Girls’ Home, where they taught English, mentored the house parents, and fell in love with the children.
• Also give thanks that David Mercier was able to obtain the necessary travel documentation to remain in Russia, working toward the purchase of a home for our Russian Christian Foster Home.
• Lastly, give glory to God that despite less than ideal weather conditions, this year’s Walk/Run for an Orphan 5K had record-breaking registrations! We are thankful to all who participated or volunteered to make this event a tremendous success.

Requests:

• Please pray for Grace, a child who lives at Agape Fellowship Home in Bangalore. She has severe rheumatoid arthritis which has made the simplest tasks, like walking or lifting a glass to her mouth, quite painstaking.
• Please continue to ask God for the remaining resources for the Russian Christian Foster Home, especially as the ruble has begun rising against the dollar again.
• Ask the Lord for a special blessing for each of our house mothers who selflessly care for children from the streets. May they know God’s delight over them even as we celebrate Mother’s Day here in the U.S.