Prayer Needs

February 25, 2008

WONDERFUL NEWS!

• Sanctuary Home has received an FCRA number, granting us official non-profit status in India! We have been working toward this goal and asking for your prayers concerning this matter for the past 18 months, and it has finally happened! This was a very difficult process, and at times the outcome looked uncertain, but we are thankful to God that this roadblock was eliminated. This will allow us to send money straight to Isaac and Sanctuary Home without being taxed and without incurring suspicion from the government. Up to now we've had to be careful about how much money we send and to whom, causing everyone a lot of stress, but finally we have been approved for Indian Non-Profit Status! Thank you, God, and thanks to all of you for your prayers!

January 25, 2008

• We are so thankful for a safe and successful trip for the '07–'08 team!

• We are thankful for the dedicated work Isaac, Mary and their family continue to carry out.

• We are thankful and praying for the ten new children who were accepted to SH over our trip and for the sponsors who are providing for them!

• Please be praying for the smooth addition of the new children and that they will have an easy transition into their new life at SH.

• It is winter in Tenali and some children had minor colds. Please be praying that they will all feel better soon under Rajanikanth and the Palaparthi's watchful care.

• Please be praying for future involvement with Tenali and SH–many people are wanting to help, and there is much work to be done. Please pray that God will continue to match people up with the best ways in which they can get involved.

• Please pray for the boy Moshe who we found in very poor conditions in the slums. The extent and nature of his ailments are still unknown. He has a family sponsoring him, but please pray that we will be able to help his physical condition improve.

November 8, 2007

• We are thankful that Akhil's surgery was successful and went well!

• We are thankful that all 70 children have been sponsored!

• Please continue to pray for the upcoming trip and all the events and projects connected with it, that the money will be raised and that we can make a lasting difference in the lives of people in need.

August 8, 2007

• Please pray for the team of ten who will travel to SH in December to work with the children, conduct a VBS, and work in the Tenali area.

• Akhil, Malathi, and Harshanikanth all need prayers for their health and upcoming treatments or surgeries. Akhil will soon have surgery to restore his vision.

June 28, 2007

• The building funds and stair railing funds have all been raised and those projects will soon be complete.

• 21 new children are available for sponsorship

• Jansi, one of our 15 year old SH girls, has recently been married against our wishes. Her mother, who had originally brought her to SH because she couldn't feed her due to extreme poverty, arrived at SH to collect Jansi to be married. We were naturally opposed to the idea of a 15 year old 9th grader getting married - without completing her sewing training or school - but legally there was nothing we could do and Isaac was unable to change to mother's mind. Jansi had no say in the matter. This is very typical of rural India, where girls are seen as a liability until they are married off. We are taking steps to prevent this situation with our other SH kids.

March 27, 2007

• Praise the Lord! We raised the $1800 needed. The money is on its way to Sanctuary Home and they will soon have a new generator.

• We are still raising money for the new building. Please pray that the Lord will provide the funds needed so that we may be able to add 20 more children in need.

• Please pray for Gopi's health who is in need of some medical assistance.

• A couple of the children need to have glasses and regular checkups. Please pray especially for Dilip who was found to have one blind eye that may or may not be treated with surgery.

January 17, 2007

• Praise God! We are so thankful to have received our official acceptance as a 501c3 tax-exempt charity. This is great news. Please continue to pray that the Indian side will be equally successful with their legal status.

• Please pray for the health of Jeevanbabu. He has HIV and is currently receiving no treatment. Pray that there will be resources available and good decisions made on his behalf.

• Pray that the six new children will all be sponsored soon and will adjust well to SH.

• We are also very thankful to have been to India and back with no mishaps, and we're happy to bring back such a good report on every aspect of SH. Thank you all for your support!

December 7, 2006

• Please pray for the safety of Ray, Amanda, and Ruth as we travel to India Dec. 28-Jan.11.

November 10, 2006

• Praise God! Malathi and Gopi have had their medical testing and are both recovering slowly with medications. Malathi was diagnosed with pneumonia and a weak heart beat. Gopi was diagnosed with anemia.

• Please pray that God will continue to provide all that is needed financially for SH and for our trip in December.

• Pray that we are approved for tax exempt status with the IRS. Our application has been received and is currently going through the review process.

October 26, 2006

• Malathi is still not doing well, and her medical tests are still pending. She has become very weak and is unable to leave the home. Pray for her.

• Gopi, the child who underwent stomach surgery earlier this year, has been having fainting spells. He will need some testing and is under the doctor's care. Pray for him.

• Pray that God will provide the necessary funds for our trip in December and that the sponsor gathering on Nov. 18th will be a blessing for all involved.

October 13, 2006

• Malathi will soon undergo medical tests. Her health has not been well and the doctor suspects a heart problem. Pray that this is nothing serious, and that she can be successfully treated.

• There has recently been an outbreak of Dengue Fever in India, including Andhra Pradesh, the state where our children live. Fortunately there have been no cases in Tenali. May God keep this awful illness away from Sanctuary Home.

October 3, 2006

• Please pray for the team as we plan and prepare for our visit to SH in December 2006.

September 10, 2006

• After a brief hospital stay, Buddu is back home and recovering very well. Thanks for keeping her in your prayers. See a recent photo of her here.

September 1, 2006

• Buddu's eye surgery is today! She has already been admitted to the hospital; keep her in your prayers. More info will be posted as we receive emails from India with details.

August 23, 2006

• Most of the children have completely recovered from the illness. Thanks for your prayers! Three of the children remain ill with coughing, fever, and cold. They are on medication and being monitored by the doctor.

• Buddu's eye surgery (for cataracts) is scheduled for the first week in September. She is currently on a prescription medicine to prepare for the procedure. Please pray that it will be a complete success.

August 11, 2006

• Major flooding in Andhra Pradesh has affected Tenali, where SH is located. At least 18 of our kids have become ill with coughing and fever due to the weather and flood conditions. They are receiving medical care; please pray that no more get sick and that their illnesses don't become serious. You can read about the flooding at www.deccan.com, a Hyderabad newspaper available online in English. Currently (8/11) there have been 110 deaths reported and the Indian government is offering some relief to victims.

July 25, 2006

• In his efforts to trace various children, Isaac has overworked himself and hurt his back. He has been ordered to bed for several days to recover. Please pray for his complete and quick recovery.

• Buddu Makeni, one of our sponsored girls, must have eye surgery. She is having constant vision problems and is being helped around by the other girls, and the doctor has recommended that she have surgery soon to correct the problem. We praise God that this problem can be corrected! Her surgery will cost about $200. Please pray for a successful procedure and complete healing.

• We will be having a garage sale on August 5th to raise money for SH. Please pray for great success.

July 17, 2006

• We have learned that the two boys who were disobedient and ran away was actually four children. A sibling group, Durgarao and Padma, stayed in the home only a few days before leaving. Isaac has been looking for them for weeks, but they are gone. The two disobedient boys, Uday and Gopi Chintha, left as well, deciding that they prefered their free lives on the street instead of the life at Sanctuary Home. Please pray for all four of these kids, that they will be safe and find food, and that they will return. For now, they have been removed from the website so we can offer the opportunity to children who are more ready to accept help. If they return, they will not be turned away. Thirteen (total) of the children originally shown on this site have been replaced or removed. Nine of them disappeared before they could even be sponsored and moved in. Four of them moved in but chose to leave. Isaac reports that all of the other children are getting along well, enjoying their new lives at the home, attending school, etc. Thank you all for your support.

July 15, 2006

• Three of the recently sponsored children cannot be found to be moved into the home. Ravivarma has not been seen since school began a month ago. Debora and Anilkumar have probably been taken elsewhere by their mother in search of food. Please pray for these children and for their safety.

• Two of the children in the home have run away. These boys were causing quite a disturbance with their disobedience, and were very uncomfortable with the change in their lives. They had formerly been "flying everywhere as birds," as Isaac says, and did not adjust well to a life of less freedom. Please pray that their hearts will be changed and that they will return to the home and accept the opportunity they are being given. Pray for wisdom on Isaac's part. He must decide at what point to let the boys go and offer help to other children instead.

• Six other children, not yet sponsored, have disappeared and been replaced by new children. Pray that they will be sponsored soon, before they are compelled to move on in search of food and shelter somewhere else.

• Today is the first of three preschool dance classes offered by Helen Donaldson. Please pray that the class will be successful and a blessing to all involved. She plans to donate all proceeds to Sanctuary Home.   

June 29, 2006

• Gopi is receiving a three-month course of treatment for a medical problem. Pray for success and a quick recovery.
• Prakash developed pneumonia soon after he moved in, but is recovering with treatment. Pray for his quick recovery.
• Pray for the children still waiting for sponsors - for their safety, their health, and that they would be able to find food and shelter.
• Pray for the children already moved in who are having a difficult time adjusting to a new life and a new home. Despite their prior circumstances, some are homesick.
• Pray for Uday and others like him, who are accustomed to wandering from place to place and now are living quite differently in SH - it is a hard transition.
• Pray for the children still on the streets. Isaac is having a hard time tracing all of them as some have wandered elsewhere. Pray that he can find them all and that we will soon have sponsors for them.
• Now that the children are safe and having their physical needs met, they can start to process their losses and prior circumstances. Pray for peace in the hearts of these hurting children.