| "It is for freedom that Chist has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" Galations 5 : 1 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Prayer Update - September 2008 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” Romans 12:12 |
The Freedom Kids Classes are running 5 afternoons a week, with
children from the woman’s prison and local community coming on
Mondays and Wednesdays, children from the men’s prison on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the younger children (aged 3-6)
from both prisons coming on Friday afternoons.
We have tried to split the groups into two so that Laura and
myself can have a group each, but with limited space, it’s hard to
keep the children in the group they’re meant to be in! Behavior
in class and on the bus is a real motive for prayer. We’ve had a
lot of problems recently with fights on the bus, and also in class,
so please pray that the behaviour of the children will improve, to
avoid further disruption in the class. As you can imagine, living in
a prison, they are used to fighting and insulting each other to
resolve disputes, but we are hoping that they will learn that God
teaches us to be different and to love one another.
children from the woman’s prison and local community coming on
Mondays and Wednesdays, children from the men’s prison on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the younger children (aged 3-6)
from both prisons coming on Friday afternoons.
We have tried to split the groups into two so that Laura and
myself can have a group each, but with limited space, it’s hard to
keep the children in the group they’re meant to be in! Behavior
in class and on the bus is a real motive for prayer. We’ve had a
lot of problems recently with fights on the bus, and also in class,
so please pray that the behaviour of the children will improve, to
avoid further disruption in the class. As you can imagine, living in
a prison, they are used to fighting and insulting each other to
resolve disputes, but we are hoping that they will learn that God
teaches us to be different and to love one another.
| Hello there! First of all, apologies for not writing sooner to update you on the work here. Thank you for continuing to pray for us and the Freedom Kids Ministry and we hope that after reading this update, you’ll have some more specific things to pray for. |
| Laura and the Friday afternoon group of 3-6 year olds |
| The 23rd July is Friendship Day and to celebrate, each of the children received a friendship themed T-shirt with bible verses on the front and back. On the front is Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times” and on the back Galatians 5:14 “The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself” Most of the children have very few clothes so a t-shirt is something practical that they can use, and also a way for them to reach out to their friends and family through the Bible verses printed on them. The children are now walking around the prison, the children’s home and the town sharing Scripture verses with everyone around them. Please pray that people who see these t-shirts will read the verses and be impacted by them. We are continuing our Bible Studies and every child now has their own Bible, which they bring to class with them, and little by little, they are learning how to find Bible verses. The children’s reading level really is generally very low, but they’re very enthusiastic and trying hard to find and read their verses and answer the questions on their worksheets. |
| A group of the children in their Friendship Day T-shirts |
| The boys from the men's prison looking up Bible verses |
| Free health care continues to be provided for all the children involved in the Freedom Kids ministry at the Totaí health centre, and all medicines required are provided thanks to the donations and support received from back home. Most of the children would be unable to afford doctor’s appointments and medicines and it is a huge blessing to have access to healthcare for them at the health centre. The mums of the children often bring their children to the health centre and it’s a good opportunity to chat to them and share with them and get to know them better. Please pray for growing relationships with mums and opportunities to share the gospel with them. This month, all the children attending classes will receive a dental check-up in the Totai health centre, with follow-up appointments being made for children with work needing done. We have recently distributed pills to kill the common parasites that most of the children have. More than 100 children have now received a chewy one-dose tablet that will kill the most common parasite infections, caused mainly by dirty water and poor hygiene. We are hoping to be able to distribute basic hygiene packs (including a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, nail clippers and a nail brush) to all the children. We hope that this will help to combat the problem of sickness, diarrhea and parasite infections caused by poor hygiene. |
The political situation in Bolivia is quite worrying at the moment, with conflict between those supporting the socialist government and those looking for autonomy in their regions. The road between here and Santa Cruz has been blocked for over a week, which means that no petrol, diesel, or food can get into the town. The airport was also closed for over a week and various government institutions, which have been taken over, continue to be closed. There is no petrol or diesel available in the town at the moment and cooking gas is scarce. The diesel shortage has meant that the bus that brings the children to class has hardly any diesel. We have had to cancel class for three days due to the lack of diesel and unless the road blocks are lifted, this problem will continue and more classes will need to be cancelled due to lack of transport to get the children from the prison to the Totaí premises. Please pray also for the construction of operating theatres and a multi-use classroom, situated just beside the Totaí health centre. The classroom will be able to be used for the Freedom Kids Classes. We are currently borrowing the church premises (a wooden hut) for classes, and all our materials are stored elsewhere, so we’re looking forward to having a classroom with toilets and space for all the classroom materials and snacks for the children close by. The walls are now up, and we still need the roof, so please pray for this construction project. Thank you as always for your prayers and support. Please keep praying! |
| Please pray also for an upcoming youth camp for 13-17 year olds, organized by various Trinidad churches, which will be held at the end of October. We are hoping that the teenagers from the prison and ex-prison kids who have been involved in the Freedom Kids Ministry will be able to participate in the camp and benefit from being in a Christian environment, with a chance to learn more about the Lord and share with young Christians. Most of these teenagers don’t know the Lord yet, and their family situation and living environment is often so negative, and full of temptations to go down the wrong path for their lives. Please pray for these teenagers in the month leading up to the camp, that God will prepare their hearts and speak to them, and that they will realize their need for Him in their lives. |
| Some of the teenagers hoping to go to camp on the 31st October - please remember them in prayer |
 | |  |
| Alejandra |
| Ingrid |
| Ernesto |
| Sarita |
| Eliane |
| Cristian |
| Arnold |
| Yovana |
| Yelitza |
| Paola |
| Mayerlin |
| Lucero |
| Elizabeth |