Oh Haiti

I feel so powerless. At the same time I feel awe. I'm in awe of the beauty of our earth, of humanity. We sometimes act like we don't care about each other, then something heartbreaking unites people and nations and brings us together as we do our part to help out our fellow people. People are no longer French, or American, but are a helping hand, a caring soul, a strong arm to grab onto, someone who removes the debris and reaches in to lift you out of suffering. And it's beautiful -- the tears, the dirt, the pain, the hope after the storm.
What can I do to help? There is one thing I am sure of, the most powerful thing I know how to do, the thing that breaks walls and gives hope and heals wounds and rescues souls. I can pray.
It may seem like a small thing, but prayer is the best way we can help Haiti. I believe that God has a plan for these people. Buildings will be rebuilt. Lives will be rebuilt. Right now, it's hard, but what about tomorrow?

I could use some prayer...

Living in the country, things get eaten often. One of our young cats (the sweetest cat ever, more like a dog actually) didn't come to the barn to be fed today. I looked all around our property but there's no sign of him. I know I seem like a little girl, asking you to pray for a cat, but this is what's on my heart right now and...yeah. It would break my heart to think of him hurting, lost, or in someone's belly. If you could pray that he comes back home, that'd be great. Ugh. I'm such a little girl, but this is important to me.

Thanks,
Melissa

Dead Cats, Starving Dogs, Lost Jobs

Everything is falling apart today. There have been things during church that have made me laugh and made me forget, but it keeps coming back, creeping into my mind. I ask for your prayers, because my family really needs it.
First, one of our cats, orange Jack, didn’t come to the barn to eat breakfast when my mom laid it out. A couple from our church drove past our house on the way and told us there was a dead cat in the rode. My dad checked, and sure enough, it was our beloved Jack. Jack’s brother, Mittens, is depressed right now and is very clingy. My sister was crying.
Second, our neighbors have this pitt bull named Honey. She has had at least two little of puppies and has tumors on her teats that could be cancerous. They feed her very little and she is emaciated to the point where her spine sticks from her skin and the rest of her body sags under it in a pitiful heap. She bites her puppies to get them away from the food that she needs. She has been hanging around our house for two days, sending my dog into a panic. I wish the owners would take care of her.
Third, this guy my dad works with was flipping through papers to see if there was anything else he could do that day before he went home. He stumbled across listings of his job and my dad’s job. That man was laid off on Friday, and my dad is going to lose his job very soon. I keep thinking about the unfairness of it all – my dad is really good at his job and does extra work when needed. This job was why we moved here. Now he’s losing his job just so the company can cheaply hire people from Mexico to do it? We are on financial lockdown – no allowance spending, no going out to eat, no treats, and I guess I’m not getting a bunny anytime soon. I don’t know how long it will last, but at least we have a heads-up right now so we can start saving before he actually does get laid off.
My parents told me that this will be a big test of faith but that it’s also a great opportunity to trust in the Lord. I’m scared, and last night, when I got the news, I cried (which is really rare), but I’m praying that God will pull us through.
Thanks for supporting me and each other in prayer.

God bless,
Melissa

Pray for Jennifer Hudson!

Hey, everyone.
I have some
really.
bad.
news.

Ya know Jennifer Hudson, the actress/singer? Her mother and brother have been killed in one of their houses in a bad part of town. Yes, killed. As in, someone did it to them. To make matters worse, her nephew is missing.

Jennifer asks you to pray for her. "Thank you all for your prayers and your calls. Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately. Here is a picture of Julian and what he was last seen wearing. Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time."

For more information, please read http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20081026/en_top_eo/65668

For information on the $100,000 reward for her nephew, please read http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081027/ap_en_ce/chicago_bodies_hudson

Prayer Point: Hurricane Ike

We (me and Lucy, writers of One Voice) both live in Texas. And, as you probably have heard, Galveston, Texas, is experiencing Hurricane Ike. I don’t live in Galveston, but I can see the effects of Ike. It’s raining here, but the worst part is the wind. At least we don’t have to evacuate.

Some people in Galveston and Houston have not evacuated yet. They chose to stay put, though reporters have warned them that they face "sudden death". I’m most worried about the children and animals. The children need their parents, they can’t defend themselves. If something happens to their parents, their only hope is to find a rescue committee. And the animals don’t have it much easier. Domesticated animals think differently than wolves because some of their natural behavior has been taken away from them. They don’t stand much of a chance if they are left there.

Moody Gardens has evacuated all the animals. Can you imagine, shipping that many sharks, fish, turtles, stingrays, birds, monkeys, and big cats to places that are hours away?
Six Flags will be closed for a while (duh). I would NOT like to be riding the Titan in this weather.

Please pray for everyone – the people and the animals – that they will all make it to safety, and please pray that the area will not be totally destroyed. Also, if you live in Texas, stay tuned to your local weather channel for updates.

Prayer Point: Steven Curtis Chapman

Please pray for the singer Steven Curtis Chapman. I'm sure you've heard of him -- he's written songs such as Broken and Dive.

Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife had 3 kids of their own -- boys. Then they adopted 3 little girls from China.

Why pray for him and his family? One of his sons was in the car and drove into the driveway, accidently running into his little sister, the youngest Chinese girl in the family. She died.

So please, please pray for Steven and his family for the whole month or longer. He needs it.