Children’s  Side:

We have completed the Prayer Guide.

This prayer guide is a 2 week guide : Understand that this is not an exhaustive list of either matters of prayer or correlating scripture thereof, rather a guide to establish prayer deeply among God’s people through some key prayer topics to aid in the ever deepening of relationships to the Godhead Bodily.

Creation to Christ:

We chose C to C because we desire that children know God deeply in His character and what he says about sin and Man. We want them to know the God that made them and all the world and that chose to send His only Son and suffer on the cross to save them from their sin and death. That this knowledge would guide them, of course through the drawing of the Father, to a decision to trust Jesus fully and live for Him their whole life through in joy and even sorrow.

But first, we chose this way of studying the Bible that the leaders of theses very children would be transformed by our very great God and His word in such a way that they might be able to passionately live out, and accurately and graciously convey  the message of the  word of life we desire that children all over be surrounded by believers living out of the fullness of the Spirit and we believe this teaching, coupled by His Spirit, can produce this very desire!

We are also working with Children Desiring God Curriculum;

1.  How Majestic is your name:  God being the main character, therefore the focus is not on who we are or what we need, but rather on the magnificent of the One who can satisfy all our longings, showing children the greatness of God gives them a basis to respond to Him. 2-6th grade.

2.  Faithful to all His Promises: This Curriculum is not to try to teach us many promises, but to teach children what it means to trust in the promises of God.  2nd-6th grade

3.  In the Beginning Jesus: This Curriculum has been written to help children see the Bible as one complete, true story that progressively reveals God’s redemptive purpose which come to their complete fulfillment in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. All the characters AND EVENTS INVOLVED IN THIS STORY HAVE DIRECTION AND PURPOSE. They all serve the Authors intention in leading us to Jesus.  3rd-4th grade

The reason we chose these is to allow the hurting children to come into the knowledge of a loving faithful God and what is love.  After an appropriate time the children can be introduced to their need for Jesus’ forgiveness and His sacrificial death and resurrection.

We are also working through a book called: Families where grace is in place. The author is Jeff VanVonderen. Families Where Grace is in Place provides a different approach based upon the relationship-transforming power of God's grace. The first step is learning the simple difference between God's job and yours. God's part is to fix and change. Your responsibility is to depend on the Holy Spirit, serve your family, and help to equip them to be all they can be. As you filter your marriage and parenting through God's grace, you'll build healthier family relationships, harmony, and happiness at home.

David is a part of a great team at World Orphans, one that we are excited to be apart of. There are four families in leadership at World Orphans: Paul and Lisa Myhill, Scott and Debbie Veir, Michael and Jody Vinson and our family. There are many children among us, where Anais and Gabe have found there closest friends.

Tonight David is in Arkansas visiting a church group that is about to send a young group on a short-term trip to Africa. They asked David to come share his experience with the youth to prepare them for their involvement. While there, he shared his story, which of course includes Talitha. It is a story that is so apart of who we are that is seems to come out easily, yet with much pain, and takes days or even a week to recover from having relived it. After the meeting, a young MK who had been raised in Uganda, approached David. She was in country when Talitha died and shared how her village, two hours south of Kampala had heard of her death a few hours afterwards. (We lived almost 2 hours north of Kampala.) Her family and village have not stopped praying for us. Tears flooded my eyes, eventually washing my face as David retold their conversation. “Rhonda, our baby girl’s story has reached many people and many more to come.” David expounded.

I believe at that moment both our minds drifted to deeper thought without conveying any words. “Talitha wanted everyone to know about Jesus, her sweet Saviour, and she overcame her fear the last many years to be able to impart this burden she had in numerous ways to scores of people. Maybe it gives God greater glory for her story to be told this way than through her own life. I wish it not, but maybe so. Sweet Talitha, the Lord is using you even now and will continue. I pray countless people come to trust passionately in the Lord because of your life, Baby Girl.” were the thoughts that rushed upon me.

Shortly after arriving back to the states, David and I both became burdened for youth at a new and deeper level. Talitha’s life is weighty among youth. It touches young people to know how some of their own live radical lives, sold out for Jesus, passionate to serve, ready to give of themselves in any way asked. God can change a touched heart into an empowered one. I pray this generation is not only touched, but empowered by the Holy Spirit to go forth in the power and love of Christ to a dying world. I pray Talitha’s life story will help to just that.