I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to everyone that I told I would update this blog regularly. Finding a good connection here is ridiculous. Maybe you’ve all stopped reading this by now…. But hopefully not!

The children at the orphanage have a time of prayer and worship every afternoon, and it is humbling to be a part of. One of the children stands in the front of the room and the rest sit down facing the front. They mostly pray in hindi, but for the past few days they’ve said a little in English. I’ve been wondering what they’re praying for, thinking they’re asking for huge blessings, praying for the Lord to do crazy things. So the oldest boy at the orphanage lead prayer time in English the other day and this is what they said:
The Lord has given us life today and He has kept us safe, so let us worship Him.
The Lord has given us shelter and food so let us worship Him.
Then they pray for their Auntie and Uncle (the parents of the orphanage), for their learning in school, for everyone who supports them, for the two staff, for the team and for our families and for the Lords provision.
They are so simple and grateful. I am humbled by them. We got ice cream today and it was the first time for a lot of them. The staff and the parents here barely get any time to themselves. They get up before five, get the children ready, feed them breakfast, have prayer time, and once the kids leave for school there is lunch to prepare, a baby and three little ones to look after, laundry, cleaning, and all of this on top of the administrative work it takes to run an orphanage.
Here’s the thing, these children will not have anything for Christmas this year unless our team raises the money for them. The group of people who normally raise support for them cannot come this year, so it’s up to us. These children are our brothers and sisters. How many of us would let our little brothers and sisters go without anything on Christmas? Here’s what they need: winter clothes, blankets, a bunk bed, winter school uniforms. They need the basics. As believers we are adopted in to one family with one Father. 2 Corinthians 6:18, “And I will be a Father to you and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Our family stretches across the ocean and across language and skin color, and our own personal preferences. So here’s you can do to help your brothers and sisters out this Christmas: get together with your friends or with strangers and put in however much you can afford or maybe more than you can afford and send it to this address:
First United Methodist Church
301 South Main St.
PO Box 35
Randleman, NC 27317
Make checks out to First United Methodist Church
Please write "orphan Christmas" in the memo line of the check
All of the money will go towards Christmas gifts for the two orphanages and their staff that we are involved with here. James 1:27: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”