first week

Janna Moats - Topic: Why we're here - A framework for action

She taught us how we can use our skills, money, and influence for our advantage to reach kids. We learned about the importance of parenting and the affects of the parenting on the childrens growth. Kids have 5 basic needs; security, significance, boundaries, community and creativity. She made us aware of the issues that children are facing at home and how they react to these issues. What impacted me the most was when she told us that we need to be going into the situation to learn and not think that we have all the answers. A new understanding that i got was humility and the power of using it. One question that she brought out of me was why are people not doing anything to help preventable diseases? For our local outreach we went to a park nearby and prayed for spiritual wisdom of the things that were going on around the area. One of the girls felt like there were lots of things going on in secret, this mainly led us to pray about the prostitution in the city. This has been a very productive and busy week.

http://www.compassion.com/
This website is focused on helping children spiritually, socially, physically, and economically. They try to get people to sponsor children, want to link one sponsor to one child in need. They offer to educate sponsors about poverty and development.

https://www.worldhope.org/
They are a non-religious organization. They are focused on fighting poverty by helping people get clean water, food, shelter, clothing, and medical supplies. They have four values- humility, sustainability, longevity, and a holistic approach.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/17/AR2010011700901.html
In this article it is talking about what is happening in Katmandu, Nepal. The last ten years the Moaists have been in war against the government. 3 years ago they forcefully took the children out of schools and persuaded them to fight in the war not only did they take them out of school but they took them from their families. Today the children are supposed to be released from the camps that they have been trapped in for the last three years they have been given 130 dollars and a set of clothes. Along with that they have been given an identification card and a "rehabilitation package," which will allow them to go back to school or get into business. But the thing that can't be given back to them is the last three years of their childhood lives. Along with that they are going to try to be a normal child civilian again. On top of that they have to worry about reconnecting with their families.

prayer topics:
* safe travel
*reconnect with their family
*restoration from hurt that was caused in the last 3 years
*their identification is given back to them