India- A huge, destructive cyclone is about to hit India. Almost half a million people have been evacuated. You have to wonder how many more people need to be evacuated but can't go, for a variety of reasons. Please pray for the people in the path of this massive storm, that they will stay safe, that the after-affects of a storm like this (such as food and water issues) will be minimal, and that the government and non-profit aid organizations will be able to help quickly and efficiently.
Kenya- The country continues to deal with the aftermath of the devastating terror attack on an upscale mall in Nairobi a few weeks go. Suspects are still being identified, and according to some sources, some people are still missing. Part of the mall ended up collapsing, and there could still be people in the rubble. Pray for Kenya as they deal with this tragedy- they're normally a pretty peaceful country (and the ones behind this attack were not Kenyans.) Pray for the leaders of the nation, that they will make wise decisions about how to deal with this fringe group. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones in the incident. And pray for peace, too.
Haiti- I think we all know there's a long list of ways we can pray for Haiti. Here's a really specific one, though. Haiti recently had an outbreak of cholera. I remember my friend Ashley telling us another adopting couple they knew lost their son to the disease. The thing is, cholera outbreaks aren't really supposed to be happening in Haiti. At least, not where the outbreak was. It has come to light that it looks like some UN workers brought the disease to the country, and thousands ended up dying. Haiti has enough to deal with. They don't need another deadly disease outbreak on top of everything else. Well, from a lot of the articles I've read, the UN appears to accept responsibility for the outbreak, but they aren't going to do anything about it. Kind of like how members of the US military can't actually sue the military- it's a sort of immunity thing. The survivors and family members of the almost 700,000 people who contracted cholera in this outbreak are trying to sue the UN for financial compensation- and to be candid, I believe they deserve it. Just as the Native Americans would have deserved financial compensation when the Europeans brought over smallpox and syphilis and everything else. But I digress. Pray that a just agreement will be reached. Pray that, if they are indeed responsible, the UN does something to make it right. And pray for the families who are still grieving their loved ones. Pray for those who were left weakened or disabled from the disease. Their lives are forever changed by something that wasn't even their fault.
Peru- A truck traveling through the Andes mountains in Peru plunged down a ravine and at least fifty people are dead. Pray for the families of those who died in this terrible tragedy.
Mexico- An indigenous woman recently gave birth on the lawn outside a medical center after she was denied care. Not only was she turned away after coming into the building, but the nurses continued to refuse help (and refuse to ask doctors for help) even though this lady basically had a baby hanging out of her. Beyond praying for this new mama and the health of her baby, there are two prayer requests here, and they both reach beyond Mexico. One, indigenous people are frequently the victims of prejudice in the Americas. It's sad but true. People of indigenous heritage are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to lack an education, and more likely to be treated unfairly. Pray about the inequality that they face on a daily basis. Pray for the kids who are members of these tribes and hold this heritage, that they will grow up knowing they are beautiful and loved no matter what their background is. Pray that the next generation will be different than the last. Also, pray for the maternal care available to women in Mexico and around the world. These women face many hardships when their maternal care is compromised- premature or stillborn babies, underweight children, and other problems plague those women who don't have the same sort of medical care that we do here in the United States. Say what you will about healthcare in our country- no matter what's going on with it, your chances of dying in childbirth here are pretty slim. Not everyone can claim those statistics.
Kenya- The country continues to deal with the aftermath of the devastating terror attack on an upscale mall in Nairobi a few weeks go. Suspects are still being identified, and according to some sources, some people are still missing. Part of the mall ended up collapsing, and there could still be people in the rubble. Pray for Kenya as they deal with this tragedy- they're normally a pretty peaceful country (and the ones behind this attack were not Kenyans.) Pray for the leaders of the nation, that they will make wise decisions about how to deal with this fringe group. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones in the incident. And pray for peace, too.
Haiti- I think we all know there's a long list of ways we can pray for Haiti. Here's a really specific one, though. Haiti recently had an outbreak of cholera. I remember my friend Ashley telling us another adopting couple they knew lost their son to the disease. The thing is, cholera outbreaks aren't really supposed to be happening in Haiti. At least, not where the outbreak was. It has come to light that it looks like some UN workers brought the disease to the country, and thousands ended up dying. Haiti has enough to deal with. They don't need another deadly disease outbreak on top of everything else. Well, from a lot of the articles I've read, the UN appears to accept responsibility for the outbreak, but they aren't going to do anything about it. Kind of like how members of the US military can't actually sue the military- it's a sort of immunity thing. The survivors and family members of the almost 700,000 people who contracted cholera in this outbreak are trying to sue the UN for financial compensation- and to be candid, I believe they deserve it. Just as the Native Americans would have deserved financial compensation when the Europeans brought over smallpox and syphilis and everything else. But I digress. Pray that a just agreement will be reached. Pray that, if they are indeed responsible, the UN does something to make it right. And pray for the families who are still grieving their loved ones. Pray for those who were left weakened or disabled from the disease. Their lives are forever changed by something that wasn't even their fault.
Peru- A truck traveling through the Andes mountains in Peru plunged down a ravine and at least fifty people are dead. Pray for the families of those who died in this terrible tragedy.
Mexico- An indigenous woman recently gave birth on the lawn outside a medical center after she was denied care. Not only was she turned away after coming into the building, but the nurses continued to refuse help (and refuse to ask doctors for help) even though this lady basically had a baby hanging out of her. Beyond praying for this new mama and the health of her baby, there are two prayer requests here, and they both reach beyond Mexico. One, indigenous people are frequently the victims of prejudice in the Americas. It's sad but true. People of indigenous heritage are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to lack an education, and more likely to be treated unfairly. Pray about the inequality that they face on a daily basis. Pray for the kids who are members of these tribes and hold this heritage, that they will grow up knowing they are beautiful and loved no matter what their background is. Pray that the next generation will be different than the last. Also, pray for the maternal care available to women in Mexico and around the world. These women face many hardships when their maternal care is compromised- premature or stillborn babies, underweight children, and other problems plague those women who don't have the same sort of medical care that we do here in the United States. Say what you will about healthcare in our country- no matter what's going on with it, your chances of dying in childbirth here are pretty slim. Not everyone can claim those statistics.
What a neat idea!! It's so eye-opening to pray for people around the world. It helps my day-to-day perspective.
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