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Prayer Requests

This page last updated on: June 14, 2022 PLEASE come back often.

We'd like to dedicate this page to Prayer and Praise. The Lord is so good to us, we cannot cease praising Him.

## Please always pray that God would be glorified through this, HIS, ministry. Our heart is that the girls would be touched by God's tremendous love and learn daily lessons of what it means to serve Him.

## Please keep in prayer the 23 under 18 year old girls we have in two home. Each of them is SO precious in the sight of the Lord. Many, if not all, have come from impossible backgrounds and we pray daily for their healing. Please also pray for the 8 girls in the University house; also known as Segundo Paso. They have finished their time in the childrens' home and have moved on to a more independent, yet still supervised, home.

## We, Jonathan and Linda, are daily seeking the Lord on longer term direction. This past 18 monthshas been quite difficult with the busyness of medical appointments, treatments and stress. God has been ever so good and has met ALL our needs. Now we arewaiting to see what the near term furure holds and what direction God is leading us in the future.

Please continue in prayer with us regarding the opening of the third girls' home. The need is evident however, we believe that the 'call' isn't based on the need, rather God's voice. Our desire is to be open to His Will above all.

There has been a change in the political climate of Bolivia during the past year or so. It feels that there is a bit more hostility toward those who don't lean to the far left, who have lighter skin and who don't practice the worship of 'Mother Earth'. We are praying that this feeling subsides soon and that there will be a greater freedom of religious expression. Above all we recognize that we are in a spiritual battle and will not fight against flesh and blood.

We thank God for providing us several volunteers these past few months. We know that the girls were impacted but we also recognize that each person that spends time here is touched by God.

Ryan and his clan during a goodbye celebration.

Heather in the back with Laura, Leydi, Juanita and Erika.

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** Please keep us in prayer as we start the new school year. It's looking like we will have 26 girls at school and 3 at home during the morning. It's always a challenge to finance the cost of books, school supplies, backpacks, shoes, lab jackets and other items.

** There will be some personnel changes in the month to come. Please ask the Lord to work in the hearts of these new workers; that they will be able to do their work as unto Him.

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• ** We continue to ask for prayer regarding the construction of the new home. We are trying to take it slow and gentle but I (Jonathan), being the project-minded, do-it-now person that I am, want to bulldoze my way through. However, God's timing will be the bottom line. After it's done, we face a new challenge—that of financing additional staff, food, utilities, Etc. for 12 to 15 more girls. We do believe that Our God will never call us to a task without the proper tools.

  ** Regarding Nicol (see below): We have received some doctorly advise from the States and have here on a new medication. Her 4X a day seizures have nearly stopped completely. She is/was also suffering smaller, constant, disruptive seizures that prevent her from functioning normally; she is now settling down and is much more manageable.

  

  ** During the months of June-August we have had/will have had many visitors. Please pray that these folks will be touched by the children here and more importantly God's love. That all of us would better learn what it means to 'take care of the widow and orphan'.

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<> Please pray as we ask God for continued guidance regarding the future. We have begun building a third home that will facilitate 12-15 additional children. This is exciting and scary stuff for us! The financial burden to build ($20-25k) and the monthly support for these children can be somewhat overwhelming. We do know, however, that we have a God that would never leave us without the tools to operate.

<> In March, we accepted a special needs child. Nicol has been institutionalized since she was a year old due to a traffic accident that killed her mother. Since that accident five years ago, no one has shown interest in her. She came to us from another, short-term home here. We are in the process of trying to fully understand what her condition is and will be sending some test results to the States to hopefully have them evaluated. Please pray for wisdom to know just how to handle this situation.

<> Please pray for us, Jonathan and Linda Baker, as we face the fact that our family is growing up and moving out; spread out upon two or more continents. It is a rough time for us as we treasure our family and the time we have spent together. Please ask God to settle our hearts and know that we will one day be together again.

<> Pray that our house mums will be given an extra measure of wisdom and endurance by God. They have the toughest job of anyone!

<> Linda will be in the States for six weeks starting the first week in May. She has three graduations and a wedding to attend. She would like to communicate to anyone who wants to listen about the ministry here. Please pray that she will be used by God in the way He desires. Oh, and pray for her husband who is holding down the fort alone while she's gone. [whata great guy!]

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>> During this past month, God has laid it on our hearts to open a third home. While we were in the prayer stages (and not yet to the planning stages!), God opened the doors to begin construction. We aren't sure what is happening and why this is moving so fast; but we sincerely believe God is in it. Please pray that we will be able to see this through financially. It's a big step and a big outlay.

>> And construction is only part of it. Please pray that the Lord will provide the staff and funds to operate another home. We could feasibly take another 12-15 children; that implies mucho time and mucho bucks. Nothing our God cannot do.

>> As the North American Summer quickly approaches, pray that God will lead those HE desires to come and work here. It's not as though we are overwhelmed with requests, but we want to be wise in the decisions we make.

>> As always, ask God to allow us a glimpse of His love so that we may share it with the children here.

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** Please pray for our financial situation. We've had a stressful time this past three months with many extra expenses. We are now taking on 7 additional children for a total of 24. We know the Lord can and will do it; however, we need to continue bringing this to him.

** For continued wisdom by all who work here. The girls come from a variety of difficult backgrounds and we need to know the best way to respond to them.

** We have three graduatings that we really shouldn't miss in May/June. Please ask God to show us how we are going to handle this and, assuming only one of us (Linda or Jonathan) is going, ask that HE provide the finances for the trip. Ryan is graduating from Multnomah Bible College, Kyle from Western Baptist College and Joshua from East Linn Christian Academy.

**Please pray for continued good health. As we get older, we are concerned that 'something' big will occur and we, without health insurance, might be hard pressed to handle that.

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** Once again we ask that you would pray with us for an extra measure of WISDOM. James 1:5 says that we just need to ask. There are several situations going on right now that must be handled delicately and confidentially. We need to know how to manage this situations and still remain on good terms with other organizations; specifically governmental organizations.

** Please pray for Monica and Lourdes; two young girls who are experiencing some very painful trials at the moment. Trials that will certainly leave them wounded for a lifetime.

** Please continue to pray for the opening of the second home. There are still many things needed that we must purchase. Additionally, monthly expenses from January on will increase substantially. We are depending on God and His leading of His people to provide for the needs of the children.

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** We want to give praise to the Lord for starting the process of opening another home. Two factors remain; personnel and finances. We were blessed this past week in the area of finances; God is so good. We believe this is God's way of starting the process. Please continue to pray that HE would provide the needed people, the RIGHT people to work with us. Also that He would continue to provide needed, ongoing support.

** There are several girls living with us that have experienced deep wounds. Please pray that God's love would overcome the impossibility of their healing. We know that the Lord is in charge of healing His children.

** Please pray for continuing protection from sickness and accidents. It seems that this past couple months have been wrought with health problems. We know that God will smooth this out.

** And thank you SO much for your prayers and support!

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** This past weekend (September 7, 2004) as we were returning from the Jungle region of Bolivia, we came upon a serious traffic accident. I trust the Lord used us in some way to minister His love to the hurting. There were six people killed: 3 women, 1 man, a 14 year old girl and an 18 month old baby. Please pray for the following:

Aida is a 10 year old girl who lost her mom when the truck overturned. She experienced that tragedy and now must live life without her. She has 8 siblings and is the third youngest. Please pray that God would give her and her siblings comfort in this difficult time.

Please pray for 4 year old Nelly. Her mother and 18 month old little brother were killed. Please also lift up the father of this family; we do not know his name. He was extremely shook up over the accident.

Pray that God would have his hand in the lives of the people that were hurt by this. That His will would be worked out.

** We are considering opening the second house in January of 2004. If God wills it should be 'no problem'. He always provides the tools we need for the job. Please remember us in prayer as we ask God for direction in all this. Also that He would provide the needed personnel and financial support.

** Please remember us (Jonathan and Linda Baker, remember us...?) as we adjust to now having TWO children out of the house and 8,000 miles away. The adjustment is difficult having the family split. And, though we don't want to think of it, in just three years we may have FOUR children living on a different continent.

** Pray that the girls in the homes would experience Christ's love and grace. That somehow, in spite of our humanness we would be able to reflect His love to the children. Ask God to provide an extra measure of wisdom in dealing with the large cultural gap---Dark Vs. Light.