Orphans First Update July 8th, 2003

Dear Prayer Partners,

     We returned back from our trip Saturday to busy ministry life here in 
France.  God blessed our time in the States---exactly as we all prayed.  Thank 
you for praying.  I'm pasting below my recent letter to sponsors and am sharing 
it with you so that you can follow the progress Orphans First is making 
rapidly.  Please pray for the new works mentioned in this letter, as well as all 
our other children's ministries.
     AFRICA & WAR-VICTIM CHILDREN
     The gift of $ 2000 we recently gave to help war-victim children in Ivory 
Coast has been used for that exact purpose.  So many hurting children.  We 
plan to find an inroad to help children in other war-torn countries through 
people we know.  Pray for Liberia at this time.  Pray also for a young girl in 
prison here in France, Paula, who is a victim of the Rwandan genocide horrors.  
     ROMANIA, RUSSIA, ALBANIA
     The help we gave to an orphanage for babies in Romania was also 
appreciated and we hope to continue co-laboring with this work.  Meanwhile, I have 
been deeply touched to see how we are expanding particularly in Russia and its 
surrounding countries.  
     ASIA
     Please continue praying for our orphanage in India and the street 
children we know and love in Bombay.  Pray for God to open new doors for us in India 
and other parts of Asia so that many more orphans, street children, 
child-slaves and poor children of every sort can be reached.  Continue praying for 
those we've not been able to reach but remember vividly in our hearts.
     PERSONAL NEEDS
     Please pray for my eye surgery tomorrow.  I have acute glaucoma and will 
have lazer on the first eye tomorrow, and the second one next week if all 
goes OK.  Pray for that.
     Pray also for the salvation of my brother Paul, his wife Rachèle and 
children visiting us for the first time next week from Australia.  (He's an 
atheist).

            Orphans First Sponsor letter July 2003

Dear Sponsors,

     In thanking you for your prayers and contribution for the children, I 
want to share how God is moving.  I had the immense joy of attending the 
Missions Convention in Baltimore (America) where I had the opportunity to share the 
vision for Orphans First.  This resulted in many contacts, and will hopefully 
bring much fruit as more people consider praying, supporting or actively 
ministering to needy children.  
     In Kazan (in Tararstan), a new work with homeless teens began in May.  
Nastya is ministering to street children, some as young as eleven-years-old.  
She and the team meet with the children weekly, bringing them sandwiches and 
tea while sharing Christ with them.  One boy,  Andrey, is being deeply touched. 
He and his other street companions suffer severe malnourishment, lack of love 
and shiver at night because the evenings are very cool, even at summertime.  
This month, we sent money for warm clothes for these children, as well as food. 
We will be supporting them monthly. But our prayer is to begin a home for 
them-a place where they can find shelter in Christ's love.  
     The work with the street children in Albania is growing.  Eda and our 
French team there continue to invest daily in these poor, begging, beaten 
children.  Lushka, a handicapped girl, has wanted to die for years.  Although her 
life is still very hard, there is now hope in her heart, and a smile on her face 
because of faithful supporters like you.  Pray we can open a home for Lushka 
and the other children there in Tirana, including: Xhilda, Genti, Dashi (a boy 
who is quite hard), Goni (only 6-years-old with health problems), Çimi and 
Seit (two brothers of 12 & 16 years of age, and who are new to the cruelties of 
street life), Manuela,  Marsel and Denis.   
       Pray also for our other street children ministries, our orphanages, 
and the work we do in state orphanages all over the world including in:  India, 
several African countries, Russia and surrounding countries, including 
Belarus, Siberia, Azerbaijan, and several "stan" countries near Russia, Albania, 
Romania, Poland, Mexico, and soon Brazil.  Pray special for Dilara in Kalindgrad 
(Russia), and Irina working with street children in Bishkek (Kazhakstan), and 
for all those ministering directly to the children in the many different 
places. Thank you again for helping us to change children's lives. 

In His labor of love,

Janey L. DeMeo
President/founder of ORPHANS FIRST; freelance writer.
Website: http://www.orphansfirst.org/
E mail:  Janey@...
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