Dear Prayer Partners,

    Thanks for continuing to pray for the millions of needy children 
throughout 2003.  I just finished reading "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer, 
the true and horrific story of a child tortured for years by his mother.  The 
things he lived through, going without food sometimes as long as ten days at 
a time, being forced to eat the contents of dirty diapers and his own vomit 
(which his mother made him vomit up), being stabbed, beated, almost drowned, 
enslaved and totally hated and abused............such things are beyond our 
imagination.  They are scary and we cannot understand them except that Satan 
hates children.  
     Most children who've suffered such abuse turn into abusers.  Only God 
can deliver them from their pain and from this destructive cycle.  That's why 
organizations like Orphans First exist -- to co-labor with God in reaching 
children for Him.  My heart is stirred up like never before to fight for 
those little ones.  1 Samuel 30 is a good chapter for 2003.  May we fight 
until there's no more fight left in us.  And may we unite in prayer.  
Specific, targeted prayer.  Prayer with tears of compassion.  Prayers of 
sacrifice, taking precious time and giving it to prayer for the children.  
Here are things to pray for now.

CHRISTMAS PROJECT CONTINUES
     Please pray as we continue the Christmas Project in several countries, 
and as we seek God's will in expanding Orphans First this year.  Pray 
specifically for the following in order for us to reach this goal: 
administrative needs, particarly here in France where I live (although my 
office is in the States).  Pray for God to raise up someone else here to do 
accounts.  

ALBANIA, UKRAINE, RUSSIA, BELARUS, SIBERIA, KAZAKSTAN, POLAND, ROMANIA
     Pray for upcoming Christmas projects in these countries and for the work 
with street children in various cities in Russia, and in Albania. Pray for 
Eda & Marie-Louise who work with street children in Albania.   Pray for a 
greater inroad to reach children via our team in Romania. And pray for 
continued work among orphans in the other countries, and future orphanage in 
St.Pete.  

AFRICA
     Pray for upcoming trip to Africa (I won't be going but some of our 
people from here will) and for O.F. to have a greater impact in more African 
countries as well as meeting the needs of the orphans ministries we already 
have in the countries we already work.

ADOPTIONS
     Pray for the adoption of Andrei & Lida in Russia this month.  The 
adoptive parents leave this week.  Pray the paperwork is done quickly and 
that there would be no hindrances so that these little ones can enter a new 
life with their new family in America.
     Continue praying for other adoptions: Valery, Sacha, and millions of 
others.  By the way, D*** who we prayed for often, is doing fine in a foster 
home.  God is faithful.

INDIA
     Pray for God to guide and open doors for us to return to India this year 
to visit our beloved children there, and initiate new children's works.  Pray 
for our orphanage in Guntur, and children no longer there for whatever 
reason, such as Nanibabu.  Pray for his future.  Continue praying for 
children we've worked with in Bombay who are now back on the streets.  And 
pray for God to guide us different ministries there are asking for our help 
(we really need to meet these ministries first-hand to evaluate their 
authenticity and see if we can co-labor). 

SPONSORS
     Pray for O.F. sponsors, for their own needs to be met, for more 
sponsors, and specifically for a man whose entire class sponsor monthly and 
who is presently suffering with serious health problems.  Pray for Mike.  

FRANCE
     Continue praying for troubled youth.  The youth ministry has also been 
badly attacked and affected by a conspirational onslaught.  Yet, God is 
faithful and we have seen a breakthrough with some of the teens.  Continue 
praying as some are still toying with serious rebellion.

PERSONAL
     Pray for our upcoming trip to USA. Pray for details to fall in place 
(the usual ones, including plane tickets, and the covering over the work here 
in France).  This trip is important for many reasons including details 
concerning O.F., missions, and the future or our daughter in Baltimore and 
our 15-year-old son Francesco.  The trip is tentatively scheduled for late 
January, early February.

     Thanks so much for your prayers.  You are heros.


Janey L. DeMeo
President/founder of ORPHANS FIRST; freelance writer.
Website: http://www.orphansfirst.org/
E mail:  Janey@...
Subscribe to free weekly Orphans First prayer list:
http://WeLoveGod.org/digests/orphansfirst/    
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