Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s house…If I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so that you can live where I live.
John 14:1, 3 (MSG)
Praying them home...
For some of us, the idea of “home” might bring to mind happy memories and gratitude. For others of us, it may bring feelings of disappointment, or even anger. But even now, ALL of us, regardless of our past experiences, still long to “come home” to a place of acceptance, safety and a deep sense of belonging. This is especially true for the children served by Missio Link International’s Children at Risk ministries, as many of them in their short lives, have already experienced heartbreak or even trauma from broken and failing homes.
Please join us again this year for five days of focused prayer (you decide which days work best for you!) for the kids cared for by MLI’s Children at Risk ministries:
• Back to School- serving children in rural villages at risk for school drop-out
• Deborah House- a residential home for girls who have suffered trauma
• Aspirations- helping young women make a healthy transition to independent living
• Harmony- supporting incarcerated minors in the regional re-education center
This year we will focus on ONE young person from each ministry each day, knowing that they represent many other children just like them, all longing to be brought safely home. We’ll wrap up our prayer journey on Day 5 by praying for Fivi, the Coordinator of MLI’s Children at Risk ministries. She will represent all the men and woman on staff who daily labor to love and serve the children entrusted to the care of Missio Link International.
Day 1: Daniel from Back to School
Daniel is 11 years old, in the 4th grade at Recas school, and already recognized by MLI staff as “one of the little fighters” in the program. He has experienced much difficulty in his short life, losing his father a few years ago. More recently, his mother was diagnosed with an incurable disease and passed away as well. The grandmother that lived in his home with them is too elderly to care for him since his mother died, so he is now living with an aunt. Please pray for him as he adjusts to these deep losses and the uncertainties they bring. We pray that he will be encouraged by the friendships and support found in the Back to School ministry and he will find the safest haven for his heart in Christ.
Day 2: Cornelia (with her older sister, Roxana) from Deborah House
Cornelia is the newest girl to join the family at Deborah House this year. She has lived a tumultuous past, having suffered abuse and neglect in her birth home and was removed into foster care. This process was fraught with difficulty as Cornelia went to 3 different foster homes and began to show the effects of her fractured care and oversight, and was ultimately diagnosed with several medical issues. Through God’s grace and the strong advocacy of MLI, Cornelia was finally placed in the care of MLI at Deborah House, where she was reunited with her sister, Roxanna! Please join us as we pray for deep healing in all her places of harm, and that she would continue to find her way home to Christ’s consistent and forever love.
Day 3: Felicia from Aspirations
Felicia is a vibrant young woman who is finishing an apprenticeship as a manicurist in a
Timisoara salon, as well as continuing on in her formal education. She came to Deborah House in 2017 and has been blossoming in that safe and loving household. She turned 18 last summer and is now preparing for her transition to Aspirations, where she will continue to mature and ready herself for healthy and independent adulthood. Please join us in praying for Felicia as she moves through these major life decisions and continues to find the home that God has prepared for her all along.
Day 4: Petra from Harmony
Petra was forced by her parents at a young age to participate in harmful and illegal activities, which led to police involvement and arrest for all involved. Even though he was the instigator of Petra’s criminal behavior, her father testified against her in court to ensure that she would be sentenced to prison. Petra, now an adult, was a minor when her offences occurred, and was sent to the Buzios Education Center. There she was befriended and encouraged by MLI’s staff and began to desire a change in her life. With the help of MLI and her own hard work, Petra was released. As she begins her new life of freedom, she has heard that her father has filed a complaint with the intent to accuse her of further crimes, to force her back to prison. Even now, Petra is waiting to see what will become of her life moment to moment. Please pray with us for Petra, that God would continue His plan to protect her, encourage her and draw her home to true freedom in Christ.
Day 5: Fivi (and her family)
MLI's Children at Risk Coordinator
Fivi Danalache grew up in a loving household on the shores of the Danube near Moldova-Noula in Romania. Her father was a pastor and her mother worked in the mine. After finishing high school, she moved to Timisoara to complete her studies in law. In the next 3 years, Fivi worked with an NGO giving legal assistance to immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, during which time she met and married her husband, Adrian. A year later, their son Daniel was born. Fivi joined MLI in the fall of 2022 as legal advisor and now serves as the coordinator of the Children at Risk ministries. Please join us in praying for Fivi, and all her colleagues as they care for their own homes and families, and continue to pour out God’s unfathomable love and riches on the children in MLI’s care.
Each story told here is representative of hundreds of other lives, complex and hurting, but finding hope in the Gospel of Christ as lived and shared by our partners at Missio Link International. Thank you for praying along with us and may you be richly blessed.
On the journey with you,
Lauren Clevenger
MI Knoxville