The Defender Bible Study

Join us as Herbie Newell and Blake Wilson lead us through Acts 28:17-30 and prayers for Costa Rica.

• PANI - That the Lord would reach their hearts to help them better know Him personally
• That the Lord would provide them wisdom, encouragement, & resources as they evaluate children/ families and work hard to advocate for better processes, too.
• Specifically, pray for our major contacts there and lift them up to the Lord as they have big jobs with little support:
• Jorge: adoption director
• Sonia, Elizabeth, & Sylvia: lead adoption psychologists & social worker
• The Protection Unit: oversees our licenses for unadopted, mission trips, & trainings
• Regional offices: we have seen a really big gap here in these regional offices which is creating lots of problems for the children and government. Pray the Lord can bring this resolution so we can all better advocate for the children.
• Pray the local churches, missionaries, and organizations in their efforts to share Christ in their communities and care for the children & families of Costa Rica
• Ray & Lidia Zierkel: Missionaries who run the Methodist Home and are partnering with us for adoptions & unadopted
• Steve & Georgiana Thomas: Missionaries who run the Abraham Project and partner with us for adoptions
• Marjorie & Tyler: Costa Rican believer & husband (who is now a missionary there) who run a home there and are partnering with us for adoptions and unadopted
• Casa Viva: This is a Christian non-profit that is running the entire foster care system for the country. Pray for wisdom and opportunities for (un)adopted as we plan for future care giver and foster care trainings as well as mission trips. 
• Children in Costa Rica: For their hearts, that they may learn of their Heavenly Father and that He will comfort them in their distress.
• For advocates to arise to love, care for, and help them. Many children spend years in care without receiving abandonment decrees due to a failed system. Let’s pray the Lord raises up the right people to fight for them and help them be reunited to their families or forever adoptive families.
• For the specific children we met on the last trips – we have met over 200 children that are waiting for forever families. Let’s pray for the Lord’s will in their lives and that we can be good advocates for each of them.
• Post Adoption Families and Adopted Children: Pray for the families who are already home with their children as they adjust, care for, support, and seek resources for their children. Pray for wisdom, rest, and perspective for the parents.
• Pray for the children’s hearts as they process their hurts and that they would find comfort and healing through Christ.
• Families in Process: we’d love to lift up each family who is waiting and working hard to be matched with their child/ children. Pray for peace & endurance, and that they’d use this time wisely to prepare their families for what’s to come.
• Future Families: we are really hoping to grow the CR program. Please pray the Lord would bring the right families to the program so that the children can be loved and discipled in forever families

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Join us as Herbie Newell and Tim Crist lead us through Acts 28:1-16 and prayers for Hong Kong.

• Pray for the Gospel to continue to spread in Hong Kong and that the local believers will manifest the gospel to vulnerable children and families.
• Pray that believers would trust in the sovereignty of the Lord
• Wednesday- Waiting Children
• Pray for more local families to be open to significant medical special needs
• Pray that God would provide loving, stable caregivers for children while they wait
• Pray that the Social Welfare Department would improve and streamline their process to avoid children waiting much longer than needed.
• Pray for their continued favor with the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department
• Pray that their leadership would be convicted to be uncompromising in their Christian values
• Pray for the encouragement and stamina of all staff
• Praise for the many mission-minded families in the program who are waiting with hope despite unusually long timeframes.
• Praise for the excellence with which Mother’s Choice serves the children in their care
• Praise for Hong Kong’s unique relationship with China and the opportunity for the gospel to flurish in the region  

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Join us as Herbie Newell and Dr. Rick Morton lead us through Acts 27:1-44 and prayers for Hungary.

• Pray for the families in process as they wait.  Pray for the 10 families who have dossiers registered at the Ministry. 
• Pray we start seeing younger referrals again.  Pray for the discrimination against the Roma child and population as a whole.  Pray the Lord would protect these children from discrimination.  
• Pray for the 3 families in country right now and the 2 that should travel in August!  
• Pray for our Lifeline Team: Josh, Jana, Brianna, and Toria.
• Pray for our head team member, Adam as he navigates the adoption process in Hungary.  Pray as he continues building relationships with government officials.
• Pray for the country as a whole.  Many Hungarians call themselves Christians but most families have described it as a spiritually dark country.  Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox are strong religious traditions in Hungary.
• Pray that our families will continue to share the gospel when they travel and for opportunities for our staff to be lights in the darkness to the on the ground team.
• Pray that the Ministry of Human Resources Department of Family and Demographic Affairs Central Authority will continue to be in favor of international adoptions and see the urgency in preparing paperwork for children. 
• Pray for Judith Sebestyen, our contact at the US Embassy who always helps our families. 
• Praise the Lord for families who are called to adopt from Hungary.
• Praise the Lord for the 12 children who came home from Hungary in 2018 and the 16 children who will come home by the end of September!  We are SO thankful for all the Lord has done in this program.
• Praise the Lord for Adam and all he does for our families!

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Join us as Herbie Newell and Tim Crist lead us through Acts 26:1-32 and prayers for Foster Care.

• For hosting churches for classes the rest of this year: Christ Fellowship, Northpark, Shades Mountain, Altadena Valley, Summit Crossings, and Faith Assembly.
• Financial Provision for our Foster Care Program 
• Our partnerships with DHR and DSS. That they will deepen and strengthen in trust specifically with supervisors Anna Smith, Lorie McCullough, Latonia Eaton, & Jennifer Taylor. 
• Children in care and Birth Families
• Current licensed foster families- wisdom, grace, strength, and patience as they minister to children in need. 
• Foster Families in process- that they will complete the requirements to become licensed.
• For more families to respond to the specific needs of older children, sibling groups, and medical special needs.
• For upcoming continuing education opportunities: for the Lord to guide us in creating CEUs about school, hard questions, and the first and last 36 hours. 
• For churches to care for families and CPS in unique ways the entire length of their fostering journey. 
• For the churches involved in foster care to expand to holistic support of foster families and birth families.
• Lifeline Foster Care Team 
• Praise for the number of families attending upcoming AL and SC orientations
• For the completion of the Fostering Hope package that equips churches to care holistically for foster care! 
• For the 39 graduates of foster parent training classes so far this year!

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Join us as Herbie Newell leads us through Acts 25:1-27 and prayers for Taiwan.

• Pray for our partners in Taiwan, Cathwel, that the Lord would sustain the work that they are doing in Taiwan with Birth mothers and vulnerable children. 
• Pray that the Lord would draw unbelieving workers at Cathwel to Himself, especially Grace. 
• Pray for growth in the partnership between Lifeline and Cathwel
• For the Gospel to go forth in Taiwan. Pray for the grip of Buddhism and Ancestor Worship to loosen and the God of the gospel to triumph. 
• For growth and awareness of this special needs program as we continue to advocate for children.
• Pray for a family to come forward for a sibling group of 4 who may be split up soon. 
• That God would protect children while they wait and place Christian caregivers and foster families in their lives.
• That Cathwel and Taiwan would be more open minded to expat adoption, out of birth order adoption, and larger family adoption.
• Praise the Lord for the hearts of the workers at Cathwel as they truly desire what is best for the children in their care.  
• Praise the Lord for possible opportunities to more deeply invest in Taiwan
• Praise God for two recent matches for the Wright and Buckley families! 

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Join us as Herbie Newell and Dr. Rick Morton lead us through Acts 23:12-24:27 and prayers for the Lifeline's Counseling program.

• Pray that summer can be a time of connection and sweet memories for families, and that families who typically struggle because of lack of schedule can find ways to incorporate consistency.
• Pray that God works in the hearts of our parents to keep them focused on the eternal value of adoption. That they can see their struggles through the lens of the gospel.
• Pray that children will find connection with their families and ultimately, God.
• For teen groups – that each participant will continue to connect with one another and grow. That God will continue to provide wisdom and direction to Angela, Ashley, and our interns – Anna and Jennifer.
• Pray that families find moments of rest and refreshment as they go throughout their days and weeks. 
• Pray for soft hearts for all members of families; that they can each see one another clearly rather than through eyes of anger or hurt, and that God will continue to deepen relationships both with Him and within families.
• Pray for our current therapists at Lifeline:  Angela, Ashley, Kim, & Whitney – Pray for our therapists to have clarity in how to approach and best help each family.
• Pray for the development of Lifeline counseling. That God will lead us in developing a business model that is sustainable and accessible to families who need healing.
• Praise God for the families He has brought to the counseling department and the work that He has accomplished in each so far. For their courage and faithfulness in committing to do hard things, and prayers for strength as the journey continues and work deepens.  
• Praise for the support of exec and the board for our counseling ministry and the ways that so many around Lifeline invest.
• Praise for growth and healing throughout so many facets of the ministry.

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Join us as Herbie Newell and Jason Sampler lead us through Acts 22:22-23:11 and prayers for the Lifeline's Domestic Adoption program.

• Pray that our country and its leadership would submit itself to the authority of God.
• Pray for the various state legislations on abortion and for this to impact federal legislation
• Pray for protection over the ministry of Lifeline.
• Pray for birthmothers who desire to make contact with their children. 
• Pray for the children who may meet their birthparent(s) for the first time, and for their families and their ability to navigate that new relationship with grace, love, and confidence. 
• Pray for birthparents and adopted children who desire a meeting but hear no response from the other party. 
• Pray for peace and confidence for prospective adoptive families as they wait for God to bring children into their families.
• Pray for their extended family and friends of waiting couples to be a community of support during the wait. 
• Pray for courage and peace when they hear “No.” Pray that their identity is in Christ, not parenthood.
• Pray for the families who have recently been matched and the birth mother chose to parent 
• Pray for families as they learn the heart of open adoption and choose their level of openness. Pray that our staff would prepare them well. 
• Pray that our families would desire to share the gospel above all else, and would navigate openness with wisdom.   
• Pray for the situations where the birth mother and the APs struggle with their mutual openness. 
• Pray for the families who are not following through on their agreement and for us to be able to support them while speaking truth
• For the staff working with these families in all of our domestic states.
• For the mission-minded families God brings to Lifeline.
• For the opportunity to work with more birthmothers in new states this year.

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Join us as Herbie Newell leads us through Acts 21:37-22:21 and prayers for the Dominican Republic.

• La Baliza (of Niños de la Luz, the boys’ home we partner with in the DR)
  • Pray that the boys who live at La Baliza will trust Christ as their Savior and know the love of their heavenly Father for them.
  • Pray for unity and strength among the staff at the home – teachers/leaders/cooks/grounds keeper.
  • Pray for wisdom for (un)adopted to grow and deepen the relationship with the Hasletts and to find new ways to walk alongside their ministry.
  • Pray for the Caregiver Education training that will take place this July, and for the team that will go and sere at the home.
• Pray for the church in DR, that they will be faithful to teach the Gospel. 
• Pray for missionaries through IMB, IJM, & other ministries who have sent missionaries to the DR. Pray that they will have many opportunities to form relationships and share their faith as well as empower the local church.  
• Central authority – CONANI & Families:
  • Pray for them as they work to advocate for the children and as they make decisions that affect the children 
  • Pray for wisdom and creativity for them as they seek to meet the children’s needs and also enact for better policies to help more families and children to be united.
  • Pray for our team that will be travelling to have a meeting with the CA on July 15 to advocate for better processes 
  • That the Lord will bring mission minded families that are excited about a 5-6 month in country stay
• Friday:  DR Team - Wisdom & grace for our in country team and team here
  o   Madelaine Viñas – our lawyer 
  o   Sheila – our facilitator/host    
  o   Lifeline Team: Beth, Ferrah, Josh, (un)adopted

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Join us as Herbie Newell and Blake Wilson lead us through Acts 21:27-40 and prayers for China.

• Pray for our in-country team that the spirit would soften their hearts to the gospel.
• Pray for continued favor with the CCCWA and new opportunities to manifest the gospel.
• Pray for approval of future hosting Kid’s Camps.
• Pray for approval for delegations to visit Lifeline and for us to clearly communicate the Gospel during their visit.
• Please pray specifically for the children currently living in orphanages and foster homes in China.
• Pray that families waiting for young children with minor needs would be more open to the children who are already waiting.
• Praise God for positive movements for families who have been waiting a long time!
• Pray for local believers to have opportunities to share the gospel with children and vulnerable families.
• Praise God for the China team who loves and serves their families so well!

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Join us as Herbie Newell leads us through Acts 21:1-26 and prayers for Colombia.

• That the church will be strengthened and the true gospel will spread in Colombia. Pray for them as the Church becomes more aware of the orphan crisis and as we progress in discipleship with the local churches. Specifically praying for the following churches: Renacer, Vida Bogota, La Libertad, and Vida Nuevo
• Pray the Lord would bring redemption and truth to those living in Colombia. Colombia is working hard to progress and come back from past histories with drugs, prostitution, sexual promiscuity, corruption, and violence. Pray the Lord would bring truth and peace to those who call Colombia home.
• Pray for God to give grace, provision, and peace to those in the midst of the adoption process. Pray the Lord to guide them and to give them endurance.
• Pray for post adoption families. Many families are home and walking through challenges of parenting children who have faced a lot of trauma.
• Pray for God to bring more missional families that will be flexible and understanding with the process and the complex needs of the children of Colombia
• Pray that the Lord would prepare the children being pursued by our families now, that their hearts would be prepared and at peace with all the upcoming transition. 
• Pray for opportunity to advocate for more waiting children and have more opportunities to advocate for better policies to benefit them in the long run.
• Pray for continued growth and in Caregiver Education in Colombia – that the Lord would continue to open doors to local churches who want to invest in and be a part of orphan care ministry.
• Pray for the foster parents that went through training this year – that they would continue to pull from the things they learned and would feel encouraged and empowered.  
• Pray for wisdom for the (un)adopted team and for the Latin America team as they work together to plan for future trainings and team trips in Colombia.
• Pray for our In Country Team: Soraya, Julieth, and Joanna as they work on challenging cases and building relationships with the government.
• Pray for ICBF that those working for central authority will come to know Him and for grace and efficiency as they review our families. That they will work in best interest of children and creatively find solutions for many political issues that hurts the adoption process.
• Pray that our relationships will grow with directors and workers at Private Homes.
• Pray for the Lifeline Colombia team: Beth, Meredith, Ferrah, Lindsey, Josh, Oscar, (un)adopted

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 Twitter: @lifelinechild
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