Prayer letter- September 2023

Dear Prayer Partners

In Chapter 5 of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians we are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation.

" He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God was making His appeal through us." v. 19

Reconciliation is an important part of OHFI ministry. It is working to encourage people to be in right relationship with God and with others.

Athang and Mariam Touthang are the founders of the Open Home Foundation ministry in Manipur. This was in 1991. Athang is a Baptist pastor. Over the years that have since elapsed Athang and Mariam have delighted in the way Manipur State has evolved from ethnic clashes and insurrection to a peaceful state. They were dismayed then, at the beginning of May this year, when the peace was shattered by the eruption of violence led by radical Hindus. This uprising, which still has its outbreaks, has caused loss of life, loss of homes and villages and thousands of displaced people.
Athang and Mariam though are refusing to preach retaliation. As they visit various places they take on the role of ambassadors of reconciilation and pray and proclaim that the people must forgive their Hindu oppressors and seek to be reconciled with them. They do this knowing that this is the only way to bring a lasting peace to their land.

Please pray for the end of hostilities in Manipur and for a deep rooted peace based on reconciliation.  

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9)

Athang praying at places that have seen violence.

The Pilgrim Nursery School in Rwanda.

The Pilgrim Nursery School, in Rugerero, in Rwanda was established by Pastor Clement in 2017 to meet the education needs of impoverished children who would have found it difficult to pay school fees. The Christian-based school began with 35 pupils, but now has over a hundred children. OHFI has supported the school by providing equipment, furniture, stationery and encouraging the teachers in the work they do for minimal recompense. All the children have a chair and a desk to sit at, whereas before they sat on the concrete floor. Earlier this year OHFI funded a poultry project to provide income and sustainability so the school can support the children's nutritional and health needs.

34 of the Pilgrim School families were directly affected by recent flooding when a river burst its banks. Homes have been destroyed and household items gone. Some cannot return to damaged houses that the authorities have red-stickered. This has added further hardship to already existing struggles.

Pastor Clement recently advised that there are new Government rules around requirements for schools. It appears that the current building the school is using does not meet standards and the school's continuation is in jeopardy.

Prayer Requests

For the Pilgrim school families affected by the flood that they may find the resources they need to rebuild their lives

For the teachers and children at the Pilgrim Nursery School that the means may be found to ensure the school is able to operate from a building that meets the new regulations.

Rwandan Fundraiser

When possible, Ohfi has helped provide sewing machines for the most impoverished young women graduating from sewing courses. When Carmel Hurdle and Kim Ostern visited Rwanda earlier this year for the first time since the pandemic, they found that the earnings from sewing had sustained these girls and their families. Several young women approached Carmel and Kim to testify how the sewing machines had changed their lives. They are now able to feed their children, send them to school and meet their health needs. In October, the Rwandan Country Group is holding a high tea fundraiser with the focus being on raising money to continue purchasing graduation machines for young women.

Prayer Requests

For the success of the fund raiser planning, and the event, to enable the continuation of sewing machines as graduation gifts for impoverished young women

For the young girls with graduation sewing machines that their sewing micro-enterprises will be successful and sustain their families

Pastor Anastase with OHFI Trainer Carmel Hurdle in Rwanda earlier this year

HANNAH Romania

HANNAH was founded by Alice and Ken Winter from Nelson, who were volunteers in orphanages in Romania following the collapse of Communism. HANNAH is an associate partner with Ohfi.

HANNAH works in Romania to bring hope and nurture to children, families and communities, strengthening and enabling them to provide loving and safe care for their children. This work is done through social work support, family home visits, activity and educational programmes for children and by providing social work training in the community.

In October Ken and Alice will be making their first trip back to Romania in 4 years.  

Prayer requests-   

Please pray for their journey preparations as they organise everything for their departure and their time in Romania.

Ken and Alice will be meeting Istvan Szabö, the new director of their partner organisation Christian Endeavour, for the first time. They look forward to this opportunity to further strengthen the relationship between the two organisations.    

Please Pray specifically for this meeting.

Alice has also been asked to provide training to staff from some residential children's homes, to increase their understanding for how best to provide for children who have experienced trauma.   

Please pray for these and other meetings that Alice and Ken will be having regarding training for NGO's and state organisations in the future, potential support, formalising agreements and similar.

 Please pray that people's hearts will be open to hearing what God has planned for them, together with HANNAH, to minister to children and families in the community.

Please Pray for the children and families with whom HANNAH is involved that all the children will experience a family environment of love and safety.

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Alice and Ken Winter

Children.    Please continue to uphold in prayer all the children, young people and families that are part of OHFI programmes. Pray that our care and support help them all to lead lives of physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Thank you.  Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer. Your prayer is the strength of our ministry. We are deeply grateful.

It is always a joy to welcome new prayer-partners to the OHFI ministry. Please encourage anyone, or group, you know to be a prayer partner for us.

God bless you, watch over you and fill your lives to overflowing with His love.                                                                    
Kindest regards   
                                                                                                                                              Ewen Laurenson