2012 – January

Believing the Promises of God for 2012

As we look forward to this new year and jump in with both feet, I believe the promises of God for 2012—that He will continue to allow us the blessing of feeding the hungry, providing for the poor, loving the orphans, and sharing His love with the lost. I am confident that it is His good, pleasing and perfect will to take care of the widow and the orphan and to enable us to walk in good works that He has prepared in advance for us to do, and so I am excited about the children we will impact together this year. With that in mind, I want to take this brief opportunity to begin the year with thanksgiving to you and our Lord for all of your faithfulness towards us. Your giving and prayers have enabled us to greatly impact Peru and the needy children there. The Santa Maria orphanage experienced times of great challenge in 2011. But, praise God that He prepared in advance for us to walk into that opportunity of need, and to have the resources to supply them with many necessary commodities, and share the love of Christ in the process. You partnered with us by the grace of God, and you have an eternal investment in that nation because of it! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! May this next year be one of increased blessing from the Lord in your life and may the seeds that you sow into the poor be multiplied in His kingdom and in your life.

Just one of the lives touched by your giving last year was 8-year-old Jose Luis. He entered the orphanage in August of 2009, after his single mother gave him up in an effort to offer him hope and a future. Together with Jose’s 9-month-old sibling, the family had been living in extreme poverty. A room in very poor conditions was all they had to call “home”, and it is where the two children stayed alone each day while their mother left for work, in order to try and earn enough to sustain them. But it was never enough.

Now, Jose Luis lives happily at the orphanage and particularly enjoys the music enrichment program offered there. He does have special needs in the area of learning and speech, and demonstrates some behavioral challenges, too, but overall he has adapted well to the home and is now in a place where the power and love of God can touch and change his life forever. Beloved, THIS is the Gospel. It is practical love for the “least of these.” It is feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for widows and orphans in their distress, taking in the poor and not turning away from those in need. Jose Luis’ story isn’t glamorous. The ministry TO him isn’t either. But it’s VALUABLE to God, and it matters…for all of eternity. I thank you for giving to help impact his life. Thank you for valuing what Jesus does. May the Lord bless you richly because of it.

With your help, and the Lord’s, Tony and I are going back to Peru on January 13, 2012, in order to help supply the home with their food for the month, and to assist with whatever other needs we can. I ask you to please pray for us, and to please continue sending whatever finances you are able. I understand that there have been economic challenges for many, and our ministry has felt the difference. Sadly, we were not able to do everything we had in our hearts to do last year in ministry, but with whatever we were given we blessed the poor…and I am so grateful for the work that was accomplished. I ask you this month to give from your heart whatever you can, and I will believe God with you for Him to supply out of His riches in glory for the needs you and we are both experiencing during these times. May He take our little and make it great in eternal value, just like the widow’s mite. Thank you again, and may the Lord bless you as you begin this new year.

Sincerely,
Rosa Rivera
Homes of Refuge, International