Updates: ‘Prayer’
Dear Friends,
There is a lot happening at GCHope! We want to lay some prayer requests before you and ask that you lift us up in prayer.
TRAVEL - Founder and Chairman of the Board John Ditty and Logistics Coordinator Janet Valencia are traveling to Jordan and Lebanon. Please pray for:
- Safety and health in their travels.
- Wisdom in assessing GCHope’s role in continuing to help Syrian refugees.
- The refugees that they will be working and meeting with as they travel through the regions.
Warehouse Manager Marius Marza will also be traveling this month; he will be traveling to his home country of Romania with Women for World Health. Lift up their team in prayer for:
- Safety and health in their travels.
- The medical work that this team will be doing throughout Romania.
WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK - We have an urgent need for food to finish out the school year and keep distribution going throughout the summer. Please pray for donations, as well as the funding needed to sustain the program.
HOPE 20/20 - Our 20th anniversary celebration is going strong. Please pray for the existing communities of Uganda, familes in the Middle East, Romania, Fullerton, Syrian refugees, Military families, and Belize, as well as all the communities we will be serving in the near future.
MEDICAL CLINIC - The Buena Park Community Clinic is expanding! Please pray that the necessary funds and labor needed to complete this project will be provided.
FAMILIES - Two of our staff members have babies on the way — Communications Coordinator Cathy Baek and her husband are expecting a baby in June, and Development Coordinator Drew Bryson and his wife are expecting a baby in August. Please pray for the health of both mothers and children.
GIVING CHILDREN HOPE - Please pray for the funds, product, and other resources we need to keep GCHope moving forward. Pray that the necessary partners, donors, and funders are brought to us and that we can wisely and efficiently make connections and use these resources to sustain our mission.
Thank you for your prayers.
Sincerely,
Giving Children Hope Staff
Prayer List
Dear Friends,
Thank you for praying for Giving Children Hope! Please feel free to forward this newsletter or invite others who may be interested in partnering with us in prayer.
1) Jordan Container – Many Christians are being persecuted in Syria and are seeking refuge in neighboring Jordan. A container of medical supplies was recently requested from our partners serving in the Middle East. That container shipped out last week for Jordan and will be arriving in November. Please pray that it will get there safely and will help relieve the suffering of the Syrian refugees.
2) Djibouti and Kuwait Containers – Last month GCH sent Pharmaceuticals to Djibouti which will be used to treat Somali refugees. In addition we sent two containers of Medical supplies to Kuwait which will be distributed to medical partners in Iraq . The containers arrived safely in both countries, but please pray that they will clear with customs, so that they will get dispersed to people who need them.
3) We’ve Got Your Back – Praise report: Our food drive with the City of Buena Park was a huge success! We collected 17 pallets of food for the students and families on our program. Please keep We’ve Got Your Back in prayers, as we are hoping to add an average of seven schools per week. Pray that God will provide food for these students and families. Looking ahead, we are also planning our annual We’ve Got Your Back Toy Drive. Pray that we would be able to plan a successful event, providing for all these children and families.
4) Staff – We are planning to have a retreat at the end of this month for GCH Leadership Staff. Please pray that our Staff will receive wisdom, leadership and guidance to better serve our partners and communities.
5) Board Members – GCHope is seeking new Board Members. Pray that God will help us find the right people to continue to guide the organization.
6) Saddleback Church – One of our partners and his family is battling severe illness. Please pray that God will help heal and restore them back to health.
7) Grants – Please pray for favor with recently submitted grants that will help fund our programs.
Thank you for the wonderful role you play at GCHope through your prayer commitment; we truly believe that prayer makes a huge difference! If you would like to be placed on our prayer list, please send your e-mail address to cbaek@godaid.org with the subject “Add to Prayer List.”
Hello Friends of Giving Children Hope,
It is a brand new (fiscal) year for us here at GCHope and with a new year comes a number of changes; the most significant of those changes is that our Founder, John Ditty, is stepping down as CEO of Giving Children Hope, a position he has held for the past 19 years. My name is Sean Lawrence and I will be serving as the Executive Director here at GCHope. I have been a part of the team here at GCHope for the past two years as the Non-Profit Partner Manager where I have been responsible for our international projects. We at GCHope are so grateful for the vision, direction and legacy that John provided us and his voice will continue to be a support as he serves as the Chairman of our Board of Directors.
It is my privilege to follow in his footsteps as the leader of GCHope. I want all of our partners in the community, nationally and internationally to know that my focus in this next season will be to preserve our organizational values as we seek to follow God’s heart in serving the world’s poor and alleviating suffering through our resources and programs.
In the midst of this transition, we have been struggling financially through a tough quarter at GCHope. While we continue to serve through our programs at the same capacity, our revenue over the last four months has not reached our budget goals.
I want to ask for your prayers for myself and for the organization as we step out in faith into this new chapter at GCHope. I know that I am here and that GCHope has been able to serve so many over the years only because of the Grace of our God. Please pray that I will be a servant-leader, equipping, encouraging and empowering the staff at GCHope to grow the impact of the organization in relevant and meaningful ways. Pray also for John and the Board of Directors as they guide GCHope into this next phase. In addition, we would humbly ask you to pray that God will provide for the financial needs of the organization.
If you would like to partner with us in other ways, please consider serving as a volunteer or giving as a donor.
Serving Him Together,
Sean Lawrence
Executive Director
Giving Children Hope
8332 Commonwealth Ave
Buena Park, CA 90621
(714) 523-4454
www.gchope.org
“Bringing Health to Kids in Crisis!”
