Prayer Letter February 2024

Dear Prayer Partners:

We are now in the Lenten season leading up to Easter.
Lent is usually asso­ci­ated with fasting and self denial.

The prophet Isaiah in Chapter 58 has strong words to say about fasting, espe­cially when it is done to create an image of super­fi­cial piety while the heart remains focused on worldly things.

Instead Isaiah writes about the kind of fast that pleases the Lord. It is to loose the chains of injus­tice, of oppres­sion, of hunger, of home­less­ness, of poverty, of mali­cious gossip, and in the process giving of oneself to satisfy the needs of suf­fer­ing people.

The prophet writes further that when we are com­pas­sion­ate towards others the Light of the Lord shines on us, and His glory follows us. He heals and strength­ens us. When we ask for help the Lord answers and guides us. We become a light in the dark­ness. More than that Isaiah says we become a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

The images are of the Lord’s near­ness to us, of light in the dark­ness, of guid­ance, and of a never-failing well of living water welling up from us spilling over a parched humanity.

I relate this prophecy to the min­istry of ohfi as it seeks to ensure the well-being of impov­er­ished, vul­ner­a­ble chil­dren and fam­i­lies. This min­istry is only pos­si­ble through the grace of God and the com­mit­ment of many people to ease the suf­fer­ing of those in need. This includes our ohfi leaders, our over­seas part­ners, and all others who give of them­selves as prayer part­ners, vol­un­teers, and sponsors.

What­ever your role within ohfi you are a light from God in the dark­ness of oppres­sion and poverty, and a spring of living water that brings new life, vibrancy, love, and hope to people in need.

Thank you for giving of your­self to those in need.

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