Learning to Pray
Our volunteers have many organic opportunities to share their faith in the Lord with the children and parents we serve. Even living in a home where prayer is a regular habit can be a new thing for hosted children – providing a great opportunity to share about Jesus. A recent hosting of two precious girls showed just how powerful faith lived out in normal routines can be...
New to Prayer
When six-year-old Serena* and her one-year-old sister, Zaya*, first arrived at the Caley home for a hosting, their Host Family noticed that faith was unfamiliar to them. Serena told the family that she had “heard of God but didn’t know who He was.” During their first few meals together, Serena observed as the Caley children volunteered to pray. She had never participated in regular prayer before and told the Caleys she didn’t know how to pray.
Small Steps of Faith
For the Caleys, this was an opportunity not only to provide a safe and loving environment but also to share their faith with this sweet girl while she lived with them. They began talking to Serena about the concept of prayer and who God is, explaining that speaking to God could be as simple as sharing her thoughts with someone she trusted. Initially, she was uncertain and just listened as others prayed. However, as the weeks passed, she grew more comfortable, eventually gaining the confidence to pray on her own before meals.
A New Habit is Formed
Over the course of the 11 weeks she spent in the Caley home, Serena’s new experiences with faith became evident in her life. By the time she and her sister were reunited with their mother, she had developed a habit of praying before every meal – whether at home or at school. She even encouraged those around her to pause and join her in prayer. And she was eager to share some new worship songs that she had learned when she got home!
Serena and Zaya’s hosting reflects the profound impact a Christ-centered home can have on children who may have never encountered faith in such a personal way. For New Mercies Host Families, hosting is more than a temporary act of support. It is an opportunity to plant seeds of faith that may continue to grow long after a child has left their care.
*Names changed to protect privacy.