Prayer Update #41: 6/10/11
Dear AGA Prayer Warriors,
The coalition to end gendercide has been launched! Join us as we praise God and ask him to work again next week in DC and Boston for some critical events:
1) Historic June 1st Press Conference!
Years from now, when gendercide is a long-forgotten crime from the past, the history books will remember five courageous Members of Congress who first stood up to end gendercide. Join us as we thank the Lord for Reps. Smith, Pitts, Jackson Lee, Hartzler and Fortenberry for standing up to end gendercide! Thank you for your prayers--there were a number of unfortunate events that occurred leading up to the June 1st press conference, such as a room error in the House press notice and a Congressional vote at exactly the same time as the event. However, God provided and we celebrate as four Members signed their names to our Declaration to End Gendercide, calling the nations of China and India to take action to protect its girls and women!
2) Meetings with Congressional Staffers
We were privileged to meet with the staff of several key Members, including Speaker John Boehner and Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. God supplied us with great rapport--Speaker Boehner's policy assistant had just begun reading Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof, and Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen's policy advisor had just attended a hearing on China's human rights the day before! We are convinced that your prayers were the key to these seemingly fortuitous events; God was clearly guiding our way and opening doors. We even had the privilege of meeting with another prominent Democratic Congressman's staff, through a last-minute introduction. Please pray that these staffers would take the issue of gendercide to heart and champion this cause to their bosses!
3) A Second Congressional Hearing
The Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights is holding yet another Congressional Hearing--this time about global trafficking trends--and AGA has been invited to testify again. Chai Ling will be testifying on Monday about the grim situation in China, where at least 70,000 children are trafficked each year. Besides Members of the Subcommittee, Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador-At-Large for Human Trafficking Issues, will be in attendance. A representative from The Body Shop will also be presenting. Please pray that those in attendance would be moved by the plight of children in China, and would join AGA in the fight to end child trafficking in China!
4) June 17th First Annual AGA Dinner
We cannot wait for our first annual AGA dinner in Boston on June 17th! We are grateful that Ayla Brown, a top singer from American Idol, has agreed to sing at our event. Michael Flaherty (Founder of Walden Media) and David Aikman (Former TIME Bureau Chief in Beijing) will be speaking. Most importantly, we are thankful for the dozens of guests that have already registered or committed to hosting a table. If you are interested in coming, even if you are from out of town, please register here! Pray that our guests would be moved by the energy and passion of AGA, and that God would provide major supporters to partner with us in this life-saving work. Ask also that the local media would generate some buzz about AGA as a result!
6) Fatigue and Perseverance - With three trips to Washington in one month, and a celebration dinner gala next week, we are approaching the limits of our abilities. Yet God continues to fill our cup and to inspire us to push through for the sake of the kingdom. Pray that the AGA team would experience a deep rest in the coming week, despite the busyness, and that the Lord would give us a persevering spirit in all that we do. May we overflow with the fruit of the Spirit in the midst of challenging work!
Thank you for your invaluable prayers, which are making a tangible difference as God continues to bring his salvation and redemption to the people of China! The Lord be with you.
in Christ,
the All Girls Allowed team
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