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Dear All Girls Allowed Prayer Warriors,
Thank you so much for your prayers! God has answered them faithfully, and we celebrate his faithfulness in this week's praise report. Two thousands of years ago, Caesar Augustus coined the term, "Pax Romana" (Roman Peace) to refer to the peace and glory of the Roman Empire. However, today, peace that Rome can offer China is the peace of Christ, as represented by our brothers and sisters at the Vatican, and the peace of democracy, as represented by the democratic countries of the European Union. Join us as we praise the Lord for bringing us that much closer to extending this "Roman peace" to China!
1) A Letter From the Pope to the Chinese Church
Despite our visit to Rome being decided at the last minute, God was faithful in opening doors for our meetings. We were able to meet with foreign policy leaders at the Vatican, to share with them about the tragedy of what is happening in China, and the hope that we have through our rescue programs and through the spread of the Gospel of life throughout China's churches. We also had the privilege of meeting with Cardinal Martino, a strong defender of life. Our main request for the Vatican was in the form of a letter that we humbly asked them to submit to the Pope, explaining what is happening in China and humbly asking that he consider writing a letter to the Church in China.
Before our visit, we discovered that the current Pope had written a first letter to the Chinese Church in May 2007, but the bulk of the letter focused on matters relating to the authority of the government-controlled Catholic Church, with only a short paragraph vaguely mentioning the importance of the family and no reference whatsoever to the One-Child Policy or to gendercide. Our prayer and request is that he would consider writing a second letter, giving the Chinese Church the exhortation and permission to do what is necessary to save life and to defend women from oppression. Pray that the Pope would indeed write a second letter, and that it would provide specific guidelines to the Chinese Church about how to respond to the One-Child Policy. It is our priority, as citizens of a heavenly kingdom, to obey God when earthly authorities come in direct contradiction with his commands! We praise God that we have word from several sources that the letter has reached the Pope's hands, and that he is now considering his response. Join us as we pray that he would take courage and speak the truth with boldness.
2) An Invitation to Brussels!
While we were initially disappointed when some meetings with MEP's (Members of European Parliament) fell through, our team continued to pray. Sure enough, God was faithful in providing Silvia Costa, MEP from Italy. A faithful sister in Christ, she was also instantly moved by the story after story that we shared with her of tragedy and hope in the backdrop of gendercide and the One-Child Policy. Immediately, her mind began to strategize. She pulled out different legislation from the European Parliament, in an attempt to find ways to influence European policy on China. The air was buzzing with energy as we brainstormed how we could work together. Towards the end of our conversation, Ms. Costa invited us to come to Brussels to present to other MEP's about what is happening in China! This is especially exciting since, evidently, there is still very little understanding of what is currently happening in China under the One-Child Policy. Join us in praising the Lord for this new ally and advocate in the European Parliament, and pray that there would be no difficulty making arrangements for a hearing before the European Parliament in Brussels.
3) Freedom, Democracy and...God!
The main reason for our visit to Rome was the annual meeting of the Alliance of Democrats, an organization that promotes democracy across the world, particularly in totalitarian states. The conference was wonderful, with many inspiring figures giving strong speeches enjoining democratic countries to do more to help plant seeds of democracy in dictatorial states. We were deeply encouraged that many of the 30+ speakers saw the strategic importance of China. Indeed, if China's "totalitarian free economy" model is seen as successful (or is allowed to succeed), then it will become a model for other countries around the world. Since the conference was made up of speakers mostly from the center-left, there was very little talk of God and the role of spiritual reform in bringing about true freedom. Some acknowledged that democracy can become the "tyranny of the majority", but did not offer a spiritual solution--which is ultimately what is necessary! Enter Ling. Ling became the star of the conference as she spoke with honesty, clarity, and truth. She boldly proclaimed the Gospel and the necessity of spiritual transformation in order to bring about real freedom and real peace. And she shared powerfully how that transformation can only be accomplished if we begin to care for those in need, ending by quoting the entirety of Jesus' Beatitudes. Her talk was so powerful that Silvia Costa, who followed Ling's speech, spent half of her own speech referencing Ling, gendercide, and the One-Child Policy! Praise God that, through Ling, he is being declared to the nations and that his justice is being proclaimed!
4) Potential Speaking Opportunity in Milan
In addition to our meetings at the Vatican, we were also able to meet with the Pontifical Council for the Family, the organization that leads the Catholic Church on all matters related to family life, including the issue of abortion. We were privileged to meet with two interested staff at the Council, and they mentioned the Seventh World Meeting of Families, a conference of 100,000+ people from around the world that will take place in Milan in May 2012. We believe that if we had just five minutes in a plenary session, to share about what is happening in China and to show a video, that it would bring this message of gendercide and the One-Child Policy to the nations. At this point in time, it seems unlikely that this will be possible, as they have already determined the speaking agenda. But join us in praying for a door to open anyway, as God is certainly much bigger than a speaking agenda! Pray that God would convict the hearts of the conference planners, that they cannot continue ignoring the plight of millions of children and women in China, and that they would invite Ling to make a presentation at the conference.
5) Health, Safety and Unity
Your prayers for our health and safety were certainly answered! God miraculously protected our team, keeping us safe from illness or attack of any sort, despite being exhausted and having a schedule so packed that we had no meaningful sightseeing time. It was certainly the Lord watching over us, as Ling could easily have fallen sick with so little sleep or rest over the past two weeks. God also kept us safe, protecting us from pickpockets or vehicle accidents. And the Spirit was uniting us throughout, as he gave us a spirit of joy, patience and grace. We are also grateful to the Lord for protecting our workers in New York, where a portion of the ceiling suddenly collapsed above one worker's desk and nearly caused severe injury as a light came crashing down from above! We praise God for his protection over us and our team. Please continue to ask the Lord to protect our team and to keep us united in our mission, as we've returned and have new decisions to make.
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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