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March 2012 Prayer Letter
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Healing Hearts Ministries Internaional [LOGO]

Dear Friend,


Recently I heard of a thirteen year old girl who found out that she was pregnant. Her mother, not wanting to see her "baby" have a baby, encouraged her in a decision to have an abortion. What about the father of the baby? Was this a pregnancy from rape or incest? No. Was this an older teenage boy who had put immense pressure on a much younger girl to have sex? No. Sadly, the father of the aborted baby was only twelve years old.

After 16 years of working with teenagers, hearing some of the most devastating and tragic stories, hardly anything shocks me anymore. This shocked me! It is uncommon for me to hear about such a young couple facing these kinds of circumstances. What is happening in our world? How have we come to this?

I believe one of the biggest reasons our teenagers are making one bad choice after another is because they do not fully understand their purpose. Mankind was created to have meaning and purpose as the creation of a loving God. When we don't realize that each and every person has a purpose according to God's plan, then a young couple fills their lives with sex, trying to find purpose in a relationship with each other. A young girl aborts her baby, because she doesn't understand that every life has purpose.

Today I spoke to high school seniors at a local private school. While telling them my personal testimony, I mentioned that one of my reasons for having sex before marriage was because I didn't understand that God had a purpose for my life. I recounted my own teenaged thoughts to them: "I just want to get through the day, navigate issues with my parents, so I can get to the weekend and have fun with my friends". Before I could even ask "Sound familiar?" I saw heads nod all over the classroom proving they identified with that kind of thinking.

Our current generation of teenagers is dying to know they have purpose...literally. They hunger to hear that they were made for more than academic success, friendships, money, sex, or partying on the weekend with drugs and alcohol. They are thirsting to know the truth of Isaiah 64:8 which says, "But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand."

Teens today are lost in a world of bullying, broken homes, a focus on exalting self-image, the lust of sexting and pornography, but even more than all of these they are completely lost in their sin. Tragically, they do not know the Creator God who formed them in His image. They do not understand that their purpose can be found in the beauty of the Cross, not in their own beauty and worth.

A little over a year ago, Healing Hearts Ministries began a new Youth Division. During this time, we have been diligently working on a curriculum for teenage girls called First Love. It is a 20 week bible study curriculum that will cover the majority of a full school year. What a blessing to be able to take teens deeper into God's Word regarding the issues of the heart by intensively and intentionally discipling them for a full year!

Currently, we are piloting the bible study curriculum with a group of nine girls, all high-school aged, in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. I am also working one-on-one with a mother and daughter taking them through the First Love bible study to explore different ways in which the curriculum might be used.

The feedback from the girls has been very encouraging. Week after week of studying with these wonderful young ladies, I hear comments like:

"I have never heard this before."
"I never thought about my relationship with Christ this way until doing the study."
"Lesson Three, really helped me. I feel like I finally get it."
"I'm beginning to see the Bible as a love letter to me in my relationship with Christ, not just a rulebook to follow."

If you would like to hear testimonies from the First Love pilot group, go to:
www.healingheartsfirstlove.blogspot.com

We have been asked about using the curriculum in a Christian school. So we are praying about piloting the study in the fall through this type of venue. Of course, we would love to eventually develop a boys' curriculum to be used in conjunction with the girls' study.

In addition to the bible study, we are in the process of developing DVD videos that correlate with the written curriculum for the pilot groups to use. Eventually we hope to do professional quality videos, although this can be quite expensive. A parent/leader's guide is also being formulated to facilitate group discussion and incorporate some hands-on activities. The printing and distribution of this bible study lay ahead of us as well.

The vision to reach the hearts of teenagers is big and the needs to be able to accomplish this goal are just as great. Would you please pray about supporting the youth ministry with a financial gift? Healing Hearts also has regular operating costs in addition to the costs of running the new Youth Division. Any size gift would be much appreciated and used for God's glory. We especially covet your prayers as we call out and disciple a generation to know Jesus as their First Love.

Blessings in Christ,

Camille Cates
Youth Division Director
Healing Hearts Ministries International



Ways you can help



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You may use the donation form on our website to make a donation, or you may also submit your check to the address provided below.

Healing Hearts Ministries is a federally registered non-profit corporation, all contributions are tax deductible. One hundred percent of all contributions made to Healing Hearts go directly toward supporting the various aspects of our ministry no "administrative fee" is collected by a fund-raising service. All donations and expenditures are internally and independently monitored and audited. Annual financial statements are available upon request.

We thank you for considering contributing to our ministry. Your contribution will enable us to reach out and touch individuals who need the hope and healing message that only Jesus has to offer.

To donate online click this link:
https://www.healinghearts.org/donate


Send checks to:
Healing Hearts Ministries
PO Box 44670 Rio Rancho, NM 87174

phone (505) 355-6922