I just received the following email from World Vision regarding the violence in Chad.  Many of you know that my sponsored child, Mathias, is there.  They sent the email to say that none of the sponsored children are in danger at the present time, thank God.  But to please continue the prayers.

I wanted to share the letter with all of you.  Please continue to pray for Mathias, his village, and for all of our brothers and sisters in Chad, Darfur, Iraq, and all areas that are in turmoil.  May God bring his Grace to these areas and help us to do our best to help them as well.

Please note: If a sponsored child is directly affected by a crisis or disaster, it is World Vision's policy to notify that child's sponsor as soon as possible. Dear Sponsor, As you've seen on the news, thousands of people have been forced from their homes by heavy fighting in the capital city of Chad. The security situation has limited the movements of our relief staff who are working to meet the needs of people trying to escape the violence. "We did not expect things to happen this quickly," said Levourne Passiri, World Vision’s national director in Chad, from N’Djamena. "I fear that the entire capital could be destroyed. There is already much human and economic damage. Many civilians have been killed." Currently, our staff on the ground in Chad is monitoring the situation and as of our latest reports, no sponsored children have been affected by the crisis. As we receive more information, we will keep you updated. While the unrest continues to hamper relief efforts across much of the country, we thank God that He has placed World Vision in Chad, and that we have faithful sponsors like you who can work together with us to be His hands and feet for such a time as this. Your generosity in the past has carried our ministry forward. Please join us in prayer for the protection of vulnerable families, World Vision staff, and others involved in delivering humanitarian aid. Pray also for a peaceful end to this crisis and others in this troubled region and healing for those who have lost loved ones in the violence. Please feel free to visit the World Vision Web site to get the latest update on the situation in Chad and other breaking news stories. Thank you, and God bless you for your faithful support. Sincerely, Rich Stearns President, World Vision U.S.