For my research participants, and for me

[beatitude]

I defended my thesis this week and I passed. It hasn't sunk in yet. Please pray for the people who participated in my research (all of them children who have experienced political violence, many of them refugees). Pray that God will keep them safe, help them to know they're loved in this life, give them the generosity and forgiveness they need to love others, and that my work will help to change their situation for the better.

Compared to what these kids have to bear, my second prayer request seems trivial. Usually when a doctoral student successfully defends a thesis, the department has a small party and sends out a congratulations email to our listserv. This didn't happen with me. I wasn't expecting a party, as I'm one of the 'quieter' members of the department and I spent so much time on fieldwork abroad that not many people know me, but the email would have been nice. It's not pleasant to feel completely forgotten. Please pray for me to be more humble and thankful.