'PRAYER PATROL' ADOPTS POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS

For 10-year-old Taylor McMillan and her little brother, Garrett, evening prayers have included a new name for the last couple months.

Taylor and Garrett are among about 100 children from LaCroix United Methodist Church praying for members of Cape Girardeau's police and fire forces.

The youngsters are members of the church's prayer patrol. Today the children and the police officers and firefighters will meet for the first time. A reception is scheduled at 12:15 p.m. at the church.

But Taylor feels like fireman Max Jauch is part of the family. "Every night our family gets together for prayers," Taylor explained. "We say our private prayers, and we say who we're praying for."

Fireman Max is high on the list each evening.

In addition, youngsters stop each time they hear a siren to pray for the firefighters, police officers or ambulance drivers headed out to help someone in trouble.

"The firemen and policemen do a great deal of work for us," Taylor explained. "And it's something that they could get hurt. We want to make sure they don't get hurt, so we're praying for them."

Taylor and her brother, who is 4, are eager to meet Jauch at today's reception. "We are really excited about that," she said.

The idea for the prayer patrol came from Marsha Edwards, who works in children's ministries at LaCroix. She had heard of similar projects in other communities.

"This is the opportunity for children to use the power of prayer," Edwards said. "They are praying for people they've never even met."

Cape Girardeau firefighters and police officers were invited to participate. Organizing efforts at the stations were firefighter Rick Crites and police officer Kevin Orr.

About 50 agreed. They fill out some information about themselves. Some sent along a photograph. "They could write whatever they wanted," Edwards said. "Some even told us some specific things they wanted prayed about, the heartaches they were facing."

The prayer patrol started on Valentine's Day. The children, who range from 4 years old through sixth-graders, agreed to pray for the police officers or firefighters through Palm Sunday.

They each got a neon-colored armband to wear as a reminder to pray.

Taylor, a fourth-grader at Alma Schrader Elementary School, wore her armband to school daily, and her classmates wondered what it was. "I told them it was something I was doing for church," Taylor said.

Edwards' children, Myles, 6, and Morghan, 4 1/2, are involved in the project. "Every night when they start their prayers, the first person they pray for is Fireman Rick," she said. "They never forget."

"I think most of these kids will continue to pray for their fireman or policeman well after Palm Sunday," she said.

When Edwards asked firefighter Rick Crites to participate, he was quick to agree.

"Someone wants to pray for you. You can't turn that down," Crites said.

As a father, Crites anticipated that youngsters would enjoy the project.

Not everyone will be able to attend the reception. Crites said, "I hope everyone will get a chance sometime to meet with the child who has been praying for them."

"I was brought up that you had to formally pray and pray a formal prayer," Edwards said. "We are teaching these kids that you can pray anytime about anything. We want prayer and church to be part of their lives every day."

An author, who is writing a book on the power of children's prayer, has been in contact with Edwards and wants information on the prayer patrol's results.