President Bush bowed his head in prayer with other participants during last week's Catholic National Prayer Breakfast. Photo courtesy of the White House.

1. President Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met this week, and among all the things they talked about, they celebrated the great progress made by the country of Afghanistan. So it's the perfect time to thank and praise God for answering all our prayers for that country! We've prayed many times for Afghanistan, and we will keep on praying, but we want to celebrate all that has happened there, as they have gone from being a tyranny to a democracy—a mighty and historical event! So keep on praying for that country, because President Bush has held it up as a great example for other nations that are also struggling to have greater freedom for its citizens.
2. President Bush will be meeting with South African President Thabo Mbeki at the White House on June 1, so we can pray for them as they discuss important matters of security in the world, problems in Africa, the trade relationship between our nations and the help needed by all of Africa to keep fighting HIV/AIDS. President Bush will also be delivering the graduation address at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD this Saturday, so we can pray that his words will bring great inspiration and encouragement to that new crop of leaders. Also pray that the Lord will keep the President safe and will be very near to his heart all the time.
3. Pray for kids in our country, especially as President and Mrs. Bush have launched a special program called "Helping America's Youth." You might know someone who seems to have an easier time getting in trouble than being good, or you may be aware of kids in your area who don't have enough to eat or who live in a home that needs repair or who don't have the support and love they need from adults. All these things, and many others, can lead kids to get in trouble—especially in the summer! So it's a great time to pray for kids in our country, and kids right there in your neighborhood, to have positive and meaningful activities and relationships this summer so they can stay out of trouble and learn about their purpose for living.
4. Pray for our troops as they work to protect the freedom of millions of people around the world. Pray that every member of our military will have God's help and strength as they do their jobs, and pray that they will be safe all the time, knowing God's nearness and comfort as they serve.

Secretary of Defense— Donald Rumsfeld

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers fields a question as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld looks on during a recent press conference. These men are two of President Bush's key military advisors. Photo courtesy of the Department of Defense.

Donald Rumsfeld has been our country's Secretary of Defense since he came to the Defense Department four years ago from the private business sector. As the President's chief advisor on matters of military defense, he has a terrific background for this job! He has served as a Navy pilot and has been a part of many other presidential administrations including President Gerald Ford's. Secretary Rumsfeld also served in Congress representing his home state of Illinois from 1962-68.

Secretary Rumsfeld is responsible for directing the actions of the Defense Department in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. That includes our efforts in Iraq. He advises President Bush on all matters of defense and works with him and other members of the Defense Department to decide how our country will defend herself against outside threats. He is responsible for creating America's defense policy and for making sure that it is carried out. The Department of Defense includes the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force, the Inspector General and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Secretary Rumsfeld is also a member of President Bush's cabinet and a member of the National Security Council.

Secretary Rumsfeld has been married to his wife, Joyce and they celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. They have three children and five grandchildren.

General Richard B. Myers is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That means he is one of President Bush's main advisors for military concerns. He is responsible for working together with the heads of each branch of the military to bring about the very best results in all of our military actions.

Gen. Myers became the fifteenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 1, 2001, right after President Bush was elected the first time. General Myers was born in Kansas City, MO and graduated from Kansas State University in 1965. He has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Auburn University and has attended the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania; and the Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. You can see that he is a very well qualified person who has been very diligent in his preparation to serve his country.

Gen. Myers is a command pilot with more than 4,100 flying hours to his credit! That is a lot of time in the air! He has flown many different aircraft including the T-33, C-37, C-21, F-4, F-15 and F-16, including 600 combat hours in the F-4. Do you know what any of those aircraft look like? They are all pretty cool.

Gen. Myers has led several initiatives and has been commander at many Air Force bases around the world. General Myers and his wife have three adult children, two daughters and a son.

I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His people, His faithful ones. But let them not return to their foolish ways.
—Psalm 85:8

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.
—Ephesians 3:20-21

Something really neat happened this week at the White House. The President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the dramatic story of two children who made a connection through prayer that helped them both!

President Bush and President Yudhoyono of Indonesia made a good friendship connection with each other during APEC meetings in Chile last fall. This week, the Indonesian president came to the White House and told the story of another friendship connection. Photo courtesy of the White House.

You remember the horrible devastation that happened when the tsunami flooded the Aceh province of Indonesia, right? The whole world was shocked, but thousands of people didn't stop there. They considered all kinds of ways they might help, from sending money, providing supplies, and actually going to help clean up, rebuild and give hugs to those suffering from the horrendous flooding. Our government sent the aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln with helicopters, troops and medical help. They are still there working to bring relief. We also sent the "floating hospital" Mercy Ship which gives all kinds of medical help. All this help was great, but another fantastic thing happened—millions prayed!

This photo shows the USS Mercy, a medical ship of the United States Navy. Photo courtesy of the Navy.

This week, President Yudhoyono was at a special ceremony in the East Room of the White House, after meeting with President Bush (remember, we prayed for that meeting!). He was there, in part, to thank President Bush and the citizens of our country for the incredible support and assistance America provided after the tsunami. President Yudhoyono told a story that put a very personal and human face on the vast relief efforts of so many. He told the story of two girls who made a heart connection through prayer and correspondence.

Maggie Hamilton of Charlevoix, MI wrote to kids whose lives were devastated by the tsunami disaster last December. They didn't really expect an answer, so it was pretty neat when the President of Indonesia got involved! Photo courtesy of the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

After the tsunami disaster, everyone was sad and looked for ways to help. Kids, especially, prayed. And as they prayed they wrote letters, even though they didn't know the kids to whom they were writing. A girl from Charlevoix, MI named Maggie wrote to some kids in Aceh—knowing that their hearts were broken, they Here is her letter to tsunami kids:

"Dear friends: Hi. My name is Maggie. I am sorry what happened in your country. I have heard some things about it. I hope your family and friends are okay. In church, I pray for you and your country. In school, we are raising money for your country. We have a loose-change bucket, and kids bring money in. Also, we are making tsunami bracelets to raise money, too. I have made you one. I hope you like it. I will continue praying for you and your country in church. Your friend, Maggie."

Maggie's letter got into the hands of Indonesian President Yudhoyono who thought it was pretty neat. He faxed the letter to Aceh where an Acehenese girl named Nada Lutfiah received it. Nada was very happy to hear from Maggie. She wrote this letter back to her new friend:

My good friend: Hello, friend. My name is Nada Lutfiah. I was so happy and my heart was touched to receive the letter you sent us. My family, my dad, mom, older brother and younger brother have disappeared, and now I live with my cousins. I hope you are healthy and well where you are. I am so glad you are paying attention to us here. I hope to receive your bracelet in the coming days, because I want to wear it on my arm to remind me that I have new friend. Your friend, Nada.

President Yudhoyono was so pleased by the connection the girls made, he brought the story to the White House to share it with us all. Here are his comments after he told the story to President Bush and many other Asian Americans gathered there in the East Room:

These two letters are extraordinary, both in the words they conveyed, and in the fact that two youngsters from entirely different background made a connection: An American girl who prays at church, collects lose change and make bracelet for tsunami kids two oceans away; an Indonesian Muslim girl who lost all her family, and wants to kill the pain and is eager just to be a kid again, just like Maggie. I think the world will be a better place if all of us start to have connections and conversation the way Maggie and Nada did.

You many not think that a small thing like writing a letter or collecting loose change is too big a deal, but those small and simple actions made a huge difference to kids in Aceh, Indonesia whose lives have been torn apart by a disaster.

We're telling Maggie and Nada's story because we want to remind you how important your prayers and concern are—not just in things like disaster relief, but in every part of life. You make a difference! Just like Maggie did.

In fact, the choices you make and the things you do, both large and small, all go together to make up the kind of person you will become. So in part, we're telling Maggie's story today to remind you about something we want you to think about—your legacy.