Orphan Care: A Call to Justice

Last week I shared about the totally cool fundraiser that my cousin and her church put together for us called "Adopt a Pie." While it was AWESOME to see our fundraiser go up by $1,042, one of the really great things about this event, was that I got to share about the orphan crisis and practical ways for EVERYONE to get involved in some way. I want to share some of those ways with you in hopes that you will see that YOU can do something to make a difference. Now let me warn you, this blog post is long, it is filled with information. So, make sure you have time to read it and then do your own research when you have some time.

First and foremost, I want to share the "WHY" behind caring for orphans. As believers, we come back to God's word for the way we should live our lives. We don't care for orphans because it is a feel good act, gives us a sense of pride, gains us favor with God, is trendy, etc. We care for orphans because our Creator tells us to. We care for orphans in response to what God has done for us. Orphans are near and dear to God's heart. Orphans or the "fatherless" are mentioned in the bible over 40 times. Here are a few of the scriptures that refer to orphans. Read these and then YOU decide if orphan care is important to God.

James 1:27
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is this, to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

Isaiah 1:17
"Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."

John 14:18
"I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you."

Psalm 82:3
"Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute."


And ultimately it is a reflection of what God did for us:

Ephesians 1:5
"God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. That is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure."


Now that we know God's heart for the orphan, let me share some statistics with you in order to show you that even though we may not come face to face with orphans everyday, even though this problem may seem so distant from us, it is indeed a problem and as believers, we are CALLED to step up and do something about it ("So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 4:17).

- There are an estimated 147 million orphans in the world.  (Not all of these orphans are available for adoption)

-If all of the orphans in the word held hands, they would circle the earth 3 1/2 times.

-Over 400,000 children are in the foster care system. That is enough to fill the Dallas Cowboys Stadium 4 times.

- The number of children waiting for a mentor would stretch 5 miles long.

-If just 1 family in every 3 churches would adopt a child, there would be no more orphans in the U.S.

-There are more than 5,000 children in the Louisiana foster care system today.



Those are some pretty big numbers and we can easily brush them off thinking that we can't even begin to put a dent in them or someone else will do it. I want to tell you WE CAN! We can make a difference, and not only that, we are supposed to make a difference if we are following Christ. This will look different for every person. Is everyone called to adopt? No. But everyone is called to do SOMETHING!

Here are some practical ways that you can do SOMETHING. I won't go into deep details on each subject, but encourage you to find where you can step up and dig deeper. So, here we go:

1) Adoption (Domestic, International, Foster to Adopt)

I love this quote by Max Lucado on Adoption:
"If anybody understands God's ardor for his children, it is someone who has taken an orphan from despair, for that is what God has done for us. God has adopted you. God sought you, found you, signed the papers and took you home."

I never thought that we would fall into this category. Adoption was not on my radar, not part of my plan but God laid it on my heart. I went through every fear and excuse as to why we should not adopt, but God pressed harder. My husband was hardened to the idea, even laughed at the idea. Through prayer and accountability, here we are 8 months into an International Adoption. I want to encourage you that if you have ever even slightly thought about adoption, pray about it, get more info, ask questions. It is a hard but beautiful thing that is not only bringing an orphaned child into a forever family, but bringing both Evan and I into a closer relationship with Christ as we go through the process.

There are a lot of legalities to go through when it comes to adoption, a lot of money and a lot of time. But God is faithful to what he has called us to. Every country and agency has different requirements and costs. If you have ever considered adoption, you probably have a million questions. I cannot possibly answer them here and may not even have the answers, but please feel free to send me a message with any question you may have and I will do my best to answer them from what I do know. Also, I have LOVED our agency, Lifeline. I do highly recommend them, even though they are not local (they are located in Birmingham, AL). They can answer many questions you may have. They work with several countries and have been so helpful.

You can also find out more information on adopting domestically from your state's Department of Child and Family Services website. Here is the one for Louisiana: Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services

2) Support an Adoptive Family

This is an easy way to get involved, plus you get to follow along on the journey. I know for those people who have given financially, prayed for us and our son, encouraged us, put together fundraisers, participated in fundraisers, donated items for our auction, they are now part of our son's story. I have said it before, adoption takes a village. What an honor to literally play a part in getting a child home to his forever family. There are so many ways that you can support an adoptive family. Besides the ones I mentioned above, I have had couples offer to watch our kids while we go to the coffee shop and work on adoption paperwork. That is HUGE help!

Once a family comes home with their child, they will go through a BIG adjustment period, offer to cook them a meal and drop it off to them. Babysit their bio kids so they have time to bond with their adopted child. There are so many ways to get creative here and tangibly show your love and support for a family. We are not all called to adopt, some are called to support those that are called to adopt. What fun, creative, thoughtful ways can you support a family that is or has recently adopted?

3) Foster Care

As you saw in the statistics above, there is a LARGE need for foster parents. Fostering involves going through classes, a home study and some legal paperwork to get you qualified to foster. You can find out more about fostering at this link if you are in Louisiana: Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services: Foster Care . If you are not local, check out your state's website.

Fostering is a wonderful way to show love and stability to a child who does not know what that looks like. It may be as short as a night or as long as a few years. It could even be over a holiday. What a blessing your family could be to a child who does not know love or what a healthy family looks like, especially a family who loves the Lord. I love what my sister in law says: "God hasn't even promised me tomorrow with my own kids. He has given me THIS moment to love on them. So, why not love on another child, even if it is just for THIS moment." Beautiful right? Fostering can also lead to adoption if the child is relinquished from their birth parents or caregivers . I have heard you should not go into fostering expecting to adopt, but that outcome can occur after a long period of time.

4) Sponsorships

-Compassion International (I call this preventative orphan care).
For $38 a month, you can sponsor a child whose family can not provide their basic needs for them. One of the biggest reasons for parents abandoning or relinquishing their children is due to poverty. Through compassion you can choose your child by viewing their picture. Your donation gets that child, food, medical care, education, clean water and a chance to hear the gospel. You will receive letters and pictures from your child.

Many studies have been done on if sponsorship actually works and the answer is YES! Check this out:

-Kids with sponsorships are 40% more likely to complete secondary education, 50% more likely to graduate college and 18% more likely to attain salary employment (which means they can care for their families. Therefore, you are now helping not only the current generation, but the future generation).

-Respire Haiti:
This is the organization that I went to work with in December of 2012 that confirmed adoption for me. I will be going back in December to work with them again for a week. It was started by a Louisiana girl who said "yes" to God and what he had planned for her life. God is so in this organization and it is obvious. He has blessed all of their work and efforts. From an empty mountaintop where a local pastor and his wife prayed for change and help, to a school for 500 plus kids, a medical facility, 2 feeding programs, English classes, a Cafe for locals to work in, and so much more. Each child that attends this school is sponsored. For $250 for the year, you can sponsor a child to get a years worth of education, uniforms, books, and a meal.

A large portion of the children at this school are Restaveks (child slaves) who have been sold to families to be the domestic care taker. Respire gives these children a way out of that lifestyle by educating them. I have seen these kids faces, have held their hands, have looked into their eyes. They are grateful to be in that school and have so much joy because of it! Consider sponsoring a child before their school year starts in October.

-(Un)adopted:
This organization is founded by our adoption agency, Lifeline. It is based on the principle that so many kids age out of the system. By 16, kids are usually kicked out of orphanages, with no hope of being adopted. They are lost as to how to care for themselves, make a living, cook a meal. Many of them by default end up living lives of sexual exploitation, drug abuse and slavery to "make it." For most of them they don't make it.

(Un)adopted exists to initiate strategies and planning with orphanages, schools, etc in order mentor these kids, and equip them with job & life skills. Check out their website. You can choose different countries and programs to sponsor/give to. Also, a representative from Unadopted will be on the Northshore to share more about this amazing program. Our great friends, The Lomans, will be having a HUGE fundraiser on Nov. 16th from 3-6 p.m. at Terra Bella square. There will be food, live music, a silent auction, a bounce house, balloon animals, popcorn and more info about Unadopted. Please come out and join in the fun. The proceeds will go towards the Loman Family's fundraising efforts to bring their sweet little Emily Hope home from China and towards supporting (Un)adopted. That is 2 ways in 1 to care for orphans!

5) Children's Homes
I was so surprised when I heard that here on the Northshore, we have a children's home. Why did I not know this? I guess it is obvious that I was oblivious to these things until God gave me eyes to see and people brought it to my attention. This is a great way to get involved locally. If you are not a Northshore resident, check to see if you have a Children's Home in your area and find out how you can get involved.

-Methodist Children's Home:
The MCH is located in Mandeville, LA across from Fontainebleau State Park. They currently have 16 kids, ages 11-16 that live there. They are there due to abuse, neglect, behavior, etc. They are in custody of the state for one reason or another. These kids need love. These kids need fun. They need mentors and people who care enough about them to show them. Here are some ways you can get involved:

-Get a group of friends/small group together and go throw a party for them. Give them a fun day! A group from our church did a water games, pizza and outdoor movie night for them and the kids kept asking when they were coming back.
-Use your talents/skills to teach them. Offer to give an art class, teach cooking lessons, etc.
-Donate gift cards for something fun for them to do away from the home. They love the movies, McDonalds, a pizza joint, etc.
- Become a mentor. You do have to go through training for this and they are really in need of male mentors for the boys. You can mentor once a week or once a month. What a difference a little one on one time from someone who shows they care can make for these kids.
-Support their upcoming Golf Classic Fundraiser by sponsoring to play or donating gift baskets or items for door prizes.
-You can get more details on ways to help by contacting Monica Boucvault at (985) 626-6649.

6) Economy (root of the problem)

Finally I want to talk about a really cool thing called Micro Lending. As mentioned earlier, many families give their children up or abandon them simply because they cannot afford to care for them. That makes me sad. No parents should have to give their child up to someone else because they don't have the resources to care for them. Children are meant to stay with their birth families. Orphan care and adoption are beautiful things, but they are a result of a broken world.

-KIVA (also preventative)
There are many Micro-lending organizations out there, but the one that I am going to mention is KIVA. KIVA allows you to give a business loan to a person who has the desire and will to work and provide for their family, but lacks the resources to start it up. You can view their profiles and for as little as a $25 loan help someone start their business. As they begin to make profits, they pay you back.

Is that not the coolest thing ever? What do you have to lose? You can help a father/mother provide for their family and children. Once they pay you back, you can put that money towards helping another person. What an awesome way to bless others with what God has blessed you with.


As you can see, there are so many ways for us to be involved in caring for orphans. This is not an exhaustive list, just one to get you started. I am sure that everyone reading this can do one of these things. Sometimes that may mean stepping out of your comfort zone, sometimes that may mean sacrificing a Starbucks coffee once a week to give financially, sometimes that means giving of your time that is so precious to all of us (because really who has time to spare?) Caring for orphans may not be easy, but what blessing is there in easy? God calls us to step up, to DEFEND orphans, to FIGHT for JUSTICE for them. Pray about where you fit into that role and how God would move you, challenge you and grow you towards his heart for orphans.

Also, know that this should not be a one time event. Caring for orphans should be part of our lives, a normal rhythm to how we seek to be more like Christ and share his love with others. Just because we are adopting an orphan, does not mean that we suddenly stop caring for orphans once our son is home because we did our part. No way! We continue to find ways to love and care for orphans throughout our life.

So where do you feel God tugging at your heart? How can you start today caring for orphans and therefore sharing His love with a child who needs it? I would love for you to share the ways you do that in the comments below. You may just inspire someone else.