A Voice for the Fatherless...

My original desire to adopt (as a child) was only because I thought it was cool. Now, as an adult, it is more of a calling from God to care for those who cannot care for themselves. There are 147 million orphans worldwide. 10 million orphans live in institutions. There are half a million children in the US foster care system. Of those in foster care, 120,000 are available for adoption today. They just need a family to say, "Yes, I will call you son or daughter." Do those numbers shock you? They shocked me when I first learned of them. I knew that there were a lot of orphans but I had no idea that there are that many!

In many countries around the world, orphaned children "age out" of the system between 13-15 years of age. That means they are sent out from the orphanage to survive on their own. Once they age out they have very few options for their life. They aren't able to finish high school and therefore probably won't be able to find a job that provides enough income to live on. With little options, they mostly turn to crime and prostitution as means of survival. 10% of those who age out commit suicide by the time they are 18. My heart breaks for these children!

According to the US State Dept., somewhere between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders EACH YEAR!!! Approximately 50% of them are children. Orphans are the easiest to kidnap and traffic because there is no one to miss them when they are gone. This kind of injustice is dishonoring to God and something we Christians should be standing up against. (What does the Lord require of you? To seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God - Micah 6:8)

There are millions of professing Christian adults in America who are capable of providing care for orphans, as James 1:27 commands us to do. And yet there are still so many children without a home, vulnerable to all kinds of atrocities. Why is there such a gap between our calling and our reality? One reason may be that most people are simply not aware of the problem. Others may be aware, but aren't willing to make the kind of radical commitment it takes to provide long term or permanent care for orphans.

I cannot adopt all 147 million orphans but I hope to be a voice for those who don't have a voice. Maybe the commands in James 1:27 (visit orphans and widows in their affliction, keep oneself unstained from the world) - are new to you, or maybe you just don't know where to begin. Well, it may help to know that orphan care doesn't HAVE to mean adopting children into your home. You can mentor children in a local group home. You can show unwanted children in your community that they are loved by God. Seek the Lord with an open heart and he will give you opportunities like these!

I do not say this out of self-righteousness or boastfulness, but not adopting is simply not an option for us. By adopting I can not only provide provide orphans with a family, but also with better health care and safety from human trafficking. My dream is that God will use our adoption to challenge others to care for orphans. God has opened the doors for us to adopt  from Uganda and we are walking through the doors with arms open, ready to embrace the children God brings our way.