Orphan Sunday 2018

 Click HERE to watch our Orphan Sunday Video.

For Orphan Sunday, I started to write down all of the statistics I could. I tend to be a numbers gal. It quickly became overwhelming, as it always does. I work the numbers often in my life as an advocate. They always bring an ache to my heart and utter frustration. 

·      153 million is a number that is too difficult to put into terms that our mind can grasp.

·        Every 18 seconds a child becomes an orphan.

o   In the time it will take you to watch the video, 10 children became orphans.

o   Every day over 5,700 children become orphans.

·        Current adoption rates just aren’t enough.

o   Domestic adoptions are just over 60,000 for the year and international is now under 5,000.

o   Together our entire year’s worth of adoptions in the US only accounts for 11.5 days of orphaned children.

o   Every day in China alone, 100 children age out of the ability to have a family. They are sent out at 14, on their own to figure out how to survive without a support system or training. Or worse, sent to the adult institution where they will live out their days behind cement blocks, lonely or abused. 

I spent a week this summer helping out at a foster home in China. They took great care of the sweet 60 kiddos entrusted to them. However, they kept repeating to me that this wasn’t the answer. Ayis go home to their own families. This isn’t permanent. A huge impact on my heart came from a precious girl that has cerebral palsy leaving her unable to walk or form words easily. But her sweet spirit and kind smile brightened everyday that I was able to sit by her and brush her hair or rub her back. One particular day, she was having a hard time. The reality of it all sunk in as tears rolled down her cheeks. All I could do was hug her and tell her how much I loved her and God loved her. But, my heart was breaking. She had aged out in March. Her chance at ever having a family was gone forever. I couldn’t figure out why God would allow this to happen. I told her everything would be alright, but doubted afterwards if I should make such a promise.

ADOPT

If you truly know you can’t adopt, consider fostering.

If you are positive you can’t foster, sponsor (a family, host a child, support a child’s education)

If you feel you can’t sponsor, donate (meals, time, talents)

If you still aren’t sure where you can help, EVERYONE can PRAY!

Three weeks after returning home, I found out those 60 precious children that I met at the foster home this summer were recalled to their orphanages for a sweeping census ordered by the Chinese government. My heart and head couldn’t comprehend where God was in all of this. After a lot of praying, I penned these words for that precious girl who had lost her chance and all of those like her.

The Story of an Aged Out Orphan (by April's heart)
How did this happen? I don’t understand.
Why didn’t God have some kind of plan?
I prayed for her daily and knew they would come.
But they never showed up, now her chances are done.
She will live out her days in this institutional prison.
This became her home from one monumental decision.
I questioned God and asked how could this be.
How could You allow this disaster I see?
He answered my questions with kindness, but grief,
I couldn’t breathe as I groaned in disbelief.
The story wasn’t supposed to end in this way,
I was supposed to act instead of just pray.
What I saw as destruction and planned tragedy,
He meant for redemption and opportunity.
I was supposed to be His hands and feet,
My hesitant heart led to her forever defeat.