November 6 - Orphan Sunday

November 6th has been designated Orphan Sunday, a day to remember all of the orphans that are in our world and pray for them.

Here are a few statistics from 147 Million Orphans:

• Did you know there are hundreds of millions of  children worldwide who have lost one or both parents.
• Every 14 seconds an AIDS death leaves another child orphaned.
• Approximately 88 million orphans live in Asia.
• Approximately 45 million orphans live in Africa.
• Approximately 14 million orphans live in Latin America & the Caribbean.
• Approximately 1 million children live in public care in Central & Eastern Europe
• More than 800,000 children pass through America’s foster care system each year.

These statistics do not even include the UNKNOWN children living orphaned both here and abroad that go uncounted, unnoticed and unloved.

James 1:27 “Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for the orphans and widows in their troubles  and refuse to let the world corrupt us.”

If you click here you can get a poster of 10 ways every Christian can care for the orphan and waiting child.  If you do not want to click over there, I will list the ways below:

1. Pray for them.
2. Speak up for them.
3. Provide for their needs.
4. Support those who support them.
5. Protect them from harm.
6. Visit them where they are.
7. Give sacrificially to them.
8. Encourage them to press on.
9. Adopt them into your family.
10. Mobilize your church for them.

My church hosted a Women's event on Thursday evening.  Jen Hatmaker was the speaker and she was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!  I was so glad I was able to go and listen to her be real, open and honest about the work that her and her husband are doing to the least of these in Austin, Texas.  They have just brought home two special children from Ethiopia.  She gave a staggering statistic.  If one in every seven Christians would adopt a waiting child or orphan, there would be no more waiting or orphan children in the world!  Wouldn't that be absolutely AMAZING?!?!?!?!?


Could you at least commit to praying for the world's orphan and waiting children?  And that God would stir in the hearts of those individuals that He is calling to adopt that desire and that they would follow that desire and welcome into their home a child who is in need of a forever earthly family!