I received a follow up email from Jedd Medefind the President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans with a few pieces of advice concerning out time at the conference and all that we walked away with. I thought it was excellent and wanted to pass it on because I feel like it great advice for most things in life. Enjoy!

Don’t let a big vision keep you from a small obedience.  It can be thrilling to catch the vision for a great undertaking, from building a new ministry to becoming a foster parent.  Yet it can also be paralyzing, especially as we consider all it would take to bring it to completion.  But that’s not God’s call to us today.  His call, most often, is to a little act of faithfulness today, a single step forward.  All that lies on the road beyond the present is God’s business.  Our responsibility is to the one action we can take today.

Be fervent in prayer. To draw near to an orphan is to draw near to God.  Whether via adoption, orphan ministry, or otherwise, we come—like Moses did—to stand on holy ground.  So we must always tread forward with deep reverence and supplication.  Equally important, if God cares deeply about this work, we ought to keep in mind that His enemy does as well.  As much as any aspect of life, this battle is not against flesh and blood.

Engage with others. Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs, and Paul never traveled alone.  If God is calling you to deeper ministry to the fatherless, I’m confident He wants you to engage it with co-laborers, mentors and other allies.  Seek these out, both in your church and community, and also as a member of the growing community of the Christian Alliance for Orphans.

Never lose connection to the one Source that’s good for the long journey. The world’s need is vast, and we have every reason to weep over it as Jesus did at the tomb of Lazarus.   But this alone will not sustain us for the distance, especially as we encounter disappointments and difficulty.  The world’s great need will always outstrip our enthusiasm to solve it.  The only wellspring that will never run dry is to draw always from the unfathomed love of our God, who pursued us, defends us, and calls us His own.  “We love because He first loved us.”

Did you know that there are 145 million orphans in the world?!

Did you know that if only 1 family out of every 4 churches in America would adopt we would have no more waiting children in the US? Do you get that? It is so doable but it just isn’t happening.

Did you know that most Christians don’t know the name of even 5 orphans in the world (including me)?

Did you know that an orphan is someone who has lost just one parent? Most people only think of those destitute children in other countries when they hear the word orphan but we have them in our neighborhoods all around us here as well. Our foster care system is full of them.

These are some things that were shared at the Summit. We listened to stories of orphans, those who have been adopted, those who have adopted, those who minister to orphans waiting to be adopted and on and on. It was emotionally taxing to me, mostly in a good way. We were all orphans once and God adopted us into His family and now He is asking us to help those in the world who need adopted into forever homes. Every child deserves to have that but millions never get it.

If we’re only motivated by the numbers and statistics though or even guilt our passion runs dry. As with anything, our passion has to be fueled by the God and His love for His people. Love for orphans (or people) doesn’t just change the orphan, it changes us as well.

Caring for Orphans isn’t just the newest social ministry but an embodiment of the church in action. And when you walk through the fields of the fatherless and meet even just one orphan you’ll never be the same.

So what can we do? Do you have any ideas of how to care for a child in need? We don’t need just one more thing on the agenda. That’s not the point. But how can we implement this into our lives and ministries? I’d love to hear your ideas.

I have had a heart for orphans since I traveled to Zambia in 2000 with Society for International Ministry. I was there for 3 months and it was life changing. I’ve had a heart to go back since the day I left and hope to return someday, especially to take Matt and my child(ren) to see the incredible place that Africa is. We’ve also had a heart for adoption for many years and hope to soon see that dream a reality for our family.

I’m really excited that in April I’ll get to go to the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit. I had a friend tell me that it was the best conference that she’s been to. Another reason to be excited is that John Piper and Mary Beth & Steven Curtis Chapman will be there along with some other great speakers. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me there. Does any one else want to join me?