Orphan Care Sunday Coming Soon

Join Focus on the Family, Hope for Orphans and Show Hope as we observe the first annual Orphan Sunday on November 8. The Nashville-based live event will take place with musical guests Steven Curtis Chapman and Geoff Moore, and guest speakers Jim Daly and Dennis Rainey. This event will be simulcast to churches around the nation that desire to pray for and remember orphans around the world. Go here to learn about how your church can participate.

Plan Now For Orphan Sunday

On November 8 you can be part of something really big. Learn about Orphan Sunday here. Get involved in something “God-sized!”

Orphans In The News

My friends over at Christian Alliance For Orphans have mounted a positive campaign to counter the negative message of a new film. They are getting some press, for which I am thankful. Maybe you can help spread the word?

Horror Film Does Disservice to Orphans

Next month a new horror film will be released about a family that brings an orphan into their home. While I’m not a fan of the genre, what really bothers me about this movie is its distorted portrayal of orphans.

There are millions of fatherless children worldwide, and they should be offered our love, not presented as a sick stereotype in a horror movie.

Here’s a short video from someone who takes issue with the film – and offers some interesting perspectives about who orphans really are, and what we can do to reach out to them.

More on Vasco, The Malawi Orphan

An update to a recent post about Vasco, an orphan who was brought to the States for heart surgery, from USA Today. Short read, long impact.

Touching: Malawi Orphan Comes To Chicago

This article about an AIDS orphan who comes to Chicago for life-saving surgery is my introduction to a very interesting writer. Cathleen Falsani seems to have a rather unique perspective about spiritual living, and this is a tender account of how little Vasco has touched her life.

Influencing Kids In Foster Care

I was in the audience for this riveting and compelling message from Pastor Bob Coy about how God moved his church to reach out to needy kids in the county’s foster care system. Wow!

Adoption Info

My wife and I are adoption advocates, and for many reasons. We have supported adoption efforts by others, believing that God has a special place in His heart for the fatherless (the Scriptures are full of references to those without families). We love kids, anyway. And then, as has been mentioned here before, we are adoptive parents. In fact, 5 years ago next week I had the privilege of meeting little “Artyem” in a Russian orphanage, only a month before his adoption into our family was finalized.What a special boy he has been to us!

If you are interested in adoption, here’s a link to a brief video about some of the unique challenges adoptive families face.

And here’s a book by Focus on the Family that can guide you through the adoption process.

If you have a heart for orphans and want to learn more, this Focus on the Family website has some great general info.

Finally, there’s a national conference coming up soon that is well worth your consideration. Unfortunately, I’ll miss this year’s Summit – I’ve had the privilege of attending all of the previous events. I’ll encourage you to take a step of faith and go to this outstanding conference…you’ll be touched deeply and inspired in fresh, new ways!

Program Leads To Adoption

This comment by Melissa illustrates the power of our programming to touch lives! It was in response to one of our more memorable moments in the studio this year:

Several months ago I listened to  a broadcast interview with Gene Stallings, football coach with a son with Down Syndrome. This interview touched  me so much that my husband and I are now in the process of adopting a 4 year-old boy in Eastern Europe with Down Syndrome!  Thank you, Gene and Dr. Dobson! Your interview MADE A DIFFERENCE.

I’m so glad to know that this family will be welcoming a little boy into their loving home! Join me in praying for them, that God prepares hearts and paves the way for this adoption.

10 Things I’ve Learned About Adoption

There are tens of MILLIONS of orphans in the world. Most will never have a family, but every year about 15,000-18,000 children are brought home from oversees orphanages or foster homes.

There are lots of misunderstandings and even myths about adoption.

We adopted a child from Russia a few years back. Since then, I’ve taken a lot of questions from friends interested in bringing an orphan into their family. The adoption maze can be daunting.

I offer these tips to those who are considering adoption:

1. It is a long process
2. It is an unpredictable process
3. It is an expensive process
4. It will be memorable process, even if it is hard a lot of the time
5. It requires flexibility
6. It requires patience
7. It requires prayer (even if you don’t believe, you’ll pray sooner or later in the process)
8. It allows you to meet new people (at adoption agencies, at the police station, at state offices, at travel agencies)
9. It will be a story you like to tell, and will never tire of telling
10. Other folks care and want to be involved in reaching out to orphans – they’ll help if you let them

I hope you’ll consider adopting a child who has no hope, who needs you. More here and here.

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