After an almost three-year hiatus, this year we finally had the privilege of resuming international travel and visiting many of our programs around the world. We went in with eager anticipation to see how the ministries had fared during the most difficult of circumstances. I, of little faith, was hoping for survival, but was taken by surprise at what I saw.
The word that best describes what we experienced around the world? Flourishing. Children were flourishing because of the holistic care you provided. Families were flourishing because of the wrap-around services you provided. Young adults were flourishing in independence because of the safety net you provided. And in some places, the entire country’s child welfare system was beginning to flourish because you protected the rights of children.
We were amazed. Astonished. Sometimes in disbelief at the degree of flourishing that had taken place. Ministries had grown in depth and width.Staff had grown in competence and commitment. And most importantly, children had experienced a significant, lifelong impact in their lives putting them on track to be independent, Christian leaders in their communities. COVID, war, inflation, famine, and hopelessness did not stop God’s work around the world. Instead, they all served as a catalyst to multiply impact.
This year, I was privileged to see first-hand the smile on Joshua’s face as he tells his story of how holisticcare in Kenya changed the trajectory of his life from a child marginalized due to physical limitation to a university student. I met young adults in St. Petersburg eager to travel hours by public transport just to gather for fellowship and to learn crucial life skills like cooking that prepare them for independence. I’ve seen lives, families, and entire government systems changed through the foster care program in Honduras as it promotes family and protects the rights of children.
Thank you for joining with us to serve orphaned and vulnerable children.Thank you for providing holistic care to vulnerable children like Reshma in Nepal, helping young adults in Ukraine like Tatiana be prepared for independence and supported even in the midst of war, and promoting family and protecting the rights of children like the babies and young mothers in Latvia. Together, with your support, lives are being changed by hope around the world.
My prayer is that these incredible stories offer a glimpse into the mighty work God is doing around the world in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children and as you read this annual report, you will be inspired by your commitment to God’s calling. Each of these stories tells of a future filled with hope. And the future of Orphan Outreach is filled with hope as well. I pray that you see each child that flourishes is just the beginning. God is going to do more than we ask or imagine. I’m convinced because of God’s heart for His children, our best days are ahead.
Rey Diaz, Orphan Outreach President