Orphan Outreach

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 It’s not often we are allowed to make much of Mike Douris, the founding President of Orphan Outreach—who would prefer to go about his...   continue

What does it mean to prioritize family in an orphan care ministry? In truth, it can mean a great number of things. At its heart, however, it means placing children in the context of family, whenever possible. Why? Because, as God’s design, we believe it is in the best interest of the child. While each of our countries...   continue

At Orphan Outreach, everything we do is with the best interest of the child in mind. This central ethos gives purpose and impact to every part of our ministry, whether it be the programs we choose to partner alongside, the mission teams we send, or the way in which we market our ministry. One area that is particularly driven with...   continue

At Orphan Outreach, our goal is to help each of our supporters respond to whatever it is God has called them to do. For some, that is serving as a prayer partner, and for others it’s participating on a mission trip. For Mrs. Pamela and Dr. Darold Opp, God invited them to sponsor 100 children around the globe. Committing to...   continue

How much impact can a monthly gift of sponsorship truly make? At Orphan Outreach, we believe sponsorship provides an anchor of hope for each child—stabilizing an uncertain future and revealing what is possible by providing a consistent source of food, care, and education. In truth, the full impact of such a gift is not...   continue

On April 29, 2021, the Orphan Outreach Board of Directors unanimously voted to elect Dr. Rey Diaz as President-Elect and for current President, Mike Douris, to begin serving as President Emeritus. The two will work together to finalize this transition, until January 1, 2022, when Rey will officially take over as President and...   continue

Our need, or lack, often pushes us to be creative—to find new ways to solve existing problems. If 2020 encouraged Bev Berry to do anything, it was to get creative. Having observed the growing hardship around her, Bev was determined to find a way to help others continue to give, even when their budgets were tight. “There are...   continue

At Orphan Outreach, it is often said that sponsorship can be as little or as much as you make it. It may be as simple as sending a monthly check or as much as traveling each year to visit your child. For Amanda Ramsay, it is a powerful opportunity to stand in the gap for a vulnerable teen. It’s a chance to breathe life into...   continue

On August 21, 2020, Jennifer and Jay Kassing learned they had been chosen as “Angels in Adoption” Honorees. This award, presented by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute(CCAI), seeks to spotlight individuals like the Kassings, who are doing extraordinary work within the world of foster care and adoption. For the...   continue

In the midst of a global pandemic, it seems not a single life goes unaffected. The greatest impact, however, often falls on the most vulnerable. That is why now, more than ever before, is the time to sponsor a child. “Right now, our world is in chaos. But chaos is made more comfortable when you can afford an education and put...   continue

On March 16, 2020, the Honduran government declared a national shutdown in response to the Coronavirus. Guatemala and the United States followed suit, as did nearly every other country on the globe. While sectors of the United States have since opened up, Guatemala and Honduras are entering into their seventh month in lockdown...   continue

As the spread of COVID-19 began to take its toll on the United States, Tim and Sharie Martiny braced their ministry in Guatemala for a life-altering lockdown, as well. Tim and Sharie are the founders of CadaNiño, an Orphan Outreach ministry partner in Guatemala that serves vulnerable children and families in Colonia Santa Fe and...   continue

The work accomplished through Orphan Outreach wouldn’t exist without the support of our ministry partners and donors. These individuals and churches are the muscles that empower us to be the hands and feet of Christ to children all over the world. One such partner is Oakwood Church in Hartland, Wisconsin. For the past eleven...   continue

Every staff member at Orphan Outreach has a “why” behind their work. It may be a moment, a child, or a personal experience, something that drives their desire to serve orphaned and vulnerable children around the world. Rey Diaz, Orphan Outreach’s Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, found his “why” on...   continue

When Caitlyn Moynihan was just fifteen years old, she was invited to travel abroad on her first-ever mission trip. The experience captivated her, and she has returned nearly every year for the last ten years. Having just returned from her eighth trip to Guatemala, Caitlyn has been reflecting on the ways in which God has shaped her...   continue

The road to change is long and winding, yet it is not without its milestones. These moments in time are worth recognizing and celebrating. Last month, Orphan Outreach’s Honduran NGO, Asociación Manos Extendidas (AME) shared in the celebration of  a very big milestone indeed: the graduation of the very first cohort of families...   continue

According to Rey Diaz, life is not a spectator sport. It’s meant to be lived with passion and purpose, pursuing the call God has placed on your life. For Rey, that passion lies in serving the “the least and the lost." “I am a big ‘passion’ person. I don’t believe we were designed to sit on the sidelines, watching...   continue

While many stories are told of the names and faces “on the ground,” there is a network of dedicated men and women who serve passionately behind the scenes at Orphan Outreach. Katherine Cheng, a self-proclaimed ‘administrative type,’ is one of those team members. She spends her days dreaming, planning, and supporting her...   continue

Hanging on a bulletin board, over a desk overflowing with textbooks, is a colorful drawing of two perfectly imperfect stick figures. It’s a child’s sweet offering to a friend, a mentor, living halfway around the world and her sweet reminder of the eight-day-trip that brought them together. The picture was drawn for Allison...   continue

What would convince a Canadian to move to the States? Well, water-skiing, of course! At least, that is what brought Bryan Larson to Arkansas, over twenty years ago. “I moved to the States to teach water-skiing at a summer camp. I loved working with kids and summer camp had been influential for me as a young person. It’s the...   continue

When you sponsor a child through Orphan Outreach, the opportunity to impact that child’s life goes well beyond your financial donation. While many sponsors choose to travel great distances to meet their child, others opt for a more accessible option: letter writing.One such sponsor is Alex Tamayo Wolf. Alex, his wife, Mesla, and...   continue

For many, it is the orphan care crisis that opens their eyes and hearts to adoption. For Tiffany Wines, it was her experience with adoption that truly opened her eyes to the extent of the crisis. “My husband, Brad, and I felt called to form our family solely through adoption,” explained Tiffany. “At the time, we were too...   continue

There is a small classroom lined with shelves in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, each neatly filled with toys and learning tools. Small, wooden tables sit in the center with tiny blue chairs surrounding them. Globes, small enough to be explored by little hands, rest on top of a shelf, next to an overflowing pot of ivy. This simple...   continue

As Orphan Outreach enters into their second decade of service, Amy Norton has spent time reflecting on the organization’s journey and accomplishments. This time of reflection has served as a reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness and provided her a deep conviction and comfort that He will continue to provide and lead...   continue

Rugged individualism is deeply prized in western culture, but for Ronne Rock, there is more value in community, in family. In fact, should you spend much time at all with Ronne, you will surely hear her reminder that, “We’re all in this together.” It is this reminder, this commitment to care for the forgotten, that led...   continue

The sound of water trickles playfully throughout the courtyard at the Community Care Center (CCC) in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. A colorful rock sits quietly at its base, proudly displaying the word “Paz” in a child’s careful print. Paz means peace. It is a fitting word for the newly transformed space. What was once a stark...   continue

On June 10th, 2019, the Early Childhood Education Center (ECD) opened its doors for the first time in La Paz, Honduras. This program has been a long-held dream meant to further expand the NiCo program, providing educational interventions for pre-school aged children. While the program has only been in operation for a few months...   continue

When our souls feel restless and our hearts long for more, it is natural to want to find a way to quiet the unrest, or at least, to ignore it. But Shannon Batson has learned to lean into the discomfort. In her experience, it is precisely this searching, this “holy discontent”, that has led to some of her greatest...   continue

A cross-country move is often met with a jumble of feelings including excitement, reluctance, and a great deal of anxiety. For Diane Thompson, moving from Chicago, Illinois to Plano, Texas was all of that and more. “My husband works for Toyota and they were opening a corporate office in Plano, so we moved. This was the ninth...   continue

Nestled in the Honduran mountains, sits a small white chapel with a stained-glass cross. Its humble walls hold the heartfelt praise and quiet prayers of seventeen children and their surrogate parents, Mike and Kim Miller. Together they are building community and a family through their organization, Hope of Jesus Children’s...   continue

At an age when most people are looking forward to retirement, Mike Douris found himself looking forward to a new career. “You know, it wasn’t my life‘s plan to start a ministry at the age of 55,” laughed Mike Douris, founder and president of Orphan Outreach. “I was kind of heading in a different direction; but that’s...   continue

As a child, Callie Troyer imagined God's “peace which surpasses all understanding” would feel like a warm, fuzzy blanket. However, as she and her husband traveled along the difficult road of international adoption, she came to know that peace personally. Better than a blanket, it was a deep, guttural assurance that they were...   continue

What does it mean to serve orphans well? For the staff at Orphan Outreach, this is the question ever before them as they plan new initiatives and evaluate current ones. For Rey Diaz, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Orphan Outreach, the answer is simple: “One of our core values is to go deep with these kids...   continue