Three Great Conferences – NEXT WEEKEND

Next Saturday will be a great day for orphan advocates across the country. On October 1st & 2nd, there are THREE great conferences that we want to introduce you too.  Whether you live on the east coast, central, or west coast, a phenomenal conference is right around the corner.

On the east coast, in Southern NJ, Chris Padbury will be delivering the key note address which aims to awaken the local church to all aspects of “defending the cause of the fatherless.”

In Austin, TX, the Together For Adoption conference will be addressing over 1000 attendees. The theme of the conference is “The Gospel, the Church, and the Global Orphan Crisis.”  If you live anywhere near this event, you will not want to miss this conference.

On the west coast, in Los Angeles, CA, Hope for Orphans’ John Moore will be the key note speaker. There will be several sessions covering the Biblical foundation for orphan care, as well as numerous break-out sessions that will give you substantial and tangible ways to engage in the orphan crisis.

To learn more information about these conferences, please visit the Hope for Orphans website: www.hopefororphans.org

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Back to Haiti – HORT Trip #2

As I write this I am on an plane approaching Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As you may already know, Hope for Orphans is locking arms with a group of other organizations to come alongside Haitian churches as they seek to love and care for children who were orphaned by the earthquake. The HORT initiative (Haiti Orphan Relief Team) sent its first team last month to connect with Haitian churches with a heart for caring for orphans in their communities (you can read David Leventhal’s blog posts from that first HORT trip by clicking HERE). On our current trip, we will take the next step with 10 of these churches and will continue to meet with others as well. On Wednesday, we will be meeting with the pastors of these 10 Haitian churches for the day to discuss more of the details of what it will look like to partner together. During part of that time I will be team teaching with Dan Cruver (Together for Adoption) on a biblical framework for adoption.

I am really excited about this particular initiative and the potential impact it can have. Each church’s program will identify up to 20 children to place into homes within the church. Each church will identify a team to oversee the program and will help to ensure that each of these children gets food, medical care, education, and is developed spiritually. With 10 churches starting the program initially, that means 200 kids are getting care right out of the gate –- and in Christian families.

As you know, it’s important to always be asking the question, “what can we do better together than we could ever do alone?” The HORT initiative is another encouraging example of organizations coming together and putting their collective shoulder behind something that will really help kids.

I would like to ask you to pray with us for this time and for the program. Here are few things you can pray for:

1. That we would make good connections with more strong churches
2. That we would be active learners and great listeners
3. That we would be able to truly identify ways to help Haitian Christians care for
   Haitian orphans.
4. That churches would see many changed lives in the children they help.

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