Importance of Orphanages

I'm deeply grateful for Sister Asayech [below] and the nannies who've been caring for Judah and Addise for the past 5-6 months. Deeply, immeasurably thankful. They have been the hands and feet of Jesus to me for our kids. Sister Asayech is a woman who cares immensely about the care of widows and orphans in her country. She works on their behalf in ways I will never understand. My heart wells with appreciation for her and many others who are like her in Ethiopia.

Sister Asayech runs the orphanage that our kids are at right now. Yet, I'm confident that she would agree with me on this thought:

Orphanages are not God's ultimate design.
They are not his intention.
They are not the end for children.
Every child deserves to be in a forever family, loved permanently by a family.

Somewhere along the way of infertility and adoption, something has changed in me. As a result, I'm not sure if anything grabs the heart of God more than caring for widows and orphans. It's changing my heart forever.

Orphanages are NOT God's Plan A. Plan A is a forever family. I'm profoundly grateful that we are a part of God's Plan A for Judah and Addise. I'm oddly grateful that our Plan A didn't happen in the way we expected, because if it did Judah and Addise wouldn't be our children. And I'm grateful that God uses orphanages to complete his Plan A.

My dream would be that orphanages would cease to exist because every child has a home in the home of Christ follower. Can you imagine that kind of world? What would you need to do in order to make that kind of world reality!?!?!??!!?