777 Water		John 10:10		Why Orphans?

The Problem & The Solution:

The Problem:
There are currently over 160 million orphans worldwide. This number has more than doubled since the year 2000. It’s estimated that more than 20,000 children die every day from malnutrition and preventable disease. Millions of these orphaned children are forced into sex trafficking and child slave labor. Abandonment, fear, and helplessness are the issues they face daily in such a way that most of us can’t even begin to comprehend.

On the other end of the spectrum a young generation considered materially “rich” by global standards struggles to find real happiness in the all too often empty and disappointing path of “self-indulgence”. Some of the most privileged young people who have ever lived find themselves struggling with depression, self inflicted pain, and addictions. The sad truth is that in many of these cases these young people have been spiritually and emotionally orphaned. Left to fend for themselves, the temptation of self-focus overwhelms and a downward spiral ensues.

The Solution:
Jesus said we are the light of the world. We can bring light into this darkness that is shadowing both the orphans of the world and our own generation. We believe that tangible sacrifice fueled by compassion in Christ is the answer. True life is found by giving our lives away and true religion is caring for those in need (James 1:27). As we begin to live out true religion our friends and the world around us will begin to see what the love of God is really all about; that Christianity is not hypocrisy, a list of do’s and dont’s, or an addition that makes life a little better like the latest piece of technology. Rather, the love of God is the very essence of life. In Isaiah 58:10 God says, "If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” We believe that God wants to use this generation to rescue the orphans of the world, and use the orphans of the world to rescue us. We need them. They need us. We call this destiny rescuing destiny.