Orphan Care and the American Church

After yet another night of having a hard time falling asleep, I ended up writing this essay. It turned out better that what I expected for being as exhausted as I was, so I thought I might as well share it with the public. Perhaps it could be the small beginning to making a big change.

Introduction
It is obvious that orphan care is far too ignored by the church, particularly the American church, but is there a reason behind this? Three noticeable reasons are that the need is hidden, the subject does not seem controversial, and it appears to be largely government-funded.

Government Funding
The church often focuses on needs that the government does not. The state will never address salvation or discipleship. There is no expectation of a missionary government grant. However, any government-supported program could always use additional support. There is no need for separation between church and state in this case, yet the church seems to define distant boundaries where the government offers funding. Before abortion was legalized, most of the church did not see a need for unplanned pregnancy counseling. When abortion was declared legal, the government essentially stopped supporting pro-life practices, and around the same time the church stepped up to the plate. Perhaps increasing church-sponsored pregnancy resources, the end result would not have been the same.

With the exception of very few small private organizations, the orphan crisis in the United States is completely sponsored by the government. The church may occasionally give a few pairs of socks or an old teddy bear to the cause, but leave the care-giving and funding at the mercy of the state.

In the case of the international orphan crisis, it is very much the same in many countries. In places such as Canada, Australia, and most of Europe, little to nothing is done because the church is not involved where the government is. In poverty-stricken nations or places where there is less government support for orphans, there actually is more awareness among the American church. Christian sponsorship programs and adoption agencies focus on these communities, knowing that they would not be as successful if they promoted in an area with government input. In international cases, the church also keeps hands-off due to the fact that many celebrities are beginning to take the reigns. If celebrities promote orphan advocacy, perhaps more people will be more inclined to help, but the church will be less inclined.

The church does not focus on the orphan crisis because images of orphans being fed, clothed, housed, and educated suggest that there is no need. Food, clothes, housing, and education is indeed provided to some orphans, but not all, and not always adequately. However, deeper needs, such as stability, companionship, and love cannot always be provided in government-run situations. Worst of all, government plans for orphan care make it nearly impossible to plant and cultivate in these children the gospel, a message that the church claims is at the core of its existence, but apparently is not seen as an issue when it comes to ministering to orphans.

Controversy
The church loves to deal with controversial issues. Nearly every church community has a standpoint on abortion, homosexuality, fornication, evolution, patriotism, and euthanasia. The mere mention of these words evoke a slightly different feeling to each individual. However, with the words "orphan crisis", virtually everyone thinks of sorrow. Even though the general population feels sad about the situation, very few people actually do something active about it.

Along with the mutual thought of sorrow, there is also the thought that, since everyone feels this way, then certainly there are already enough people out there already doing something about it. Unfortunately, as this is the majority though process, there is not enough being done. In reality, if indeed enough people put their feelings about the orphan crisis into action, then there would no longer be an orphan crisis.

Just as this attitude is evident among individuals, it is also evident within the church. With controversial issues, the church feels called to advocate, perhaps as more of a power struggle of who is right instead of a genuine care and concern. At first glimpse of the orphan crisis, there does not appear to be controversy. Even if the church truly cared about controversial issues for a reason other than power, there is indeed plenty of controversy within the orphan care system. The rights of blood relatives, the availability of adoption, and whether orphans should be placed in homes or institutions are just a few potentially highly-debatable issues. Whether or not the church's craving for controversy is pure of heart, topics about the orphan crisis inevitably contain points of argument.

Hidden Need
Perhaps the most predominant reason for the church to overlook the orphan crisis is because it is currently designed to be overlooked. The need for orphan care is hidden, particularly domestically. With clever names such as "foster child" replacing the supposedly politically incorrect term "orphan", just as "group home" replaces the seemingly-corrupt "orphanage", there appears to be less needed for the orphan crisis because it is so rare to hear the word "orphan". Institutions for orphans are stuck in the low-class part of town that few ever venture to, and most of these children are placed in foster homes, which often comes with benefits that institutions cannot provide, but also contributes to making orphans less noticeable. As previously mentioned, the government is the "someone else" that provides for the orphan's needs, thus rarely there is a plea for assistance.

With such an excellent job of hiding the orphan crisis within the very communities of the American church, there should be no surprise of the orphan crisis in distant lands that are even better hidden. This part of the crisis is tucked away in a distant land so far away that the American church can rest comfortably without thinking about the problem. There is occasionally news of another crisis that made the orphan crisis even more devastating, and nonprofits expand their reach by mentioning orphans, but the church is often fooled into believing that these messages encompass the entire orphan crisis. In reality, there are millions of orphans that are not part of any adoption agency or sponsorship program, and therefore are incredibly difficult for the church to reach.

Conclusion 
Because of the hidden need, controversy, and government funding, the American church at large ignores the orphan crisis more than what should be possible. Perhaps it is time for a change, to expose the need for what it truly is. It is time for the church to respond to the call for action.

Why?

I am questioning my faith and belief system.

But this doesn't mean I'm on shaky ground. In fact, I think that this is something everyone should do.

Today started off the same way most of my Mondays do. I slept in, started some laundry, took a shower, and ate breakfast. Lent started this past Wednesday. Last year, I fasted from anything with caffeine, including chocolate. I decided to get involved in Lent again this year, but with a rather obscure fast: I'm fasting from having my computer in my home. That way, if I want to use the computer, I have to go to my office, which means that I'm occupying my time with lots of other, more beneficial, activities when I'm at home. I started re-reading Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution as a way to spend my day and suddenly a lot of the Lord's will became clearer. I realized I was thinking to much about what I could GET or SAVE instead of thinking about what I could GIVE. But in reality, while some things became clear, even more became messed up. I started thinking about the motives behind everything I do, and trying to determine whether or not I really had any true goals in mind. I kept this in mind as I went about my afternoon activities.

My plan for the day was bank, blood donation (with the alternate plan of going to the YMCA if I was unable to donate), and then the J-House. After discovering that the bank was closed (I forgot that it was President's Day), I went back to my car, and it had problems starting. I tried adding oil since it looked like it might be low, but after that I realized that the gear shift didn't go all the way to "Park". Well, I guess that was sort of a waste of an oil can! I then went to my blood appointment. Everything went well, from the mini exam to the pint donation, until they started taking the blood test samples. It was then that I actually got dizzy, something that I've never experienced in my past donations. They made me lay down, ran a fan, put a cool cloth on my forehead, and made me do some weird leg exercises. After a few minutes of that I was back to normal, but still everyone was asking if I was okay. I even ran into my Toastmasters' club president there. But eventually, I left to go to the J-House.

The J-House was created to house any age of foster child to help with the lack of foster families in the Fremont area. However, I've only ever seen teens living there, likely because so few foster families want to deal with this age group. (After all, who doesn't love a baby? But a hormonal teenager?) I just wish there were more people willing to spend a few hours a week with them; they especially need it at this point in their life. Anyway, it's not uncommon to hear disagreements or overstepping boundaries. They also have a lot of questions for me and the staff about why we do the things we do. For example, as soon as I took off my coat, I was questioned for why on earth would I want to give blood. But one of the particularly frequent topics for disagreements and overstepped boundaries is God.

I'd heard several of their opinions on who God is, or whether or not He really exists. But it wasn't until today that one (a self-proclaimed atheist) asked me if I believed in God. Now, in the past, I had never stated any of my beliefs, because I think that the term "Christian" has a very negative ring to many of them, so I find it much more appropriate to witness to them by forming a healthy relationship with them. I've told them I work at Rivercrest, which most of them know hosts Christian camps, but this wasn't a question about Christianity. It was a question about God himself.

So, did I believe in God? Of course I answered "yes". But it was the follow-up question that got me: Why?

How many self-proclaimed Christians can actually answer this question? Just like it says in the book I'm reading, the church oftentimes tries to pretend not to hear the tough questions, or only offers a muffled answer. If we don't take the time to discover the answers for ourselves, then the body of Christ will not be effective for ministry. I told him "I just do. I don't see any reason not to, since I can tell every day that he exists." It was a good enough answer for him to respect, but I think that there are better answers.

I'm going to keep asking the tough questions. I'll even start looking to answer a few of them. I will question my motives, no matter how noble the cause. I will go into everything with an end goal in mind. And to my chief end, I will continue to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Crown College Recruiting

On Tuesday afternoon, Emily, Jeremiah and I left on a six-hour road trip to Minnesota. We didn't get there until 10:30, but that was okay, because all we had to do that evening was visit with our friend Steph. (Oh, and on the way there, I ate at Taco John's for the first time.) But Wednesday was the important day. 

Last year I went to Crown College to recruit summer staff, and I was happy that I could go again this year. Although we didn't get to bed until around 1am, we were up early the next morning, with just enough time to eat breakfast, watch some Dick Van Dyke, and buy a 3 pound bag of candy because we forgot to get some the day before. We set up our booth (and I must say, it looked WAY better this year- the sock monkey especially pushed it over the top!) right before chapel started at 10am.

The only problem we had was that this banner broke about three times. 

 After the short chapel session, students could look at the various camp tables. There were camps from all over the place. Most were in Minnesota, but there was even one from Alaska! Although it was hard to convince people to work at Rivercrest when they had about 30 choices of camps to choose from, the positive in this was that we could network with other camps- especially Solid Rock Bible Camp of Alaska. One camp staff (I don't remember which camp) came up to our booth and recognized us from last year! (Well, he recognized me, and he thought he remembered seeing Jeremiah, but it was actually Eli who went last year- twin deception by the Twin Cities!) I also went over to the Camp Victory booth and started chatting with the staff there because I saw that they had this model of their high ropes course on their table.

 After the recruiting session, we ate lunch at the Crown cafeteria. Fortunately, it was burrito Tuesday- they make them just like Chipotle! We eventually left, and I drove all the way to Sioux City- that's actually a pretty big deal for me. We ate there at Custer's, and then continued on the road, eventually returning home after 10:30. It was fun to get out for a couple of days, and I hope to do even more trips soon (starting with two trips in March!).

Videos

I've made a few videos recently. I already posted the main Summer Camp 2013 Promo, which has been and will be shown in churches, youth groups, children's churches, and recruiting fairs. I also made another one just for marketing to teens, which I completed today:

I mentioned before that I pulled my first all-nighter at Solid Rock Winter Camp to make a highlights video for them. Looking at it now, I can't even tell that I made this in the middle of the night after drinking too much Red Bull!

Heart vs. Holy Spirit

I've spent a lot of time thinking recently. Most of that thinking involves trying to decipher what I really want, or rather, what the Lord wants of me. And right now, I'm struggling to tell the difference between what God is asking of me and what I am asking of myself.

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from Nelly, the Zambian orphan that I sponsor. She included an essay titled "What God Has Done for Me". In it, she wrote, "A long time ago when I pray I never used to hear God speaking to me, and I was always wishing to hear God's voice but now I thank God cause when I pray I always hear His voice speaking to me."

I think I heard God's voice once. Once, literally. There was only one word involved. And after hearing it, instead of clarity, it caused even more confusion. It was July 2009. I was working at Lake Bradley Christian Camp and the Lord had recently given me the passion to start pursuing orphan care. (Something that I'm still working on to pursue on a deeper level.) One night, at what I believe was Applegate's Junior High camp, the pastor asked us to try something out. It was prayer, but the complete opposite of how most of us usually pray. Sit in silence, close our eyes, but instead of talking to God, listen to see what HE has to say! I had tried this before, and I have tried it since, but I end up getting distracted or impatient. But since the opportunity presented itself, I sat and listened. And this is what I got:
"TAKE".

Confusing, right? So much of God's Word is about giving, and then He tells me to take. I've spent the past few years pondering this, and I have come up with some applications for it, but let's get back to the current issue for now.

There are so many phrases about the heart, and even more so in Christian circles. "Follow your heart." "It's my heart's desire." "This has been put on my heart." "I really have a heart for this." People use these a lot when speaking Christianese, but is it really Biblical? It sounds more like the Disney heroine that follows her heart, meets the prince, and they live happily ever after. Now, I'm probably the biggest fan of drawing parallels from Disney to God's love for us, but let's face it: real life isn't Disney. My life involves waking up each day in my basement abode in Nebraska, going outside or upstairs to do camp work most days, hanging out with kids and teens whenever I get the chance, going to the Jefferson House a couple times a week to sort clothing donations, leading at Awana each week, giving speeches at Toastmasters, and occasionally eating dinner at someone's house. It's neither the exciting life that everyone wants nor is it the dismal beginning to a princess story. But it's the life that God has called me to...

...I think.

The thing is, in theory it should be simple the tell the difference between God's desire and my own heart's desire, because as a follower of Christ, I should be emptied of self and have the heart of God's will. But in reality, although I have "Jesus in my heart", that heart is still surrounded by human flesh, and it can be difficult to tell the difference. At Winter Camp, the speaker was challenging the teens to get into the Word because that's how you can tell the difference between your desire and God's. That may work for a lot of things. (Some examples that come to mind: Should I have sex outside of marriage? Should I steal this?) But for a lot of things, especially those personal, only-applies-to-your-situation things, you've got to go a lot deeper and discover it among your own one-on-one relationship with the Lord.

Take my life a year and a half ago as an example. Before that, I had plans to live in Spain for a year. But even though it sounded like a great opportunity, and I really wanted to do it, I knew the whole time that there was something unsettling about it. When Spain left the picture, the easiest (and, at first glance, the only) thing to do would be to stay home and hope it wasn't too late to enroll at the local university. But the feeling of that was even worse than the feeling I had about going to Spain. When working at a Christian camp in Colorado came into view, I knew that idea was a lot more settling. But a even more settling feeling came about when I discovered the opportunity of working at a Christian camp in Nebraska. Two years ago, if you had given me the options of working in Spain, Colorado, Oregon, or Nebraska, like most people, Nebraska would have been at the bottom of my list. But, as Romans 12:2 suggests, renewing my mind for that time period allowed me to test and approve God's will, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. And His will ended up being Nebraska...

...at least it was.

I didn't exactly have a direction when I began writing this post, but these ramblings were meant more for my benefit than any of the four people that actually read my blog. The thing is, that unsettling feeling has come back. After all that's gone on in the past year and a half- the new living environment, the lack of typical household amenities, the poorly constructed internship, the abandonment, the loneliness, the feeling of impending doom that comes with the probability of not having either a job or a home, the tight budgeting, the daily stressors and depressors- now seems like the strangest of all the times to have this feeling. I really do like what I do. I mean, I don't always love it, but I like it more than anything else I've ever worked on. I definitely have my struggles, but no matter where I am or what I do, I know my life will never be perfect. But through all this mental chaos, retiring my Rivercrester title just doesn't make sense...

...then again, neither have most of my decisions over the past couple years...

...but they made sense to God.

Although everything is confusing to me right now, I know I need to stay here through May. I will probably stay through the summer too, but I have decisions that need to be made between now and May. If anyone has actually read this far and would like to help me out with this, you can start by praying for the same things I'm praying for. Pray for the wisdom to know if any of this is really from God, and for the discernment to discover what the next step of life is that the Lord has hand-chosen for me. Pray for the allowance for me to test and approve what God's will is. And if His will ends up having me exactly where I've been this whole time, ask that I may find more fulfillment in it.

Naturally, I'll post any major updates here on this blog, as well as any other notable ponderings and happenings I experience as time goes on. But I think that, for now, I need to stop trying to organize my thoughts into words and just pray them up instead.

Summer Camp 2013 Promo

I made this!