There are photos on my desk of children waiting for a forever family. I look into the eyes of these children and each one has a story behind them, a life of loss, heartbreak and yet hope and a dream for a future with a loving and stable forever family.

I have worked in the adoption and foster care programs at Buckner for more than 16 years and my heart still breaks for each child and their story of loss.

We are here to be a voice for these forgotten children, to respond to their plea and provide them a future with a loving adoptive family. It is truly daunting when you consider there are more than 120,000 adoptable children in the U.S. and more than 145 million orphans worldwide.

My prayer is that churches and individuals will build and support adoption, foster care and orphan ministries to proactively advocate for the “least of these.” It takes the community and each individual to be the voice for these children.

There are also photos on my desk of wonderful adoptive families embracing their adopted children. There needs to be more photos like these, showing a tangible response to the overwhelming need. 

Let our focus of prayer this week be for these waiting children, asking God to help encourage us to find ways to be a voice and advocate to help forever change lives, one child at a time.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me.  I was in prison and you came to visit me. I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” 

Debbie Wynne is the director of Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services for Dillon International.