143 million. Are you wondering what this number represents?

This may not be the most popular post I’ve written. Nor will it be funny, light-hearted or trivial. You may even be sorry you’ve read this when you’ve finished. And I must add that this won’t be the only time I’ll write on this topic. Be forewarned. It’s near and dear to my heart.

You see, the number above is a best guess estimate of the number of orphans in the world today. There are 8 million people in New York, 3.8 million in LA, 2.8 million in Chicago, and another 2 million in Houston.  Think of these 4 cities of just 16 million populated entirely with children: babies, toddlers, four year old little girls, 8 year old little boys, and young teens with no parents or permanent loving adults to love and coach and guide. The number 143 million is beyond comprehension.

I just attended the fourth annual Summit on Orphans. The truth is heartbreaking. And it’s not just over there, over the ocean somewhere, in Africa or Asia. There are 225,000 orphans in the United States, 150,000 who could be adopted, all languishing in our broken foster care system.

One of Susan’s and my goals of our book for empty nesters and for this community page is to challenge you to find a purpose for your second season of life that will contribute to changing our world. Retirement is not a purposeful choice. Perhaps retiring from one career to pursue another might be an option, but we’d like to challenge you to seriously consider how you can make a difference in the lives of others for the rest of your life. Yes, investing in your adult children and grandchildren’s lives is important.   I don’t want to minimize that opportunity. But many of us can do that and more.   It doesn’t have to be orphans, but it could be. We don’t all have to travel internationally to be of help, but we could. Their needs are significant. Millions are languishing without hope.   There are real tangible ways we in the comfortable West can meet some of those needs.

In the last ten years I have made 5 or more trips to the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa to visit and to bring help to children living in orphanages. While in China once, a friend, Lynn, and I spent an entire week in the baby room holding, feeding and praying for the babies who otherwise would have just lain in their cribs all day. There aren’t enough workers and  they aren’t trained well. Some of the babies had incurable problems, others had easily repairable conditions, others were perfectly normal. Lynn cried all week. She and I mourned for those little ones who had no mommy or daddy. But for at least one week these babies were cuddled and loved and prayed for perhaps as never before. 

So what can you do? For starters, go to www.hopefororphans.com. From there you will find links to other websites that work in orphan care. Or investigate the foster care situation in your state or city. I know you will find it in need of help. And begin to think about and pray for ways you can help even some of these 143 million.

So, I told you this might be troubling.