100% Participation Campaign
The orphan crisis. Have you heard of it? Does it break your heart? It should… it breaks God’s Heart. And yet His Promise is clear: GOD places the lonely in families (Ps. 68:6) and WE are called to care for the orphans and vulnerable, as a sign of true worship to Him! (James 1:27)
Since I can remember, I saw kids living as orphans around me in Paraguay. I grew up as an MK, so these “sights” became normal. And yet they are NOT. Around 25 years ago – yes, I was just 10 – God called me ever so clearly to provide a HOME for those without. My first impulse? To dream of building a children’s home of course! It took a decade or two serving with many others in this field, globally and in Paraguay, to realize that what kids really need and long for is to BELONG in a safe and loving FAMILY. 
And yet TODAY, in Paraguay 95% of our children in care are in institutions, waiting on average 4.5 years. And MANY more are living exposed and vulnerable within their own homes, but have nowhere to go, for lack of safe families to care for them. This is the same in many countries.
In 2016, inspired by a global movement of the Body of Christ to respond to this need, “World Without Orphans”, René and I helped start PARAGUAY PROTECTS FAMILIES (PPF) as group of children’s homes, organizations and church networks in our country with a shared vision: to see EVERY child grow in a safe family, through the loving action of the local CHURCH. God has done so much through PPF these years, from the very bottom of working with the front liners, helping get kids out of institutions and into families, to the very top, working with national Government authorities to reform our care system.
5 years later, we are so grateful for these results but are still praying for a breakthrough, to change the reality of our kids living as orphans. We NEED a paradigm shift in the understanding of the Body of Christ, and for EVERYONE to join hands and solve this problem. That is why we joined Orphan Myth to launch the 100% Participation campaign, now live globally and in PY (March 25th to April 8th)! Our aim is to dispel old myths around orphan care and raise support for our non-profit organizations working to help vulnerable kids and their families, so that EVERY child belongs in a family. Help us spread the word!
The solution is clear.
- Children at-risk of separation need family strengthening.
- Children removed from their homes need temporary loving foster families while their case proceeds.
- Children separated from their families need reunification whenever possible and safe.
- Children who can’t go home to their own family need permanency with a local adoptive family.
- Youth aging out of children’s homes need families/mentors to love and support them.
We are excited that through PPF, a dozen front-line organizations are working hard to get many in Paraguay involved by sharing these messages and encouraging others to participate. Even a famous soccer player, mayor influencers, well-known business, musicians etc. are joining us in Paraguay to get the word out! But, in such a busy world, it is no easy task to get people involved. Will you pray?
YOU can help by spreading the word, forming a team and encouraging everyone to donate to one of our organizations in Paraguay, as part of www.orphanmyth.org (see our PY profile here): http://bit.ly/PPFpy
“It will take 100% of us to get 100% of children into a safe and loving family.” Will you help us?