“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.” -Psalm 82:3
This past Sunday, my church celebrated World Adoption Day. Our pastor told of his experience adopting two of his children, we saw a video of an adoption story of one of our church members, and we talked about how adoption is a reflection of the Gospel, as God adopts us as His own children. It was a glorious service, as adoption is one of the desires of my heart. However, I am 21, a college student, and a single young woman. I listened to the sermon, and I prayed for families across the world to rise up to accept the call of adoption and foster care. All the while, I wondered “what can I do while I’m in college to help children who don’t have a mama and daddy who love them?” It’s easy to feel like you don’t have time or maturity or the calling to help children; however, there are so many ways that young people can impact the lives of children locally and across the globe.
1-Help out with children’s ministry in your church.
I was helping out with the kids at church a few weeks ago, and our leader told us that we had the opportunity to impact the children. She went on to remind us that we don’t know all of the kids’ home lives and backgrounds. Our simple acts of kindness while they were at church for an hour could impact them eternally as they get to hear that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their lives.
2-Enroll in volunteering with a mentor program in your area.
Organizations through your college or nationwide, such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, are opportunities to encourage a child. If your college doesn’t have a volunteer program like this, be creative and form a volunteer group with fellow students!
3-Help tutor children at your local school.
Maybe you’re not a brainiac, but you can still help a young student who struggles with their homework. You will be encouraging them to pursue academic excellence and show that you support them as they learn.
4-Sponsor a child.
My family and I sponsor a child through Compassion International, an organization that allows you to pay $38 a month to help provide basic needs and an education to a child in need. You are essentially rescuing a child from poverty. The little girl we sponsor and I love to write each other letters. I send her pictures of our family as well as coloring pages. I pray for her, and she prays for me. I feel like I know her, and although we have never met, I know that my family and I have had an impact on her life.
5-Go on a mission trip.
I mentioned this one as the last point, due to the fact that it can be expensive. As a college student, I know that funds can be low at times, and a mission trip’s cost can seem impossible. I do know this though: if God is calling you to go somewhere, He will provide the funds. I have seen this in my own life, as well as dear friends of mine. I had the privilege of going to the country of Romania a few years ago. I went with a medical mission team, and we visited different villages to set up medical camps. The villagers could visit the medical camp, and we would provide them with medical care and tell them about Jesus, since He was the reason we came. While the adults were going through the doctor visits, the children wanted to play, so my dad and I played games with them, sang songs, made crafts with them, and told them Bible stories. Even though there was a language barrier, I know that the children were blessed by us showing love and compassion to them and their families. Later on in the trip, we visited a orphanage, and I will never forget that visit. It was such a humbling experience for me.
Although we are “only college students” and we are young, we have the opportunity to impact those around us every day for good. Kind words spoken to a young child can have a greater influence than you realize. “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
