Hosting a Child

I've been learning more recently about this really cool organization called Project 143, an orphan hosting program. It works, from what I can tell, like this - a family chooses an orphaned child from the photolisting (that also tells a little about the child), and then hosts that child in their home for 4-8 weeks over the winter or summer. The children from P143 are typically older kids (ages 8+), who have a much smaller chance of being adopted than a young child. I've been pouring over the photolisting and have fallen in love with so many of these sweet faces.

It may seem cruel to bring a child into a family for just a short time and then send them back to the orphanage. But it's actually such a blessing for these kids - if even for a few weeks to know the love of a family. And their chances of being adopted dramatically increases because of hosting. This doesn't mean that the host family adopts them (though I'm sure this happens) - but more that the host family can act as an advocate for the child in their community to find an adoptive home.

There is a cost (about $2750 for the hosting family, which is tax deductible) but many have referred to it as a "reverse mission trip" and an amazing opportunity to love an orphaned child.  To learn more, visit http://www.projectonefortythree.org.