At Orphan’s Tree we believe that everyone has something to give.
Travel With Us
Every year, Americans travel with Orphan’s Tree. Most groups are less than 10 people coordinated by churches, universities, or family and friend groups. Our staff supports the logistics for what are challenging places to visit on your own–from professional interpreters to transportation and accommodations.
From there, we’ll help you customize your trip based on the needs of the orphans you’ll be serving and the expertise intrinsic to your team.
Previous trips have included:
Running a marathon or a 10K with orphans
Artists hosting workshops in oils and watercolors and touring museums
Gardeners establishing greenhouses with orphans to produce sustainable living
Mothers hosting a seminar to educate and encourage young mothers
While there’s not an expectation that you will travel year after year, orphans have abandonment issues, so staying in touch is highly encouraged! The Orphan’s Tree staff will remain in country, working day-in and day-out with the orphans you meet. After you return, we can help facilitate ongoing communication. We strongly encourage ongoing relationships and communication between your team and the orphans after you fly out.
Pray With Us
At Orphan’s Tree, we believe in the importance and power of prayer in the lives of orphans. Those of us who grew up in Christian homes were prayed for on a regular basis, but most orphans haven’t experienced this same blessing. We want to extend the cover of prayer to the orphans we work with while still protecting their privacy.
We invite you to join our email list for special prayer updates, as well as to pray generally for the orphans we serve:
Physical safety and well-being: Dental and medical issues are major challenges in the lives of orphans. The climate of Russia and Kazakhstan can be extreme. Additionally, many live in challenging neighborhoods. Pray for protection, strength, immunity, and healing.
Enabling maturity and productivity: Few orphans gain the wisdom and experience that the average 16-year-old raised in a home would have. This leaves them susceptible to anything and everything bad decision-making leads to, and it makes it very challenging to hold down a job or maintain relationships with healthy people. Pray for wisdom, impulse control, healthy community—including friends, mentors, romantic interests, and employers.
Many orphans are the grandchildren and children of orphans, so few have healthy role models for even basic life skills. Additionally, there is a cultural stigma toward orphans that keeps them separate from their communities. Pray for favor within the community, to break the spirit of poverty, and for an uncommon ability to accept love.
Saving lives: Suicide is a major concern in our work with orphans.
And if you forget all of this, pray for love to be seen, felt, and real in the lives of orphans. Love never fails.
