CAFO: Christian Alliance for Orphans

The Christian Alliance for Orphans conference is held somewhere around the world every May.  We attended CAFO last year in Nashville and it was an amazing experience.  In 2014, the conference was going to be held in the Chicago area.  I grew up in Michigan City, not too far from Chicago.  So, it kind of felt like it was near home. I wanted to go.

I paid for the tickets and made our reservations.  I found someone to work in the store for a couple of days so that we could go.  When we arrived at Willow Creek Community Church on the morning of the first day, the parking lot was packed.

I will probably never forget the feeling of walking through the doors into the sanctuary that morning. It was an unmistakable heavy feeling.  The Holy Spirit was there.  It almost dropped me to my knees. We found two seats together.  I crumpled in to the chair and wept.  Bruce looked at me with a giant question mark on his face.  I couldn’t help it.  In that moment, I was totally broken.

We worshipped together in a huge mega church that weekend with hundreds of other people who have hearts to care for the orphans and widows.  We sang with Andrew Peterson and Sara Groves.   We participated from the audience in a live taping of Family Life Today radio programs.  We heard Dr. Gary Smalley speak.  I had been given a copy of Richard Stearns book, The Hole in Our Gospel and had finished reading it just days before.  Mr. Stearns is a former president of World Vision. I had no idea that he would be there, too, to share from the stage. It was an amazing few days and I was humbled beyond belief, struck again by all the God connections, the vastness of the orphan situation - an estimated 147 million orphans worldwide -  and the awesomeness that God would choose us to serve him in this way.  

I can’t even begin to pinpoint the highlights of that weekend.  We met and talked to Beth Guckenberger and her husband, Todd, who started Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico.  A couple of very amazing people with an awesome story of how God has taken them on a roller coaster ride through orphan care, adoption, and ministry.  Beth has written several books, my favorite of which is Reckless Faith.  Get it and read it.  Beth autographed my books and gave me her phone number.  You may have your heros. This woman is one of mine.

We met and talked with Jed Medefind, the president of CAFO, who gave us his book about the orphan crisis. We made friends with founders and directors from all over the world: Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Casa Viva, Dresses for Orphans, Sweet Sleep, MudLove, Kids Around the World, and many more. Yes, the resources are limitless.  And the connections are irreplaceable.

During our time there, I posted several pictures on social media.  A friend from home messaged me and asked where we were.  When I told her, she said that another friend of hers from high school who now lives in Washington state was posting almost the same pictures....we were in the same place!  On the way out, Bruce and I got stopped by a woman who introduced herself as Angie and we became fast friends. Our mutual friend connected us from hours away.  Another pretty cool God connection.