Orphan Sunday – November 3, 2025
One day to remember the forgotten. One gift to change a life.
Orphan Sunday is more than a date on the calendar.
It is a reminder of God’s heart for the fatherless and an invitation to take part in something eternal. Every year, churches and believers around the world unite in prayer and action to bring hope to orphans and vulnerable children. For Streams of Mercy, this day carries deep meaning. It reflects the very heartbeat of why we began.
Today your gift can do for a child what Granny Jo’s gift did for this ministry. It can turn a moment of compassion into a lifetime of change.
Granny Jo’s Flower Money
Twenty-three years ago, Streams of Mercy began with a simple promise: Do the possible, and trust God for the miracle.
After more than 30 years of ministry in Texas, God called Jan and me to move to New Haven, Connecticut, to start a new work, a ministry for orphans and the broken. The move was a shock. We lost over $2,000 a month in support, and the cost of living dramatically increased overnight. We found ourselves in one of the most spiritually challenging places we had ever lived, but we knew we were where God wanted us.
When it came time to register Streams of Mercy as a nonprofit, we sat down and did the math. The total cost for every form, every registration fee, and every document came to $820. It might as well have been $8,000. We didn’t have it.
We prayed, “Lord, we’ve done the possible. Now we need the miracle.”
Don’t buy flowers for my funeral. Use that money for something that counts for eternity.
Three days later, she went to be with the Lord. Her family remembered her words clearly. Granny Jo said, “It’s not my money anyway. It’s all God’s money.” They felt that they should send her flower money to Streams of Mercy.
After her passing, the family honored her wish. Soon, donations began to arrive — $15, $25, $60 — from people we had never met. When we counted every gift, it totaled $840. It covered every fee. Streams of Mercy was born.
Today, that same miracle continues in more than 40 projects caring for thousands of children around the world.
A Call To Change The Lives of Orphans
That moment defined who we are. Streams of Mercy began as one act of obedience, one family’s faith, and one grandmother’s eternal vision.
That is what Orphan Sunday is all about: remembering the forgotten and believing that one act of compassion can echo into eternity.
Every child we feed. Every home we support. Every orphan who finds a family. It all began with that miracle, and it still flows today.
Over the last 23 years, Streams of Mercy has grown from that single seed into a global family. Today, we support more than 40 children’s homes, schools, and rescue ministries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Each one is a living story of hope and transformation, proof that small beginnings can ripple across the world.
In Uganda, Patience Ayikoru once stood in the back of the classroom, afraid to speak. Today, she leads her classmates in morning prayer and dreams of becoming a teacher.
In Zimbabwe, Linnet was rescued from the streets and now has a home, an education, and a vision for her future.
In India, children in the slums receive food, medicine, and faith through dedicated local partners.
These are just a few of the miracles that continue because someone gave, prayed, or said, “Yes, I’ll be part of the story.”
How You Can Be Part of the Miracle
- Mark your calendar:
📅 Sunday, November 2 – Orphan Sunday - Pray:
Ask God to show you how you can be part of His heart for the orphan. Pray for the homes, the leaders, and the children we serve around the world. - Give:
This Orphan Sunday, would you send a special gift or begin monthly giving to change the lives of orphans around the world?
Streams of Mercy now supports more than 40 children’s homes, schools, and rescue ministries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Every gift you give flows into real lives and real stories of transformation, from poverty to victory.
Your gift does more than feed and clothe children. It gives them education, hope, and a sense of belonging. It tells them that someone sees them, values them, and believes in their future.
The Miracle Continues
Twenty-three years ago, a dying grandmother’s wish became the seed for a ministry that would touch the lives of thousands of children.
This Orphan Sunday, that same miracle continues — through you.
When you give, pray, or share the message, you keep the streams flowing. You become part of a legacy that began around a kitchen table in New Haven and now stretches across the world.
Help bring hope, food, and a future to orphans around the world.
