A Different Perspective on Caring for the Orphan | Elli Oswald | Episode 417

This episode is an invitation to rethink what we mean by orphan care and how Christians can best support vulnerable children around the world.

I sat down with Elli Oswald, Executive Director of Faith to Action, for a conversation about orphan care and global missions. Elli brings over a decade of experience in global child welfare and shares why many organizations are shifting focus from institutional care toward strengthening families.

Key takeaways:

• The majority of children in orphanages worldwide have living family, poverty separates them, not death
• Children thrive when they stay with family or in family-based environments
• Elli's story of Knabs shows how family tracing efforts reunited nearly every child in a Sierra Leone orphanage with their families
• The church's role is ensuring our giving creates the best outcomes
• Strengthening families before separation happens is more effective than caring for children after crisis

This episode isn't about criticizing generosity, it's about channeling our compassion toward lasting stability, healing, and belonging. Whether your heart is for international missions, foster care, adoption, or serving vulnerable families, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what effective compassion looks like.