WILLIS, TX – Mike Reiszner and his wife, Mandy, were living “the American ministry ideal.” Mike had held a secure position as a youth pastor in a vibrant, growing church in Houston for 10 years. Their future and the future of their youth ministry was bright and promising.

Two things happened in 2009 that would become the impetus for Mike and Mandy to leave the comfort zone of their prospering and promising local church youth program.

They read Isaiah 1:17, and they visited Haiti on a mission trip. The trip itself opened their eyes to the abject poverty of that country and the throngs of orphaned children struggling to survive without fathers and mothers to provide.

The Lord spoke through Isaiah to capture their empathy and shine His light in the new direction of faith He had prepared for them.

“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” (NLT)

They learned that there are over 153 million orphans in the world today.

They also learned that 99% of them will never be adopted.

“The unfortunate reality is there are not enough adoptive or foster parents for every single orphan in the world. That’s why we create loving communities!”

According to Coreluv’s website, they not only build orphanages. They “build communities. We train, hire, and resource local community leaders and widows to care for our children. We support local businesses and work with the local church. We build schools, water wells, community centers, and health clinics. All of our communities are centered around meeting the six basic needs of each orphan in our care.”

The six basic needs that Coreluv has identified are familiar to most missions-minded Christians.

• Clean water
• Nutritious food
• Healthcare
• Education
• Skills training
• Christ-centered, loving homes

Coreluv has been active in Haiti since 2011, working in conjunction with other believers in local churches. The reach of the ministry more recently expanded to include orphans in Southern India.

Having been gifted with 12 acres of land in Myan, Haiti, Coreluv opened an orphanage to 14 boys and girls in 2013. The expanded facilities are now home to 71 orphans and a school that educates 260 students. The Coreluv community in Myan employs 90 native Haitians, providing employment for nearly 20% of the community’s population.

The orphanage community in Maissade, Haiti, was founded in 2014. Coreluv Children’s Village-Maissade began in a small, three-bedroom house. By 2016, the ministry had acquired seven acres of land and built a facility that now houses 40 children.

In addition to their other projects in Haiti, Coreluv initiated a feeding program for disadvantaged children in Southern India. The program provides 300 children with nutritious meals every day – seven days every week.

The statistics about the global orphan crisis clearly demonstrate the impossibility of the task of defending and providing for all of them. We may not be able to do everything, but we can do something. Coreluv is doing its part. What are you doing?

Read more news on Abandoned Children and Poverty on Missions Box.