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North Haven Pastor Shares Mission Efforts

Faith United Methodist Church Pastor Wayne Lavender is the founder of a non-profit organization called Foundation 4 Orphans, whose mission is to serve the educational, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of orphans and vulnerable children. In October 2017, he and another Foundation 4 Orphans member visited the African country, Mozambique to view orphanages built with funds provided by the organization.

While Lavender says he supports adoption and foster care for children, he said many underdeveloped nations, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, don’t have the resources to manage these programs.

“The bishops of Africa just beg us to come and build orphanages that can take 50 to 100 kids,” he said.

Lavender said he was happy to see how healthy and happy the children were at the orphanages. One story that stands out for him centers on a very sick infant he met in 2002 who, with help of the organization, had survived, thrived, and is preparing to start college.

“We’re changing lives and making an impact,” he said.

Lavender attended a dedication for a new orphanage in Dondo (Mozambique) that children will call home in late February. There was also a groundbreaking ceremony for an orphanage in Lichinga (Mozambique), and full construction is expected to begin around June.

Lavender said the organization’s stipulations for building an orphanage include being near a church, school, and hospital for spiritual, education, and health reasons. He said it all goes back to the organization’s mission statement: “We lift communities by serving orphans.”

For more information, visit f4o.org. Donations are welcome and checks can be mailed to: Foundation 4 Orphans, c/o Wayne Lavender, 81 Clintonville Road, North Haven, CT 06473.