Global Orphan Relief & World Challenge in 2026 and Beyond
by Scott Nordstrom
December 13, 2025
Dear Friends, Partners, and Supporters,
As we surpassed twenty years in ministry earlier this year, there is so much to be thankful for. It is difficult to actually put into words what I have experienced over two decades of ministry. Of course, there have been challenges and even heartache during this time, but most importantly, we have set out to address the needs of orphan children throughout the world, even though the mission appeared to be beyond us at times.
Since the beginning, our efforts have been limited to being obedient. As God presented areas of need to us, we were left to discern whether the need was our assignment. Not only because of resource limitations, but not everything that has been made known to us was something that GO! was to address.
As I look back, it seems like this has been a long journey. These last twenty years have not been void of blessing or joy as God worked through us to serve orphan children. Our faith has been tested, and we have endured. It truly has been an honor to serve with so many, to serve the many. GO! has been a beautiful thing to be part of.
In 2019, I came to a realization. As I surveyed our Mission Partners, the needs in the field, and where God was leading us to make a bigger impact, I determined that more resources would be required. Within my sphere of influence, I spoke with more people, I had more meetings, and I got creative in gathering more resources for the work. I quickly determined that I did not know enough people to move the needle and that we needed to introduce new people and organizations to the ministry of GO!.
I also understand that my responsibilities are limited. The Father will provide the resources for the work, but he does involve us in this process, and he wants us to use what we have in our hands. I began to network with like-hearted ministries to see if there might be a partner where we could create synergies for greater Kingdom impact.
I will not go through the exhaustive list, but many meetings and phone calls transpired. We explored several options, but I honestly did not know what I was looking for until April of this year, when I met with Todd -one of the long-time supporters of our ministry.
Todd shared with me that he was now working at World Challenge and that they had recently refined their mission to care for orphans and widows. He thought maybe they could help us. This was followed by a meeting in May with their missions leadership -John Bailey and Steve Voyen.
It was obvious that there was something here, we just didn’t know what! I had several other meetings in June and July with a growing number of leaders at World Challenge, and based on such close alignment of our mission, a merger of some sort made sense.
Please know that there was no pressure by the folks at World Challenge, as they provided several options to support the work of Global Orphan Relief and our Mission Projects in Africa and Asia. In early August, our board came into unanimous agreement to pursue a merger with World Challenge.
It seemed clear that with the work that we have already started, more children would be served, and with greater investment. We could even meet more of the needs of the children that we currently serve at GO!. In addition, we could minimize our administrative and fundraising costs associated with our standalone ministry.
I sought counsel throughout this process and prayed for wisdom for this new direction. All along the way, I have received confirmation.
As I have coordinated our efforts more closely with World Challenge over the past months, I have only become surer about our decision. My excitement for this new season for our ministry has only grown. I am renewed with greater possibilities.
So the downside… I don’t think there are any. However, there will be some changes. Here is what is happening for the new combined GO! & World Challenge effort:
We will be moving forward in our work after December 31st under the World Challenge banner, so we will no longer be using the Global Orphan Relief name.
On January 1, 2026, we will no longer be processing donations.
In 2026 and beyond, all giving will be completed through World Challenge -also a non-profit ministry.
I am taking on the role of Mission Leader for AFRICA.
In the near term, I will be working to transition our ministry work to World Challenge.
We will be serving more orphan children within our GO! Mission Projects in 2026. In fact, we project to serve more than 40% more children than we did in 2025. We have already increased our Care Initiative headcount by 20% since August.
We will invest 60% more in the GO! Mission Projects in 2026 than in 2025. The children will be served in a more meaningful way as we invest more funds on a per-child basis.
The same mission, the same partners, the same passion—now with greater reach and even better stewardship.
And really, the list of positive changes in the ministry goes on…
I have been honored to lead this ministry since 2005, but this has never been about me. Global Orphan Relief has been about the children we serve and about those of you who have made your resources available to fund this work. Ultimately, we have set out to glorify the King in everything that we do. It has not been perfect, but with confidence, we can say, “Mission Accomplished”!
Blessings,
Scott Nordstrom
President & Founder
Learn more about World Challenge at worldchallenge.org
As you continue to support the children at globalorphanrelief.org all gifts in 2025 and beyond will continue to serve the same children through this new partnership.
Combined GO! & World Challenge Page: GO! & World Challenge Better Together
Global Orphan Relief (GO) has been serving orphaned children since 2005. We have served in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, South Sudan, Uganda, & Zambia since our inception.
GO! & Life Center Ethiopia Food Distribution for Orphan Children in Sekota, Ethiopia
Our mission is simple: to provide loving support for orphans, fostering a greater capacity for physical, spiritual, and emotional healing and growth, and deploying the local church to do the same.
Today, we impact 15,004 orphan children in Africa and Asia in four initiatives: Home-Based Care, Education, Nutrition, and Church Mobilization.
We focus on providing care to orphan children and encourage the local Church to do the same. We coordinate aid distribution with local Field Partners in-country and encourage a similar process through the local Church.
You may send support or other correspondence to Global Orphan Relief, 16352 Prairie Farm Cir, Parker, CO 80134 or you may give also give electronically at the upper right-hand corner under ‘Donate’.
Movement of FAITH | Voice of HOPE | Act of LOVE
Global Orphan Relief is a Christian relief agency serving Orphans in need and a recognized U.S. public charity, tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). All donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.