What is a Dark Horse?
Who are the dark horses? Webster’s dictionary defines the term “Dark Horse” as: 1. an unexpected winner in a horse race, thought beforehand to have very little chance. 2. An almost unknown contestant regarded by few as a likely winner.
I’d never heard this meaning until my sister told me about it after she’d listened to the Switchfoot song “Dark Horses”. I really liked the song yet at the end there was one whispered line that stuck out to me, “…stand up for the dark horses…”
1 Corinthians 26-28 encourages me deeply when I think of the forgotten in this world.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
1 Corinthians 1:26-28
We too are the things God has chosen if we are willing to identify ourselves as we truly are. He has chosen to spread His Gospel through us, one life at a time. Are we willing to "...stand up for the dark horses..." by allowing ourselves to become one? When we are willing to throw away the worlds standards from our life, then we too become an unexpected winner in this race. Orphans don't need a popular, flashy hero... they need a Dark Horse.
Who We Are
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee...
Acts 3:6
Who Are we?
We're just regular people with a passion to help orphans and children in foster care.
I started Pages for the Dark Horses in 2011 for all those like myself who longed to help orphans but weren't able to Go, Give, or Adopt.
There's a place for you and your passionate heart for orphans! We have to dig a little deeper and be a little more creative, but we don't have to be limited by our resources.
Prayer:
Praying for orphans worldwide is a bit overwhelming and hard to engage in when there's no individual connection to anything.
Here at Pages we take the "Who do I pray for?" out of the question by featuring individual orphans and sibling groups from around the world who are waiting right now for forever families. We share all the photos, videos, and information that we can about them so you can connect with their story and pray specifically for their lives.
Dark Horse of the Month (program):
Our Dark Horse of the month, is a waiting orphan who is paper-ready for adoption.
At the beginning of each month we post a new Dark Horse. We share all the information, photos, and videos we can (or are allowed to) about them in a greeting post as well as on their personal page. Then we invite you to join us in prayer for them. I also encourage you to print out a picture of the child or sibling group and hang them up!
At any given time we have one Dark Horse and eleven former Dark Horses listed on our site. (To learn more about this you can read my post "The Tweleve")
There's no right or wrong way to pray for our Dark Horses. My hope is you'll find a connection with these children, whether it's all twelve that you pray for all the time or just one, these children need your specific prayers.
Did you know you can love someone in prayer even if you've never met them? You may think that prayer is unimportant, but did you realize the value you are putting on that child's life because you pray? That little child on the screen, was thrown away. Those who should have loved them, didn't. Those who should have cared about them, didn't. And now they are buried in an orphan statistic, buried in a sea of other children. Here at Pages we reach into that number and pull "one" out. Then for a month we give that child center stage. They don't have to compete against anyone else for attention.
So when you pray for them, you are joining with us to forever touch that child's life. The Lord remembers the prayers we pray, and before all of heaven, we are making this child's name and need known.
Featured Families:
Sometimes we have the joy of finding out what family is adopting a Dark Horse we've prayed for. When this happens we share a link to that family's adoption page on our Dark Horse Families page and we invite you to pray for them.
Adoption is a challenging journey and not just during the paperwork and waiting process. Once a child comes home your whole life changes as well as theirs. These months and years of anticipation and transition are an intense time for adoptive families. I know our love, prayers, and support mean the world to them.
Rachel Peterson's Books
Yes, I am the same one that writes the books! If you want to learn more about my books please visit:
The First One
Open your mouth for the speechless,
in cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Pages for the Dark Horses, has been inspired by many things, but one very special contributor was a little Chinese orphan by the name of Si Ya.
She is still hallmarked in my mind as the first “one”. I can’t say I didn’t advocate for my younger siblings, but Si Ya was the first person to push me outside of what I felt was my place in order to speak out for someone who had no voice. Despite my best efforts, her heart was too broken and on December 12th 2009 she left this earth to be with her Heavenly Father in her forever home.
Her presence here was very short, but certainly not unnoticed. The Lord used this little girl’s life to forever change mine, and to burden in me the desire to speak out for those who are still here, waiting to find their forever mom and dad.
-Rachel
To the others who have caressed this earth for but a moment, yet have forever changed it.
Esther –China
Hudson- China
Page “Pixie” -China
Tegan (Beautiful) - China
Julie 12/2013-7/2015 -China
No one celebrated at your arrival,
Tegan (Beautiful) - China
Julie 12/2013-7/2015 -China
Goodbye
By: Rachel L. Peterson
May 14th 2011
In memory of two little girls, from China,
who never made it ‘home’ on this earth,
but finally found their “Forever Home” with Him.
No one brought balloons or flowers,
Wrapping you all up in cloth,
They didn’t even wait a few hours.
Cast aside to the place of the forgotten,
You were hidden under the shadow of death,
A place no one sees or searches out,
But Someone has brought to you every breath.
Thick walls enclose you all around,
Broken you find your days are few
But the eyes that search the earth can see,
And He knows the name by which He calls you.
Though invisible to your world,
You are not forgotten by He who makes,
For you I’ve prayed and cried the night,
His heart fills mine ‘til it breaks.
I say goodbye to one I never knew,
Weeping for all the grief and pain,
You did not leave this earth unnoticed,
And though gone your memory will remain.
Everyone celebrated your arrival,
Jesus ran to meet you at the open gate,
He has wrapped you up in His loving arms,
Forever home, never again to have to wait!
