Get Out Your Hanky

A teen who has been in foster homes all his life asks to be adopted; he believes God hasn't given up on him.

This is the adorable portrait of Davion Navar Henry Only taken when he was seven years old and looking for a family to adopt him. Eight years later, aged 15, Davion is still looking and still waiting.

The heartbreaking insight into a child's life in foster care emerged after Davion, who recently discovered his mother had died, went to a Florida church congregation last month and asked if someone would please adopt him.

The boy's moving plea has sparked an incredible reaction online with close to 300,000 people reading his story on MailOnline and his foster home being inundated with 300 calls from potential adoptive parents across America.

The interest in Davion's case began in September when he nervously stood before worshippers at St Mark's Missionary Baptist Church and said: 'My name is Davion and I've been in foster care since I was born... I know God hasn't given up on me. So I'm not giving up either.

So far over 300 inquiries to adopt him have been received.

Davion is now 15 years old.

Sadly, Davion's story of lifetime in foster care is far from unique in the U.S. There are currently 399,548 children in the system across America, many being cared for by devoted, temporary parents, and yet lacking in a definite place they can call home.

There are many older teenagers like Davion but fewer than 10 per cent of children adopted from foster care are between 14 and 17.

Davion himself knows how hard it is to find a family - indeed it was his idea to approach the St Petersburg church to find his own adoptive parents and take control of his future.

In three years time when he turns 18, he is aware that he will be on his own. Davion will turn 16 on February 12, 2014.

The average number of children who age out of the U.S. foster care system each year is 20,000.

Last month, Davion spoke quietly in front of the full pews at the Florida church wearing an over-sized, donated suit that had come from his latest foster home.

In my mind there is no better place to make a request like this than in a Christian church.

Through the saving blood of Jesus we are all adopted into the family of God.

Eph. 1:4-6

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.