Dear Friends

One of the things I love most about our ministry is hearing inspirational “before and after” stories of transformation. Knowing that you are being part of something transformational is so rewarding, and few experiences compare to helping someone who is hurting get back on their feet and seeing them flourish which is probably why we are all so fascinated by “before and after” stories.

Today, I want to share two of these “before and after” stories with you. These stories are about kids who were hungry, sick, and dying but, because of the support of friends like you, experienced a miraculous change in their bodies and, most importantly, learned about the love Jesus has for them. These stories couldn’t have been told without your help and support.

Senait's Story – Before

Senait is a 3-year-old little girl who was recently brought to our Hand of Hope Pediatric Specialty Clinic in East Africa. Senait’s father died, and her mother ran away, leaving her grandmother as her sole provider. Their one-room home was made of corrugated metal. Each day was an exercise in survival. It was evident that Senait was not well, and as her condition worsened, her grandmother knew she had to do something. So, she scraped together all she could, 50 birr ($0.44), to pay for transportation to get Senait to the clinic. Upon admission, the clinic team could see Senait was suffering from a bad cough and watery diarrhoea, and her core body temperature was dangerously low. Senait’s hair was also ash brown, an indicator of chronic malnutrition.

Senait's Story – After

Radiators were immediately placed around Senait’s bed to help regulate her temperature. An IV line of antibiotics was administered, and an aggressive feeding protocol was initiated once her body temperature returned to normal. Her body responded immediately to the treatment, and Senait was released to go home after only eight days! Senait will continue receiving outpatient therapeutic treatment and will be enrolled in our local feeding program. Clinic staff will also follow up with her regularly.

Temesgen's Story – Before

Temesgen’s mother told us her baby boy had three to four episodes of severe diarrhoea and vomiting a day. He also had a cough, fever, and night sweats. When Temesgen was brought to our Hand of Hope Pediatric Specialty Clinic, our team examined him, and he weighed only 6.3 kg. (13 lbs.), far below the 23 pounds, a healthy 18-month-old child should weigh. His arm circumference was the size of a 2p coin. Upon admission, Temesgen was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. He also had a potentially fatal condition where the loss of fluids causes the heart not to pump.

Temesgen's Story – After

Temesgen was immediately treated for all of the symptoms related to his critical diagnosis, and we immediately began to see improvement. Within 18 days, Temesgen looked completely different. He was on the path to becoming healthy and restored. He was ready to go home!

When you give, precious lives can be saved. When you give, hungry, starving, and dying children will receive the food they need to survive and thrive. When you give, you show the tangible love of God to the world! It’s really that simple. So, what I want to humbly ask you is . . .

Will you make more life-changing "after" stories possible?

Today, we have incredible open doors and opportunities in front of us that will allow us to reach more people with His hope and love. But our ministry, like many others, has experienced a reduction in giving through the first part of this year.

I know we are living in a season when there is a lot competing for your attention, from headline news to political campaigns, as well as all types of other external demands on your time and resources. Please know that I understand. But as we trust God’s provision, we are reaching out to you, our incredible partners, and humbly yet confidently asking you to respond with the best gift you can.

There are opportunities before us right now to continue making a difference, feed more children, and tangibly share Jesus’s hope and love. But we can’t do it without you. So today, I’m asking you to join us and prayerfully give whatever amount God puts on your heart.

Your love and support will provide consistent, nutritious meals for children and families around the world. But most importantly, they’ll learn about the love of Jesus and have hope for a better future.

Unquestionably, the need is great. But our God is greater!

And as I’ve said before: When we do our part, it’s amazing how God shows up and does His.

I trust your heart is stirred to action after hearing how children like Senait and Temesgen can be comforted, healed, and restored. And my hope is that you will prayerfully consider giving your best gift to make more stories like theirs possible.

Hand of Hope is more than just the name of the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. It is our heartbeat. There are many ways to bring hope to people around the world. We give hope to children by caring for their physical needs and telling them about their heavenly Father. Girls, in particular, can find hope when they are finally allowed to see their worth in Jesus Christ. A well of fresh, clean water can mean hope for an entire village. And sometimes . . . sometimes hope is a small box of antibiotics. And that’s what this real life story of hope is about.