By Andriy Kopyl, managing director, HOPE Ukraine
It’s been three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And life in my country continues to feel more and more fragile with each passing day.
Thousands have been killed. The constant threat of attacks and the sound of sirens have become a part of our daily lives, causing many to experience sleep deprivation and stress.
By Savannah Jeffery, 2024 Executive Writing Intern (pictured above, top left)
If you look closely in one of Peter Greer’s early books, there’s a picture of me and my sister, proudly holding little glass jars filled with beans and a small shallow candle nestled in the center. When we snapped that photo at our church’s Christmas market, I didn’t know much about what HOPE International did. Little did I know that following my sophomore year at Wheaton, I’d be interning with HOPE, helping Peter write more books! From making bean candles as a child to now interning with HOPE’s executive team, here are some lessons I’ve learned throughout my journey with HOPE.
By Alisa Hoober, HOPE Board Member
Earlier this year, I had the incredible opportunity to visit HOPE International’s work in Zambia.
I’ve traveled and seen poverty before, but being with my children changed how I related to those I met. It was a blessing to visit with our whole family, especially with my three young daughters.
At home, we pray for HOPE and support their work—but showing our children HOPE in action was something I won’t forget. Continue Reading…
By Bethany Hammond, Project Management Associate
I’m going to have a hard time reconciling this trip. I’ve traveled to over 30 countries in my 39 years. But this one was different.
In early April, I traveled to an isolated, rural community in northern Zimbabwe to visit a people group called the Doma. My assignment was to listen to community members share about the challenges they face in their daily lives. While my co-workers at HOPE Zimbabwe had given me good context, I was in many ways unprepared to witness the poverty and physical danger that the Doma people endure each day.
Bethany (right) with a savings group member named Jimmy and his family
The Doma people have lived for years on the margins of Zimbabwean society. Their area near the Zambezi River is so remote that they weren’t affected by the COVID-19 pandemic! They live off of the land, between what they can grow, forage, and sometimes hunt—though they aren’t allowed to hunt any animals from the nearby conservation area.
They come into daily contact with wildlife that destroy their crops and cause them physical harm or, sometimes, death. I’ve never visited a community that faces such stark challenges. Continue Reading…
Originally posted on Peter Greer’s blog.
I first recognized that I had a prayer problem, ironically, on one of HOPE International’s quarterly days of prayer. When a facilitator invited our team to pray silently, I ventured outside for a prayer walk—but spent my “prayer time” ruminating over operational and staffing challenges HOPE was facing. My internal RPMs were revving, and I couldn’t seem to quiet my mind or heart.
By the end of the day, I had set a new fitness record as I paced the grounds but spent precious few moments in prayer. I strategized, planned, and toiled—focusing on what I needed to do with a sprinkling of prayer pixie dust. I concluded the day with neither peace nor clear direction, but I did have growing clarity and conviction that there was a disconnect in my prayer life: I would have described prayer as a first priority, but the way I invested my time suggested it was a last resort.
By Charlotte Sprecher (pictured left), 2023 HOPE LM&E fellow
Can listening to a person’s situation help alleviate poverty?
As a fellow on the listening, monitoring, and evaluation (LM&E) team at HOPE International, I have come to believe that it is where we must start.
At HOPE, the LM&E team conducts surveys to learn how to improve our programs, close the feedback loop, and honor the stories we hear. Although we listen to evaluate our ministry, we also believe that listening is part of the ministry itself! Asking someone for feedback plays an important part in how we build a relationship with them and affirm their God-given value. Continue Reading…
