Traditions abound at Christmas time. Though each family celebration is unique, we wanted to offer a glimpse into how those served by the HOPE network around the world may be joining together with family, friends, and neighbors to rejoice in Christ’s arrival. We marvel at the beauty of so many countries and cultures celebrating the gift of Jesus’ birth and invite you to pause and reflect on the meaning behind your own familiar traditions. Continue Reading…
Archives For Staff / Travels
HOPE Intl
Dec 11 2019
HOPE Intl
News Staff / Travels
HOPE Intl
Nov 26 2019
HOPE Intl
Staff / Travels
by Anna Hofmann, Writing and Research Intern (’19)
As a college student, having an internship feels mandatory. Maybe you’ve felt pressure to believe this at some point.
Internships can be beneficial and formative opportunities, whether you’re looking to gain experience within a certain field or if you’re simply looking to inform and direct career plans.
Here’s my experience: the deeper value of my HOPE internship was more than my day-to-day tasks. Continue Reading…
HOPE Intl
Oct 30 2019
HOPE Intl
Staff / Travels
by Aspen Pflughoeft, HOPE Trips participant
How do you make your senior year of high school memorable? Perhaps an epic prank day? Senior skip day? Well, I was able to take a different approach: a HOPE trip to meet savings groups in Comas, Peru (pictured above), with my family. When we departed, I had two weeks of classes left. But my dad, who had been on a HOPE trip the previous fall, recognized the immense value in exposing me and my sisters to different languages and communities. Through ten days in Peru, I learned incredible lessons that, a year and a half later, have changed the way I live. Continue Reading…
HOPE Intl
Sep 27 2019
HOPE Intl
Staff / Travels Stories we love
by Jeff Rutt, Founder & Board Chair, HOPE International; Founder & CEO, Keystone Custom Homes
As a homebuilder by trade, I’ve been privileged to walk alongside thousands of families in the homeownership process. When I met Rosalie in the small city of Tagatay, Philippines—where I traveled to witness the work of HOPE’s partner, the Center for Community Transformation (CCT)—it wasn’t the first time I saw someone moved to tears by the idea of owning a home. But Rosalie’s tears were different. Continue Reading…
HOPE Intl
Sep 4 2019
HOPE Intl
Staff / Travels
by Anna Hofmann (third from left), Writing and Research Intern
Listening is hard. True listening is an active and engaged process, we’re told.
But listening doesn’t feel that difficult or demanding. Yet, I’m learning that listening—true listening—doesn’t just require my full attention; it’s also risky. Here’s what I mean: Continue Reading…
HOPE Intl
Aug 27 2019
HOPE Intl
Staff / Travels
by Robert Morris, HOPE Savings Group Technical Advisor
Savings groups are often described in simple terms: a small number of people who save their money together and take small loans from those savings. But when you look a little deeper—and hear what these facilitators were describing—groups are much more complex than they first appear. Some of the issues they face are complicated, like hedging, trading in futures, and calculating inflationary risk! Continue Reading…
