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HOPE Intl

Aug 26 2025

HOPE Intl

 News
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Why so many leaders fail to finish well—and what we can do about it

Peter Greer

By Peter Greer, HOPE International’s president and CEO

A few years ago, I came across a sobering statistic: Only 1 in 3 leaders finish well.¹

The study defined finishing well as “walking with God in a vibrant personal relationship, developing the potential God has given to its appropriate capacity, and leaving behind an ultimate contribution that is both pleasing to God and established by Him.”

My first reaction was, “That’s not possible! Surely a higher percentage of leaders are finishing well!” But the more I reflected, the more I realized how many leaders I had admired—from a distance or up close—didn’t finish well, for one reason or another. Some stepped away from their callings. Others were taken down by burnout, pride, or poor decisions. Some failures made headlines, but other largely unobserved, less-than-faithful finishes happened to mentors, friends, and personal heroes I deeply respected. Slowly I began to realize this study wasn’t just true, it was personal.

If leaders I’ve deeply respected—men and women with more wisdom, spiritual depth, and commitment than my own—didn’t finish well, how could I avoid the path that led them off course? Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Aug 22 2025

HOPE Intl

 Stories we love
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“Nothing to fear”: Edgar’s story of enduring faith

Edgar Dela Cruz lived for many years in Manila, Philippines without a home, without work, and without a way to provide for himself. 

“When we were on the streets, life was really hard—if we had nothing to eat, I ended up stealing,” he says. Sometimes, he recalls, he and others living without a home were arrested, despite not breaking any laws. 

Through it all, he held on to an unwavering hope that God would lead him to a brighter tomorrow.  

“We had nothing to hold on to except the Word of God,” Edgar shares. “That is what we held on to, believing that our lives would get better and we had nothing to fear.”  

By the grace of God, his life was about to flourish beyond what he could have ever imagined.   Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Jul 30 2025

HOPE Intl

 News
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Sierra Leone: “The savings group ministry has come at just the right time.”

In 2011, local church-planting teams in Sierra Leone began partnering with GAiN Canada and the JESUS Film Church Planting Strategy (JFCPS), with a vision to share the Good News of Jesus with their neighbors. In the 14 years since, these efforts have resulted in over 1,000 churches being started. Praise God!

Now, at HOPE International, we’re excited to be invited into the incredible work God has been doing in Sierra Leone by partnering with local churches and equipping them with our savings group model so they can better serve their communities. Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Jul 24 2025

HOPE Intl

 Spiritual Integration Stories we love
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Cultivating hope together: multiplying business in Malawi

Before joining Chipulumutso (“salvation”) savings group, many men and women in Ntcheu, Malawi, could not afford essential items including food, clothing, and school fees. Unable to purchase farming supplies, producing enough crops to make a profit was difficult. They needed a solution.  

However, predatory lending practices prevalent in the area had broken trust and harmed community members in the past. “Before the savings group ministry was introduced in our area, people didn’t want anything to do with savings groups or village banks because they had a bad image,” says Rabson Msamanyada, who now leads Chipulumutso as its chair. “They were described as groups that wanted to steal from the innocent.” 

But, when 15 members of the local church congregation started Chipulumutso, their neighbors saw them praying and worshiping God together—and grew curious. News of the savings group began to spread in the community, which was about to lead to flourishing Ntcheu had never seen before!   Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Jul 2 2025

HOPE Intl

 Microfinance Stories we love
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Vadym’s story: reflecting God’s love in wartime

Vadym, a determined entrepreneur from Ukraine, is no stranger to challenge. He grew up in a low-income community where job opportunities were scarce, and his parents struggled to provide for him and his sister.

When Vadym had the opportunity to move to a large city in eastern Ukraine, he took a courageous leap of faith to start his own business selling mobile phones and accessories.  

Vadym began searching for opportunities to expand his business, and learned about HOPE Ukraine from a friend. In 2014 he took out a loan of $830 to purchase more inventory. His shop did well, just as Vadym had hoped. But his life also began to change in ways he couldn’t have imagined.    Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Jun 18 2025

HOPE Intl

 Staff / Travels
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Learning about generosity from women in the Dominican Republic

By Allie Bradshaw, HOPE supporter

On Monday, our group started arriving in the bustling capital city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Nothing quite tests the measure of a group like a long bus ride after a travel day that started before the sun, but it didn’t take long to discover that this trip was going to be something special. As we got to know one another on a drive to the eastern peninsula of Samaná, Julie Wilson, president of Women Doing Well, introduced people to Women Doing Well and the journey we were about to take together through The Pathway.

Having visited HOPE International’s work in Kigali, Rwanda, in the past, I appreciated HOPE’s dedication to always interacting with the people they serve in a dignified manner, and I was intrigued to see how Women Doing Well’s curriculum would influence my experience of this trip.

We had the privilege of meeting several women whose lives have been impacted by their involvement with Esperanza, HOPE’s microfinance institution. It was so much fun to celebrate the success and growth of these women (whom Esperanza calls “associates”) as they shared their stories about how they started with small loans to grow their businesses.

Continue Reading…

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