I'm always mystified when Jonas texts me. He was tough as nails when he first arrived, but a year later he had transformed into a charming 15-year-old. He starting doing well in school, and he quickly picked up the violin, even traveling with our little band...
Michelle, our cosmetology course instructor, is Miss Congeniality. She's a great teacher and takes a real interest in her students. When she and her husband took young graduate Rhai under their wing (remember him from yesterday's prayer?)...
My first memory of this skinny, small-for-his-age kid is being kicked out of a friendly soccer game for his temper. As he sat on the sidelines fuming, Rhai refused to talk to me. I also remember him strutting his stuff down the corridors of the...
I got the door to hear the words I always dread: "Tia (aunt), I'm coming to say goodbye." I knew I was supposed to be happy for Felix. He was happy because the judge was re-integrating him back to his family. But you can imagine...
"Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24 It all starts Friday! Join us for 30 Days of Prayer for Hope. Prayer is a mystery to me. Why does God, the Creator of the...
It is clear that street children in Brazil are at a mortal risk, and every member of Hope Unlimited is aware of the emergency nature of this issue and is working towards changing it. However, the issue is not exclusive to Brazil. When analyzing data...
When I first looked at the large title on the cover of David Z. Nowell’s book, the startling juxtaposition of these two words initially left me confused. How could faith be dirty? Why would someone want to practice a type of faith which is described...
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 When we left off, Hope's founder, Philip Smith, had just arrived in Brazil and was fortunate enough to receive a gift in the form of an orphanage just...
Okay, I’ll admit it: I have never been one to sit still and pray for great lengths of time. I have always preferred the short bullet-point prayers shooting upward about some urgent need, or extreme gratefulness, because He has answered some undeserved plea. But there have...
Brazil, a country commonly associated with beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, and wealthy cities, has a less pleasant side to it that the government prefers to keep confidential. Over two decades ago, in the 1980’s, due to harsh economic circumstances and families breaking apart, millions of...
