Bringing Hope to the Hope House

The Hope House is a place where terminally ill patients go,
mostly to die. It is a group of small
houses and each patient has their own house. Most of the patients are in the final stages of HIV and
tuberculosis. Today we went to talk to
the patients and maybe bring some hope into their lives. Alyssa, Jessica and I
ventured off together and met a woman named Naomi washing clothes. Naomi is
from Zimbabwe and is working at the Hope House for free as a caregiver. She brought us in to introduce us to her
patient Margaret. I'm not sure what exactly Margaret had as a sickness, but she
did have a joy about her that instantly warmed us up to her. We sat there learning about Margaret and her
life. She is a 68-year-old woman with one son whose husband had died many years
before. Her son and her many grandkids
do not live too far and come to visit her when they can. Margaret said she enjoyed reading but could
not anymore because her eyes had gotten too bad. So, we read some Scripture to her. We read
the story about how Jesus healed the blind man in John 9 with mud and a bath in
the river. Afterwards, we prayed for
both her and Naomi. When we finished praying,
Margaret was looking away and we could tell she as deep in thought. She spoke
of how much she would just love to stand up because she has not been able to
stand for so long. We reminded her of how great God is and how He wants to heal
her body and her heart. I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk with me and
she just looked at me with unbelief. Again we reminded her how Jesus healed the man in the story and He will
heal her also. A little hesitant but willing, she allowed us to help her
stand. For the first time in a very long
time, Margaret stood from bed and took two steps on her own! Praise Jesus! When
she saw the miracle that God had just performed, she was in awe. Alyssa shared the Gospel with her and how
Jesus wanted to heal her heart also. At that moment, Margaret accepted the Lord
as her Savior! People say that God has stopped doing miracles and that those
stories are just from the Bible and not relevant today. For those of you that
believe that, Margaret is proof that miracles still happen and that God is
still moving! Do we have faith enough to ask for these miracles? Are our eyes
opened to the miracles all around us? I challenge you to look for the miracles
and WHEN they happen, praise God for He is worthy of ALL praise! " May
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that
you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!" – Romans 15:13