Hope that Anchors the Soul
Lost Hope
I remember travelling to Uganda and meeting Samuel and his family.
As I talked with Samuel and his mom, Esther, it became clear that this family had been disappointed before. This courageous mom had fiercely hoped for her son’s healing and done everything in her power to get him the support he needed. But their hopes of medical care had been raised and crushed over and over and over again.
Listening to her story made me wonder: How much disappointment can this family take before they simply give up?
Dwindling Hope
14-year-old Samuel was born with clubfoot. When his parents first saw their newborn, they were shocked to see his little foot curled in. Esther hoped his foot would straighten over time. “I thought it would normalize. I would use a warm cloth to try to put into right position.”
Esther kept her newborn wrapped tightly in a blanket to hide his clubfoot. One day the blanket loosened, and a neighbour noticed Samuel’s foot. She encouraged Esther to take Samuel to the hospital for treatment.
For those of us in Canada, taking a child to the doctor when they’re hurt or sick is a given. But for families in rural sub-Saharan Africa, giving up hard-earned income – income that is barely enough to feed the family – for one child’s transportation and medical care is a huge sacrifice.
Samuel’s family decided the sacrifice was worth it.
They tried 3 times to get their boy treatment. They saved and spent and biked and fought and hoped. But each time, they ran into an insurmountable barrier. Every attempt used up precious, carefully saved money.
They couldn’t afford special shoes.
The government hospital demanded a special doctor fee.
They ran out of transportation money.
Every attempt was a dead end.
This was Esther’s breaking point.
I remember the look of pain and defeat on Esther’s face as she told me, “I decided to give up.”
Her words broke my heart. This mom – the one who courageously chose hope time and time again – the anchor of hope for her family – had run out of options. She’d run out of hope.
As I sat with Samuel to ask him about his story, he gave me short, quiet glimpses into his years of pain. He looked down at the dirt and wiped away tears. At 14 years old, this boy has learned to live with the ache of disappointment. He had lost hope that his foot would ever be healed.
Prayers of Hope
It is into these seemingly hopeless situations that you and I have the privilege to direct our prayers. Prayers of hope on behalf of moms like Esther. Prayers that ease hurting hearts. Prayers that join together with prayers of desperation and frustration. I think this is the kind of hope that Paul wrote about in Hebrews 16:9. Hope that anchors the soul.
The deeply rooted, firm and secure, can’t-be-shaken kind of hope.
The kind of hope that keeps praying, keeps believing that God listens, keeps acknowledging that God is close.
Hope Restored
Restored hope came in the form of Matthias, a volunteer mobilizer at our partner hospital in Uganda. He noticed Samuel limping painfully to school one day and asked Samuel’s parents if they wanted assistance for their son. “We said, if assistance was there, we are ready for it,” said Esther.
Matthias made sure Samuel got to Hope and Healing’s partner hospital. And this time, they didn’t have to worry about hidden fees, thanks to generous supporters in Canada.
Now, Samuel is receiving treatment – with no more financial barriers or fear of hopes being crushed. With the right care, his foot is finally straightening. And hope has been rekindled in Esther’s heart.
“Hope would have been lost. I thank you… for restoring my hope,” she said.
Hope Restored
Restored hope came in the form of Matthias, a volunteer mobilizer at our partner hospital in Uganda. He noticed Samuel limping painfully to school one day and asked Samuel’s parents if they wanted assistance for their son. “We said, if assistance was there, we are ready for it,” said Esther.
Matthias made sure Samuel got to Hope and Healing’s partner hospital. And this time, they didn’t have to worry about hidden fees, thanks to generous people in Canada.
Now, Samuel is receiving treatment – with no more financial barriers or fear of hopes being crushed. With the right care, his foot is finally straightening. And hope has been re-kindled in Esther’s heart.
“Hope would have been lost. I thank you… for restoring my hope,”she said.
Hope would have been lost. I thank you… for restoring my hope.
– ESTHER, MOTHER OF SAMUEL
Families need YOUR prayers of Hope
Through your prayers, you can be a part of hope-restoring, body-healing miracles for more moms like Esther and kids like Samuel.
Join hearts and hands with kids and families around the world who are asking for prayer in our 2024 Miracles of Prayer Diary.
Beth Jost-Reimer has been working with Hope and Healing International for over 30 years. Currently, she’s Chief Executive Officer. She’s heard hundreds of first-hand accounts of hope and impact from families in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It’s a joy for her to document individual voices and the faces of families who are trapped in, and eventually set free from, the vicious cycle of poverty and disability. Beth and her husband, Darrell, are empty-nesters who live in rural Ontario.