May 30, 2014

A Spring of Hope in the Amazon Jungle



Chad Trafton, Staff Writer 

Nestled in the Peruvian jungle, Zungaro Cocha is one of hundreds of villages you may not find on a map but populate much of the Amazon River coastline. 

Although it’s Autumn, it feels a lot like Summer, with temps in the 90s bolstered by high humidity from frequent showers. Makeshift wood and cement houses with simple metal roofs line the muddy roads of this community. 

Most families have little more than a table and a few chairs, along with a wood-burning stove and a place to sleep. Many don’t even have this. And until recently, no one had access to clean water. Dirty water from the Amazon and its tributaries regularly makes them sick, bringing parasites and other diseases into the community. 

Thanks to you, Joyce Meyer Ministries’ Hand of Hope recently built a church and installed a fresh-water well in Zungaro Cocha, bringing physical and spiritual help to thousands. 

Gilberto Ahuanari pastors the church. For the past three years, they held services in a dilapidated house, not even able to keep out the rain. They prayed for an answer, and the Lord gave them Zechariah 6:15: “And those who are far off shall come and help build the Temple of the Lord.” 

“I didn’t know where it would come from,” says Pastor Ahuanari. “But its you. It’s a gift from God.” 

“Since I was a kid, I saw suffering from water,” says church member Ester Yahuarcani. People had a lot of disease…now they don’t. Now God has blessed us.” 

Over and over, the people we meet tell us, “You are the answer to our prayers.” Friends and partners, you are here in the Peruvian jungle, bringing hope and God’s love to so many along the Amazon River. 

Thank you for being a part of the answer. 

Hand of Hope is the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Our goal is simply to help as many hurting people as we possibly can, to alleviate human suffering and to help Christians grow in their faith.

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May 20, 2014

His Love Knows No Bounds



Kim Schmied, Hand of Hope 

After spending a week in the remote jungles of Peru on a Hand of Hope medical/dental missions outreach, I am reminded yet again that God’s love truly knows no bounds.  

It is a truth that has been well established in my soul for many years, yet every time I experience God on the mission field, it manages to catch me off guard as if I am discovering it for the very first time. I am reminded that there is no heart His love cannot reach, no soul beyond His grasp, no individual outside his line of vision. 

In each corner of the world, the needs of the people look different. In some places, like Ethiopia, they are glaringly obvious and visually devastating. While in others, like the jungle village of Mazan, Peru, you have to look a little more closely to see them. You may not see belly after belly distended in malnourishment or bodies riddled with disease. But you will see severe tooth infections and open wounds that when left untreated could easily become just as life threatening. You will see babies covered from head to toe in scabies and mommas hoping and praying that their children find some relief. 

The heartache of a mother watching her child suffer is the same regardless of geographic location or the severity of the physical condition. But just as the heartache is the same, so too is the joy and hope they experience when offered a solution. 

Whether that solution is a tooth extraction or medicine or the sound of her child’s carefree laughter as they blow bubbles and get sufficiently tickled while waiting in line, each person that comes through our clinic is touched and changed. Each one is reminded that they haven’t been forgotten and that there is a God in Heaven who not only loves them, but who will go to great lengths to reveal Himself to them. 

During our five days of clinic in Mazan, we were able to treat 2,541 patients, extract 304 teeth, dispense 8,651 prescriptions and lead 593 people to the Lord. The fact that God has chosen to partner with us, His children, to fulfill His purposes in the Earth is a humbling realization. And then to experience that partnership firsthand is nothing short of a divine privilege. 

With every medical outreach we do, we have a unique opportunity to meet people in their time of need. And through that need, we have an even more unique opportunity to introduce them to the God who sent us, shower them with His love, and give them a hope for the future that will last long after the medications are gone.


Hand of Hope is the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Our goal is simply to help as many hurting people as we possibly can, to alleviate human suffering and to help Christians grow in their faith.

Follow Hand of Hope on Facebook | Twitter

May 09, 2014

Praising God In the Storm



Looking out their window, Robert and Judy could see the tornado forming near their home in Mayflower, Arkansas. They sought safety in their safe room…the only thing from their home that was left standing when the dust settled. 

“I give God all the praise and glory because it was Him who kept us safe. And I’m thankful for the sweet people who He sent to be an extension of Himself and thankful for the ministry who supports all this.” 

Those sweet people God sent were from the Arkansas Dream Center, who we’ve partnered with to bring relief to those in Mayflower who were devastated in the F4 tornado. We also partnered with North Little Rock First Assembly to help those in Vilonia, a nearby town that was also hit hard. 

Because of the financial donations of the friends and partners of Joyce Meyer Ministries, we’ve been able to provide food, cleanup and basic necessities following the storm. 

We love the opportunity to help those in need, and are so thankful to everyone who helps make outreaches like this possible. 

Hand of Hope is the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Our goal is simply to help as many hurting people as we possibly can, to alleviate human suffering and to help Christians grow in their faith.

Follow Hand of Hope on Facebook | Twitter

May 05, 2014

Backpacks in the Jungle



Ginger Stache, Chief Media Officer of Joyce Meyer Ministries

Nine-year-old Jarumy hurried straight home after school and broke out her new colored pencils. She and 500 smiling kids in the jungle of Peru received a gift today of backpacks and school supplies. Jarumy's Vice Principal said it was like Christmas for these students and their teachers. And the parents were in tears. 

Joyce Meyer Ministries Hand of Hope may have handed out these backpacks but our partners are the heart that made it possible. Thanks for giving so many of us a great day and for allowing us to show Christ's love in such a fun way.  

Hand of Hope is the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Our goal is simply to help as many hurting people as we possibly can, to alleviate human suffering and to help Christians grow in their faith.

Follow Hand of Hope on Facebook | Twitter