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by Ginger Stache, Chief Media Officer for Joyce Meyer Ministries
Imagine you are a child living in Ferguson, Missouri, experiencing shocking turmoil in your neighborhood with little or no understanding of what is happening around you.
These little ones are the literal neighbors of Joyce Meyer Ministries, which is based in St. Louis. Ferguson is a neighborhood in this city that we love.
Through our inner city outreach, the St. Louis Dream Center, and together with local churches and businesses we were able to give these kids a reminder that they are loved and valued, and to help their families as well. Every child at Koch Elementary received Christmas gifts and a food pantry based right in the school that is providing food for their families.
The children were so excited. They talked to us about the "craziness," as they called it, they've seen around them and how their lives have been impacted. But they also said how happy they were for this day of presents.
Thank you for allowing us to bring a little joy to our own city, as well as places in need all around the world!
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.
by Jack Elledge, Joyce Meyer Ministries United Kingdom Director
For 11 days in November, we had the privilege of reaching out to approximately 9,500 inmates in the country of Bulgaria, which is located in Eastern Europe. Bulgaria was once ruled primarily by communism until the early 1990s. It’s a beautiful country surrounded by mountains, but at the same time struggling with poverty on many levels.
For many of the inmates, this outreach was the first time anyone had reached out to them while incarcerated. While they were grateful for the gift bags, they were more thankful for the love and concern that was shown to them. In every prison we heard the same thing over and over again - gratitude for Joyce Meyer Ministries showing concern for the inmates. Through the support of our partners we were able to reach out and show love and support as well as a tangible gift to approximately 9,500 inmates.
One of the main highlights for me was a discussion that I had with Dean, a 28-year-old inmate. Eight years ago Dean lost his grandmother, who was one of the only people who showed him love. When Dean lost his grandmother he became very angry with God, blaming Him for her death. As a result, Dean turned his back on God and began to get in trouble with the law. But over the last year, Dean has come back to the Lord and told me that it was in part due to Joyce’s books.
As Dean puts it, "I'm thankful for coming to this place because being in prison I have come back to the Lord.” Dean has six more years to serve before his release but those years will be easier to serve because of his recommitment to Jesus.
Overall, this prison outreach to Bulgaria was a fantastic success; we had open doors at every turn as well as the support from each prison. The inmates were very thankful for our visit and support. Our prayer is that their lives will never be the same, and that as they read Joyce’s books, the Holy Spirit will confront them with the truth and they will turn to Jesus as their Saviour.
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.
