Feeding Children in Madagascar

Brad Senekal – Outreach Director, Joyce Meyer Ministries South Africa Office

It is estimated that 50,000 children live on the streets of the capital city of Madagascar. Hand of Hope has teamed up Empowerment Advocates International to begin a new project aimed at changing the lives and worldviews of these children.

Through an inner-city House of Hope, over 300 children are able to experience love, affection and kindness along with a nourishing meal. Before the children are fed a meal, they are taught how the love and compassion of Christ can help change their lives forever. Many children have already accepted Christ. Lives are beginning to change, and perceptions are already shifting.

What began as a daily feeding for 130 children has already rapidly grown to over 300 with more coming almost every day. This is only possible through our friends and partners support. With 50,000 children to reach, we know our work in Madagascar has only begun!

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.

Teeth Grenades

Tyler Ramsey – Artist and Medical Missions Volunteer

God turned a couple of rotten teeth in the ghetto of Panama into spiritual grenades. Yep, Spiritual Grenades! My wife Jacqueline and I were recently blessed to be included on a medical mission trip to Panama with Hand of Hope. The team of Dr.s and nurses inspired my wife and I with their hearts and their faith. Together, we created a temporary clinic within a ghetto torn apart by gang violence and daily murders. Ka-Boom! An older Panamanian woman came to the clinic with a couple of rotting teeth and a beautiful smile appeared when she found out we could help. She even smiled as our world-class dentist expertly and painlessly extracted the cause of her suffering. Still smiling with a mouth full of gauze, the old woman sat next to an unhappy mother in our ministry tent as she waited a few minutes for her follow-up medication. The mother’s view of the world was dark, cynical, and violent. She refused to pray with my wife until the old woman pointed to her missing teeth and said we were ok. Together, we all prayed with the mother, who simply wanted her children to love her. The mother cried when my wife opened her heart to an unlimited source of love and even accepted Jesus that day thanks to a couple of teeth that brought an old woman to a clinic so she could help a desperate mother feel comfortable enough to allow a stranger to pray over her. God turned a couple of rotten teeth into spiritual grenades. KA-BOOM!

On a selfish note, there is no better way to travel. When you are on a mission trip, you see places and experience things you would never see on a typical vacation. Spending time in that slum was one of the coolest things I’ve experienced, and the Indian village we went to next gave me a new and radically different perspective. We feel like we packed several trips into one. My wife and I are both seasoned world-travelers, but our trip to Panama is the most amazing experience we’ve ever had. Our faith and our marriage are stronger than ever. The friends we made have inspired us both to become better Christians. Ashley, our coordinator, handled all of the details, which freed us up to simply experience the glory of the adventure. The stories we returned with make our other trips sound dull by comparison my wife was a contestant on Survivor so that’s saying a lot! Our trip to Panama has changed our life. We will be forever grateful.

Click here for information on how you can go on a medical missions trip.

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.

Flood Relief in Southeast Asia

Scott Norling, Director – Joyce Meyer Ministries Asia Office

This has been a very challenging time for the people of Southeast Asia as they battle a horrible year of monsoon rains and flooding. There has been significant rain and flooding all along the Mekong River. This river runs through many of the countries we work in – specifically Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Our children's home in Siem Riep, Cambodia is full of water. We will rebuild our children’s home in Cambodia as well as do everything we can to bring relief to those affected by the flooding.

We have volunteers working every day, spending time with families who have lost so much. So far we have served thousands of families with supply relief bags, which contain rice, tin fish, oil and vegetables. We plan to print Joyce’s book Tell Them I Love Them to be placed in relief bags as well as to be handed out personally by volunteers. We are working with four churches to set up facilities in five locations for temporary housing, each of which will have food and simple bedding, with temporary shower and toilet facilities. Please join us in prayer as we continue working to bring much needed relief.

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.

Joyce's Book Now in Vietnamese

David L. Meyer – CEO Hand of Hope

For the first time ever, Vietnam has allowed us to translate, print and distribute one of Joyce’s books. We personally distributed Battlefield of the Mind this week – a total of 10,000 copies will be spread throughout the country over the next few weeks. Battlefield of the Mind has by far been Joyce's most widely circulated book, we have translated it in over 45 languages.

Powerful testimonies come to us all the time from people receiving translated books we distribute around the world. A 62 year old woman living in Mongolia recently shared with us, “through your books I learned how to think positively…thank you for encouragement and edification.”

Thanks for helping us help the beautiful people in Vietnam.

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.

Hope in Lebanon

Ginger Stache - JMM Chief Media Officer

One day Dr. Dawod received an anonymous phone call threatening his family. A Christian in Iraq, he had seen many of his friends hurt, but still wondered whether to take the threat seriously. That is until they denied his son desperately needed medical care then ambushed his car in a torrent of gunfire. He narrowly escaped with his life and knew he had to get his family out of Iraq immediately.

Now living in Beirut, Lebanon, his family is safe but their conditions are still difficult. He is not able to practice medicine and is struggling to find any work. Thankfully Hand of Hope and our partner ministry Heart 4 Lebanon is helping his family through this transition with food, supplies, and loving support. We have loved being here in Beirut and meeting many wonderful people like Dr. Dawod. We are very grateful that our Joyce Meyer Ministries partners are enabling us to be there in this family's greatest time of need -- and many more like them.

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.

Miracle Village Update - Haiti

David L. Meyer – CEO Hand of Hope

Miracle Village is one of the many miracles God is working through our friends and partners in Haiti. After the massive earthquake in January 2010, hundreds of victims found shelter in tent cities located near Love A Child facilities. In addition to providing medical care, equipment and food to many of those affected by the devastating earthquake, Hand of Hope also sponsored the first 50 homes at Miracle Village. After seeing the quality of the homes, Hand of Hope committed to sponsor 50 more homes.

Thanks to the support of our partners and friends, 100 families now have a brand new lasting home. The families are settled into their homes and have local wells that provide clean water. To keep the work and the people safe, a security wall is being built around the entire 62 acres of Miracle Village. We are honored to be a part of the lasting work God is doing in Haiti!

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.

Providing Solutions in Zimbabwe

Brad Senekal – Outreach Director, Joyce Meyer Ministries South Africa Office

Children in Zimbabwe born with Club Foot are receiving hope for a better future. Club Foot is 3 times more prevalent in the children of Zimbabwe than elsewhere in the world. The local healthcare system has struggled to provide proper corrective treatment. Without treatment, children are typically condemned to a life of crawling on the ground, becoming further entrenched in poverty, and often face the painful stigma of their family being believed to be "cursed" and being shunned by society.

But now there is HOPE! Through our partners, Maoko Ane Tsitsi and the national rehabilitation program being established, Hand of Hope has been able to purchase 138 corrective braces to help completely restore the feet of over 415 kids! Throughout the months of rehabilitation, their families are being counseled and told about Jesus, while seeing Him heal their children. With God, we are LITERALLY changing these beautiful kids lives forever, and their families too. We are so grateful to our partners for making this possible in Zimbabwe!

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.

Helping Blind Orphans in Belarus

David L. Meyer – CEO Hand of Hope

Hand of Hope has been working in the region of Belarus and surrounding areas for the past 15 years. Recently we became aware of a great need for a new water pump at the Response of the Heart orphanage for blind children in Belarus. This pump had broken and was no longer able to provide water for the 112 children at the orphanage. Without it, basic needs for water could not be meet – no bathroom facilities, showers, laundry, drinking water or way to prepare food were available. The director of the orphanage tried to raise funds to replace the broken pump through local support but was unable to obtain the funds needed.

Hand of Hope was able to partner with New Thing, Inc. to help provide a new pump. Water is flowing once again for the children thanks to the generous support of our partners! Together we are better!

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.

Feeding the Children of Jaigaon

Adam Anderson – Joyce Meyer Ministries, India

In Jaigaon, West Bengal on the Bhutan Border, Joyce Meyer Ministries/Hand of Hope runs a feeding program for the extremely needy children of this region. These children come from a poverty-stricken slum area near the feeding center where many of the children’s parents are known as “ragpickers”. They rummage through garbage dumps for things to sell and for food to eat. Many of the children who attend this program are forced to assist their parents in this practice and they are not able to attend school.

At the Jaigaon feeding program these children are not only fed, but they are educated and taught about the love of Christ. For almost all of these children, this will be the only education they will ever receive. They are taught to read and write both Hindi and English, and are also taught basic arithmetic. This program has been an invaluable blessing to these children. Without it, they would have little to no chance at ever improving their difficult circumstances. But with it, there is no telling what God will do with their lives.

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.

Restoration in Uganda

Ashley Wilkins - Hand of Hope Medical Missions Coordinator

We have just returned from a one week medical/dental outreach and I know it is one I will never forget! We traveled to a small village in Northern Uganda called Gulu. This small part of Africa was not long ago ravaged by the terrors of an internal war. Many small children were forced to become child soldiers and to do horrific things to those they loved most. Traveling to this area to hold a medical/dental outreach was an honor for us and an unheard of act of kindness to them.

Over 4,000 people were treated for all types of ailments including HIV, malaria, parasites, dehydration, skin infections, dental needs, and many, many more. One person we helped treat was 15 year old Jacqueline. When Jacqueline arrived by herself at our ministry tent on Wednesday morning, she cried out with a deep desperation and terror in her eyes, begging for help: "Please, nobody wants to help me, they say I am crazy, please, please help me!" We carried her to a separated room to talk privately and there learned she was forced to watch her parents die during the war, has been sexually abused and now has seizures several times a day causing her Aunt to believe she is sick and will bring curses to them. Her family has cast her out and does not take care of her, so she wanders the streets trying to survive. We prayed with Jacqueline and at our medical clinic she received Christ and healing from her seizures! She was dirty so we cleansed her, her clothes were tattered so we clothed her, she was hungry so we fed her, she needed a good home so we found one for her. Before we left Jacqueline said in her language and with a huge smile on her face, "A poio Mateck," Thank you very much, thank you very much!

None of this would be possible without Christ first compelling us to go, and that is why Hand of Hope travels the world searching for a need to meet and a stomach to fill. Getting to serve in the field is always a tremendous privilege. I cannot thank our wonderful friends and partners enough for participating in what God is doing and helping to enable us to go to the uttermost parts of the earth to find children like Jacqueline.

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.