Dear friend,

Don’t you sell two sparrows for a penny? And none of them will fall to the ground except your father. But even the hair on your head is all numbered. Therefore do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows. – Matthew 10: 29–31

We shared this passage with you a year ago as we were all going through the early, unknown days of COVID-19. And while we are making great strides today on the “other side” of this global pandemic, we realize that so many are still suffering from its effects, especially the children and families we serve through the work of Show Hope. We SEE their waiting, prolonged by countries closing their borders to foreign travel. We SEE their faithful filing of paperwork and documentation that expired when government agencies and offices were closed. We SEE them praying, hoping to raise unexpected funds as additional work is required. We SEE you, children and families, and we continue to wait and pray expectantly by your side.

On the other side of the coin, we SEE a lot to celebrate. Show Hope’s loyal friends, supporters, donors, and prayer warriors joined us as we moved through a new world of social distancing, face covering, daily temperature checks, virtual events, zoom meetings, vacationing via FaceTime, and more. We SEE that a new endeavor – medical care grants – takes root every day and has new children, families, and hopeful stories to tell. We SEE the new Hope for the Journey conference affecting parents, families and churches … reaching and penetrating the hearts of the children they love, care for and serve. For these examples and more, we SEE you, friends, show up and show hope – maybe more than you ever have.

Personally, we SEE Emily, Caleb, and Will Franklin as they serve the Lord through their unique gifts and love their families and our grandparents. We SEE two little girls – Shaoey and Stevey Joy – who are now young women who embark on new chapters and new adventures and master everything with a lot of confidence, grace and confidence. And we still SEE “the face of a little girl with dark brown eyes that disappear when she smiles”. Although the pain is still as real as it was 13 years ago, we continue to taste and SEE that the Lord is good … that “beauty will rise” from the ashes.

So our prayer is simple, friends, that you will SEE it too … that all sad things will one day go untrue.

With a lot of hope, love and gratitude