Founder's Message

Dear friends,

I once read that “hope” is commonly used to express a wish: its strength comes from the power of the person’s desire. For instance, while recently in one of my most favorite places in the country, the Florida Keys, we “hoped” for sunny, windless, warm weather despite it being January. We hope for COVID-19 to end and for our lives to return to “normal.” We hope for our country to return to its moral roots. As Christians who believe in the truths of the Bible, “hope” is the confident expectation of what God has promised, and its strength comes from His faithfulness. Did you know the word “hope” occurs 130 times in the King James Version, appearing in 121 verses? “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). For many of us, this verse is engraved on our hearts and comes to our minds during difficult seasons. Jeremiah acknowledges to the people of his time and to us today that God does not promise to immediately rescue us from hardship or suffering, but rather he promises us that His plan for our lives is good regardless of our current situation. He can and will work through disappointment to prosper us and give us hope and a future. My prayer for each of you is that your hope is not the kind that springs from a wishful thought but rather lingers in the abiding truth that where there is the Lord, there is always hope. May this volume bless you as we celebrate the hope that is Jesus.

In His Service,

Patti Garibay

AHG Founder & Executive Director