Illuminate: Door of Hope

Illuminate is a new series where I will "illuminate" for you guys ministries that I believe you will benefit from knowing more about. Please be in prayer for the ministries featured. If you realize there is an additional way you can help, feel free to do just that.

Door of Hope: is a channel of hope for the women of Johannesburg, South Africa. Little ones born to desperate moms lead to the horrifying abandonment of babies. Never being so desperate, my mind spins with the "why" questions only to be hushed by the magnitude of the fear the women must feel. The situations we may not understand, but we know the consequences to be deadly. There is hope for mom and child. With a little "drop-box", women can leave babies at Berea Baptist Church anonymously, saving lives of precious babies who would otherwise be abandoned. I'm in awe at the heart of this ministry.

And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt (Hosea 2:15)

Humble Beginnings:  Humble as the beginnings were for the Door of Hope, the rewards have collected since 1990. Lives of babies have been saved and women have been freed from the guilt of abandoning a child. Read about how Door of Hope was founded, and the need that brought about the "hole in the wall" of Berea Baptist Church. (Click the"Humble Beginnings" link to read more)

A Baby's Journey: At the bottom of the "Humble Beginnings" link, you will find "A Baby's Journey". A story is told, from the perspective of a baby, about the process it takes for a child to make it to Door of Hope, and the goings on once a baby is received. It's a beautiful picture of a life collecting the beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3). (Click the Link above, "A Baby's Journey" to read the story)

Success Stories: Under the "success stories" link on the web page, you will see a couple of names. These are babies whose lives' have been saved by Door of Hope. Take the time to read the way God used Door of Hope restore their precious, young lives. (Click the "Success Stories" link above to read about and celebrate the awesome things God is doing through Door of Hope)

Our Baby Homes: There are three baby homes: Glenvista Baby Home, Hillbrow Home, and Baby House 3, which was once their Toddler House (formerly closed for financial reasons). Glenvista is the only house that is registered as a children's home. As the main house, it holds their offices, along with the children and volunteers. The Hillbrow Home sits behind Berea Baptist Church. The "hole in the way" is located at this location. Baby House 3, formerly the Toddler House, the most recent to open in order to accommodate an increase in babies. (Click the link above to view the houses and read about their Starfish Program)

How Can I Help?: There are a few ways you can help Door of Hope. As I'm sure you can imagine, the needs to run a ministry of this size and type are steep. First, you can give of your money. Second, you can give of your time- locally, internationally, and within your community. Third, you can pray, which you know is why I write post like this. (Click the link to learn more about the opportunities to help or to contact Door of Hope)

Needs: Please check out the needs of Door of Hope. You'll know how you should pray for them, and God may use you to help them in a physical sense. (Click the "Needs" link to learn more)

I love Door of Hope and the life-changing work they do day in and day out. With big hearts, they offer hope to dyer situations. As you know, I want you to pray for the hands and feet behind this ministry, for the needs, and for the fragile lives involved. C'mon, Ladies and Gents, let's get our knees dirty for His Kingdom. By the way, I'm talking to myself as much as I am you guys.

Celebrate lives saved.

In His Name,
Jennifer