From Depression to Serving Thousands - Amber's Journey
For me, this isn't just your average 9-5 job.
To some, it may look like your standard office job where you spend 8 hours in front of a screen. But on the other side of my computer screen are thousands of children that Home of Hope helps every month.
Every day, I hear the stories of these desperate children and how they have no hope. The vision of Home of Hope is to give hope to those who are hopeless, to help the helpless, to feed the hungry, to help mend the sick, and most of all, to show the love of God.
These children are in desperate need and cannot take care of themselves.
I remember the first time I felt hopeless and like there was no purpose for me on this earth. I was eleven years old and I was struggling with depression. These feelings and the depression followed me for the next 5 years until I was at the end of the rope and felt as though I couldn't go on like this any longer. I was about to give up on life completely, and then I met a girl named Jade in my English class at school.
No one knew what was going on with me, as I had kept it to myself. One day in class, I opened up to her and told her everything that was going on. Jade had started to invite me to her youth group at Home Church. And little did I know, she and her weekly small group had been praying for me every week. I declined her invitation. Jade continued to invite me every week until she eventually got me to come. I didn't realize that my acceptance to go was going to change my life forever.
That night, I went to the youth group and met Jesus for the first time.
I remember listening to the message and Pastor Erin preaching about how God created me with a purpose and that there was hope for me in Jesus.
That night a weight lifted off me and everything I was searching for, I found. I gave my life to Jesus that Friday night and have never looked back.
Soon after, I began attending Sunday services and serving the church. It has been 7 years since I started attending Home Church and my life looks so different today.
In 2018, I started sponsoring a child with Home of Hope with my friend, Emily. What a blessing in my life it has been!
In December 2020 I was given the opportunity to join the Home of Hope team as the sponsorship coordinator. Working here, I have seen how Pastor Brian's heart breaks for these desperate children that have no hope. I think about Pastor Brian and how he just started by helping 4 kids. Sometimes the thought of changing the world can be overwhelming. But... to be a world changer, all you need to do is impact the one person within your reach.
To some, it may look like $50 to sponsor a child, giving what you have to 4 kids, or just a simple invite to a youth group. You might not think that you changed the world with a slight gesture, but it may completely change their world - as it did for me.
We all have the ability to share hope with someone, and I think that's one of the greatest things I could ever do with my life.
That's why I sponsor.
I may not be changing the entire world, but I am changing someone's world. This child now has hope for a future.
I received hope freely and now how could I not give it freely?
If you would like to know more about how you can sponsor and help change a child's life today, please email me at Office@homeofhope.ca and I would love to answer any questions you have.
Written by: Amber Charest (Sponsorship Coordinator, Home of Hope)
