From the Founders

Cherie and I are currently walking through a very personal and profound crisis. My brother has been diagnosed with late stage cancer and is fighting for his life. Recently, we received a phone call that prompted an emergency trip to Chicago to be with him.

We had planned for months to spend a day with the entire Hope Force team for a spiritual, relational and strategic retreat together at our HFI headquarters in Nashville. It?s not often that we can do this, since we?re spread out from Texas to Haiti to Atlantic City. To go to Chicago meant canceling the retreat. However, it became obvious that being with my brother was more necessary than the retreat.

We originally thought we would go for a couple of days and then return. As we made the nearly 500-mile trip, it soon became apparent that the Lord?s plan for my brother (and us) required that we surrender our entire schedule to Him.

There are occasions when we are called upon to give the gift of time and unconditional service. In our job with Hope Force, it happens frequently ? our own hearts break at the weight of the burdens those we serve often carry. It is how we came to be in this ministry ? we felt a call to ?the least of these?. We expect to serve, and we try our best to be prepared for it ? and to train our Reservists to know how to handle such situations.

However, there are some occasions that no training can prepare you for. Being with my brother proved to be a far more difficult situation than anything we had ever encountered in our years of ministry together. We soon realized what a ?terrible privilege? ministry can be in times of crisis. Whether we were calling for the nurse, helping with my brother?s feeding tube, or simply sitting there in silent prayer, we realized that being present was sometimes the smallest and yet biggest thing we could offer.

Despite the difficulties we faced, we learned a lot. First, we can completely trust in God?s desire and ability to guide us -- especially in times of sorrow and loss; He is our True North.

Second, He is generous with grace, strength and peace in the midst of the struggle. Being at my brother?s bedside from morning to night and witnessing his suffering was more exhausting than we could have ever imagined. Yet, we found strength in our Hope, the One who never disappoints.

Finally, the ministry of presence has become more tangible and personal to us than ever before. My brother has a tracheotomy, so making conversation was nearly impossible, and his level of pain medication significantly impeded clarity of thought and made him very drowsy. Nonetheless, the Father?s presence was strong, and His ability to penetrate the heart and spirit profound. In the midst of the struggle, we connected at an incredibly deep level ? both spiritually and relationally. My brother is still fighting for his life, but he is doing so now with renewed eternal hope. We are grateful for God?s peace and presence that passes all understanding, especially in such circumstances.

Walking with my brother through this difficult time has served as a reminder that when we are at a loss for words, actions or advice, simply being there is what matters most. Even more importantly, God?s strong commitment to prepare us, deploy us and then to walk with us in times of trouble is beyond description.

Truly He is the One who never leaves us.

Jack & Cherie Minton

Founders