Advent Week 1: What does Hope Look Like

This week we light the prophet's candle which symbolizes hope. What does hope look like? This week we have experienced what Hope looks like firsthand.

Isabel's Story

Our dear friend and her teenage children arrived at our house Sunday after an unimaginable journey from their home in Lima. I’ve chosen not to use her real name here because we have promised her complete safety, so we’ll call her Isabel for this post.

We met Isabel 27 years ago when we first arrived in Lima. She was a lovely 17-year-old girl who came to work in our home. We fell in love with her precious, sweet spirit as well as her delicious cooking. Later she was able to pursue a career in the medical field. She married her husband whom we’ll call Rafael, and they began a family.

During Covid, Rafael got sick. She took him to the hospital where he was put on oxygen to help him breathe as they treated his Covid pneumonia. Then the unthinkable happened: the hospital ran out of oxygen! Rafael died leaving Isabel as a widow. Her situation grew more difficult as local thugs began menacing and threatening her and her children.

But God gave Isabel hope. She never lost her faith in Him, and He made a way for her to leave Peru. However, the trip was not an easy one. Months in Mexico dragged by as they awaited their appointment with the immigration service. We aren’t the only former missionaries who love Isabel. A group of us were praying fervently, and God answered. Last Monday they had their immigration appointment and crossed the bridge from Tijuana to San Diego with just their backpacks.

One friend found them a hotel in San Diego and got them flights. That friend met them in Nashville and made sure they got warm clothes. When they arrived at our house Sunday, they had several bags of clothes from thrift stores and Goodwill! But more than clothes, they had hope. As Isabel recounted the dangers they faced, I held her while we both sobbed.

What does hope look like for you?

What does hope look like? It looks like my friend Isabel and her two children who trusted God even when everything looked hopeless. It looks like her sister and brother-in-law who are still in Mexico with their son awaiting their immigration date. It looks like people who love Jesus being His hands and feet to those He puts in our path.

Sometimes it is the love of Jesus flowing through His people that gives hope to others. So what does hope look like for you? How can you let God use you to bring hope to someone this season?