Larry and I have both been Christians our entire lives. We were raised in church, and have always believed in Him. We both truly made Jesus our Lord the year we got married. Like most people, our walk with the Lord had times of wilderness where God seemed distant, but we never drifted away.

One morning, we had a conversation that changed the course of our lives. It was just after a particularly challenging sermon at Radiant about walking in the purpose God has for our lives, and we had both done some soul searching. We had a sense that God was calling us deeper, but we had no idea what that should look like. We ended our talk with a simple, but heartfelt prayer— “God, here we are. Use us. We are willing.” 

Two weeks later we were told about a young girl from Myanmar who needed eye surgery in the US. She was an orphan who had an operation in her country that had failed miserably, and she would go blind if nothing else was done. There was a ministry out of Detroit that could get her to the US, but they had no medical connections to make the surgery happen. And since Larry is an anesthesiologist, we were asked if we could help. Through a series of bold phone calls and several minor miracles, things finally fell into place! Two months later we were meeting Bethany at the airport in Grand Rapids. The plan was simple— she would live at our house for three weeks, during which time she’d have surgery, follow up with the surgeon, and then she would return to Myanmar.

We met with the surgeon in Grand Rapids who did a thorough exam of Bethany. “This is a complex problem,” he told us, “But I can fix it. How much time do I have with her here in the US?” We exchanged glances. “How much time do you need?” I asked. “Give me a year with her and we can fix this.” A year? That was not what we had planned. We both broke into grins when our eyes me and we remembered our prayer, “Here we are. Use us. We are willing!…right?”

Bethany’s medical progress was nothing short of a miracle. She was declared ready to return to Myanmar 5 months ahead of schedule! In the meantime, deep bonds were formed between our family, Bethany, and Esther, her translator. Bethany had only ever known disappointment, shame, rejection, and abandonment in her life. But while she was in the US, she was healed physically and spiritually, and she gave her heart to Jesus and was baptized! Suddenly, all things were new! Bethany and Esther returned to Myanmar with a heartfelt promise from us that we would visit. We thought that would be the end of a wonderful God story that had exceeded our expectations. Little did we know that God was about to write another chapter.

Just a few months later, the leader of the Detroit ministry that provided the sole support for Bethany’s orphanage passed away unexpectedly, and his organization became unable to continue support. Esther emailed us to tell us the children had no food to eat. We did the only thing we could think of, and stepped in to fill the gap.  We wired an emergency financial gift and asked Esther to make a monthly budget for the orphanage’s ongoing essential needs. We began to call parents, siblings, our grown children, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and close friends. “Could you commit to monthly financial help?” When the pleas were complete, we sat down at the dining room table and tallied the commitments, and miraculously, the numbers were identical! We had exactly what Esther had told us they needed, and we knew that God was in this with us. And just like that, Living Hope, Myanmar was born.

The early financial help from Living Hope, Myanmar for the orphanage was geared towards survival. When that was stable, we began to seek God about His plans for them, and He began to give us a true burden for these kids. It became our hearts that not only will the children survive, but actually thrive. God has a plan for each one of them, and today we provide nutritious food, clothing, basic necessities, healthcare, education, and most importantly, loving Christian relationships to the residents of our Children’s Home.

The story of how we ended up here could have happened to anyone. It is a story of a reckless prayer and simple obedience. God’s plans are far better than our imaginations, and we’ve been surprised at every turn so far! Radiant Church has been a consistent and generous donor to the ministry in Myanmar. We are truly blessed to be part of a church that not only encourages us to walk in the calling that God has on each of our lives, but actually joins us in the journey. Larry and I are grandparents, and nearing 60 years old, but we’ve never been more excited for our faith, or more on fire for God’s plans and purposes!

They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green (Psalm 92:13-14)

Oh, and one more thing: be careful how you pray. Reckless prayers lead to great adventures. Enjoy the journey!

Do you feel your story can serve as a hope and inspiration to others? Contact us at mystory@radiant.church.