Hi friend,

Historic fires and floods have already scarred the beginning of 2025, leaving thousands grieving and hopeless. In today's Hope in Action newsletter, we share updates from the field as our Reservists have been all over the globe bringing hope to survivors.

There is much to be done this year, but we know God will provide. Thanks for being along for the journey!

Here's an update from Hope Force Haiti Directors, Rene and Marianne Lanko from their recent trip:

"After a three day journey from Nashville to Haiti, we arrived to our Haiti home to prepare for a community food distribution. Nothing is easy here as we try to safely maneuver in a gang-controlled territory, so the food must be transported by boat to the supplier’s truck directly to our pickups. Gangs control the main access roads to the city, so suppliers and transporters have found creative ways to circumvent them. Thankfully, we conducted the food distribution at a nearby church, working with a school and three local churches in the area, who distributed tickets for 124 vulnerable families in need of food. 

The next week, our local team and I held the food distribution for our 210 sponsored kids. On a Friday afternoon, all kids came to pick up their supply of rice, beans, spaghetti, cooking oil and maggi cubes. We have eight kids sponsored through a church in France; we had them all come at the same time and took their photos plus a group picture to send to the sponsors. We also handed out Bibles to the seventh graders as the Bible is required reading and used in most of the schools. This was also the time to pay the second installment of the school fees for the students in several schools they attend.

Finally, our local team built a latrine for a family in our program. Now, they can use an outdoor but private bathroom with a basic toilet and a shower/bathing compartment. The family dug the 12-foot-deep pit and provided the water to mix the concrete and bought one bag of cement (we use 20 bags). After three-plus weeks in Haiti, we said our goodbyes and made the long trip back home."

Nepal Medical Team

Hope Force has been sending teams to Nepal since the devastating 7.8 earthquake in April 2015 and we are thankful that our team could serve there again this year! Our team just spent three weeks in Nepal working alongside our local partners to bring hope and to care for those still rebuilding.

From Devastation to Restoration: Hope Force Continues Rebuilding in Turkey

February marks two years since the devastating 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes in Turkey, causing unimaginable destruction and loss of many lives. In the aftermath of this tragedy, Hope Force had the privilege of responding to the crisis, deploying teams to support survivors as they began rebuilding. Partnering with local organizations, we helped construct emergency shelters, providing families with a safe place to stay during the critical early stages of recovery.  

Now as communities continue to heal and rebuild, we are preparing to send more teams to Turkey. Our mission remains the same: to stand alongside those affected and offer tangible support in their ongoing restoration through local partnerships.

Rebuilding Hope  

Hope Force Reservists have been on the ground in Antakya helping build homes for families who have been living in temporary shelters since the earthquake. Five of  our team members previously helped construct some of those temporary shelters in 2023, and their return to Turkey allows us to deepen our impact and relationships with those we serve.  

Throughout this deployment, we aim to take these homes from a concrete foundation to near completion. Any remaining work will be finished by local subcontractors with financial assistance from Hope Force, further stimulating the local economy.

While the scars of the earthquake remain, so does the resilience of the people in these communities. We are honored to walk alongside them, offering not just homes but hope for a brighter future. Please continue to pray for the Turkish people as they continue to recover from so much loss. The official government casualty numbers are over 50,000 lives lost and another 1.5 million people left without a home. Recovery challenges continue as communities rebuild their lives and businesses.

Our work in Seminole is moving right along! In early February, our new build project to provide a home for a family displaced by the May 2022 tornadoes received a passing grade on our rough electrical inspection. Since then, insulation has gone in, and the drywall has begun. It’s been cold, but our hearts and passion are on fire as we work towards getting this house turned into a home for Patrick and his family!

We are making strides on the new team house, as well. Our team is working through the final layout for the new plumbing, which we hope to get to work on soon. We also have a pass on its rough electrical inspection, framing for new windows has been done and windows are going in. Once the house is fully “in the dry,” we’ll be able to get going on insulation and drywall. It’s exciting to see how God will use this house as a home for our teams and a refuge if someone is in need of a safe, warm, and dry place to stay.