Hope Home: Remodeling our world, rejoicing in God’s grace

The reality of respiratory infections became personal to team member Becca Schafer and her team at Hope Home in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when one of the children with special needs in the home became ill recently.

“While our Yindee has a chronic respiratory condition, one day she was her normal self, but rapidly became ill, struggling to breathe, the next,” said Becca. “She was admitted to the ICU at our local hospital and spent a week on a ventilator and then another three weeks in intensive care.

“While she doesn’t have COVID-19, the danger of contracting it made visitation extremely limited, and Yindee struggled with the separation,” added Becca. “Due to the long-term nature of her recovery, her doctors decided it was best for Yindee to return home. So, in the midst of a world remodeling itself to adapt to COVID-19, we were thrust into remodeling our home and lives to equip an area for Yindee to recover safely away from the other kids, all without any open hardware stores!”

Yet somehow, God provided in incredible form and the team was able to get everything they needed to make a beautiful recovery space for Yindee, thanks to unsolicited generosity from many friends.

“Our neighbors sewed masks for the adults and children, an American missionary family raised money for groceries and delivered them, another friend is acquiring and donating an extra oxygen cylinder and countless people prayed for us as we maneuvered through a time of uncertainty and confusion,” said Becca.

“Remodeling our world is hard just now, as is the pain of watching a child struggle,” added Becca. “But the absolute beauty of community and His love reflected through other people is humbling. God’s grace is overflowing toward us in this time.”

Photo at top: The Hope Home staff had to scramble to create a private space for Yindee to recuperate from her respiratory condition when she was discharged from the hospital.