Sarah grew up learning and hearing about Jesus from her parents. She loved Jesus from a young age, and always believed in Him. Yet, she felt she was never good enough for Him. Sarah didn’t see how she would be able to do all of the right things in order to be saved.

This feeling of not being good enough cast a dark shadow over her childhood and adolescence. Sarah thought, “Well if I can’t ever be good enough, then I’ll just not try. I’ll just make the best life I can on this earth.” But this way of thinking did not bring her the peace and hope she was searching for.

Sarah found herself engaging in unhealthy habits, searching for worth in relationships and substances. But instead of feeling worthy and hopeful, this only brought pain into her life. She experienced depression for several years as well.

Most recently, Sarah needed a few surgeries on her hands. These surgeries prevented her from being able to do work with her hands, and everyday tasks such as making a meal to eat would cause extreme pain. She was left unable to do anything on her own for a time after her surgeries. Her days were spent in bed, watching television as her feelings of self-worth continued to plummet. Each day she felt as if she were moving further and further away from God. It came to be too much and in that dark moment, Sarah considered ending her life.

Sarah knew this was not the right path to take, and decided to reach out to a friend and share the way she was feeling. Her friend suggested she download some resources on her phone that would allow her to lift up her thoughts and feel that God was close to her. That’s when Sarah found Hope Channel—right in the application store in her phone.

“I liked the name,” Sarah said. “I thought okay, ‘Hope Channel’ – I am really looking for hope right now!” She immediately began to watch the first program she came across which was Table Talk, where pastors and leaders are able to sit together and talk. Through this program, Sarah was able to see and understand God’s grace. Her life began to transform.

This led to finding other programs such as Let’s Pray LIVE. “…they say ‘the place where you don’t have to pray alone,’” said Sarah. “My husband is not a believer so a lot of times I do pray alone, and since I found them, I’m not!”

In fact, Sarah reached out online to other members of the Let’s Pray LIVE community and submitted prayer requests. Now, she feels she is part of a family. Now, she feels that peace she was searching for knowing there are people praying for her and for this community she is now part of too.

Hope Channel has also provided a way for Sarah to connect for a sacred worship service when inclement weather in her hometown prevents her from being able to get to her local Seventh-day Adventist Church. She is able to connect, study the Bible and worship along with countless others also tuning into the program.

Sarah says, “I’m just so grateful that I found [Hope Channel] and in the months since I found it, I have never once thought about throwing away this precious life that I’ve been given. I am joyful.”

APPEAL: Thousands across North America and around the world like Sarah are searching for hope. They are looking for a community to connect with and for people who will pray with them. As the global television evangelistic ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Hope Channel aims to reach these people and share the hope they are searching for and tell them how much God loves them.

With 59 Hope Channels around the world and programming that broadcasts in over 70 languages, Hope Channel is working every day to share hope and peace. Today, the offering will further the ministry of Hope Channel. Your faithful support of Hope Channel makes this possible and allows for continued growth and reach to new places. Let us join together to share hope around the world!

—Elizabeth Camps is Director of Marketing for Hope Channel International, Inc.