Originally written for partners working with refugees, Finding Hope is read all over the world by people in situations of crisis, hardship or personal trauma.
Available in printed form and as an animation in over 50 languages, Finding Hope guides the reader from the questions of ‘who cares?’ and ‘where is God?’ to a reminder that God is hope and that God really can be trusted.
Clive who lives in São Paulo shared with us: “During a low ebb in my life, when my eyesight suddenly deteriorated and things came crashing down, daily living as I had known it became a challenge. Life changed significantly as I lost my independence and it became unsafe for me to go out on my own.
“Quite by chance, or maybe I was meant to find it, I came across a copy of Finding Hope that a friend unintentionally left behind at an event. I found it full of encouraging and relevant messages from different books of The Bible that spoke to me. I could only see being an inch above the text using my so-called better eye, but the way the booklet had been put together and thought about brought me positivity again. Even to this day I still refer to it.”
The booklet opens with a gentle call to the reader: “If life is hard, if your whole world is broken, if it is hard to keep going, let God’s words bring you hope,” before turning to verses of the Bible that speak to our struggles, our desperate prayers and remind us of God’s promises, in which we can place our confidence.
“There is no one to help me, no one to protect me. No one cares for me.” Psalm 142:4
“Free me from my anguish.” Psalm 25:17
“I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
“My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7
Finding Hope is available in over 30 languages on our UK website, in 50 language from our Global Resources website and in 50 languages as an animation on our YouTube channel.
In the first months of the Russian invasion on Ukraine, when millions of Ukrainian refugees moved west, Finding Hope was used in over 100 locations in Poland, and shared in aid centres, shelters, transit centres, and even at the Poland-Ukraine border as part of a welcome pack. The message resonated with how many of the the those who sought refuge were feeling. 
So far this year, Finding Hope has been used by individuals in Lima, Peru, in São Paulo, Brazil, in Świnoujście, Poland, in Oslo, Norway and in a number of more sensitive locations. Dialstone Lane Methodist Church in the UK have been sharing Finding Hope in Persian to encourage those based in their local community who are currently seeking asylum, some of whom have come from Eritrea and Iran. A ministry based in Paris are hoping to use the Olympics as an opportunity to share Finding Hope and other resources with those who are interested in the Christian faith. In February, a group in South Asia used copies of Finding Hope in four languages as conversation starters during outreach to pubs.
Alongside Finding Hope, Lifewords have a range of resources available for those facing a variety of difficult situations and circumstances, from Little Book of Chaos which speaks to those experiencing mental health, to Living with Loss which aims to support individuals experiencing grief, to Why Me? which asks hard and honest questions about illness and suffering.
Reflecting on Lifewords’ collection of resources, Clive shared: “I find Lifewords’ resources easy to relate to and poignant in their subject matter. They help me focus on what is important in my everyday life and discard what is not. They bring me joy and enhance my faith. I am so pleased to have found such inspiring books that are relevant to everyday living. They are important to me.”
