Life for Tando was once filled with joy and stability. Under the loving care of her parents, Tando and her siblings thrived in their home in Lesotho.
However, her world was turned upside down when her father became ill. Her family was plunged into a period of anxiety and grief as they watched their beloved father struggle. Whenever he eventually passed, the loss was devastating.
Following his death, Tando’s mother left for South Africa in critical need of work, promising to send money and help to her children, but leaving them to face an uncertain future.
As days turned into months without any news from her mother, desperation set in. Tando turned to Facebook to reach her mother, pleading for money as they faced hunger and poverty. Her mother’s promise of sending help never materialized, leaving Tando and her siblings to endure severe hardship, including periods of homelessness—a time she remembers as her darkest days.
“Before that time, I was a person of faith, praying, going to church, praising God. But when all this happened, I felt that God didn’t exist anymore. I felt alone” Tando shares.
In the midst of her hopelessness, Tando confided in a friend and was told about a small group through World Vision. As she attended the group, Tando was amazed to find compassion and community through the people she met. They even provided her family with much-needed food and clothing, reigniting a sense of belonging and love that had been absent from her life.
“I was welcomed with love. Something I hadn’t felt in a long time,” Tando reflects.
It was through her small group that Tando was given a copy of Journey to Hope, a OneHope Book of Hope that altered Tando’s hopeless and broken view of God. Through the stories and scripture, Tando learned that she was not alone in her struggles. This revelation provided her with newfound strength and a comforting assurance of God’s unwavering presence.
“It gave me strength and encouragement. I felt such a relief that God is watching over me. He will never leave nor forsake me.”
Tando’s life has been profoundly changed by her hope in Christ. Despite the ongoing challenges she faces, she now confronts them with resilience and faith, knowing she is never truly alone.
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