Dear Friend,

I can only imagine that the days following Christ’s death on the cross were the lowest point in the disciples’ lives.

They had given up everything — their livelihoods, homes, relationships, and social standing — to follow Jesus. And then, in a moment, it all seemed undone. How could they continue to believe that this man was the long-awaited Messiah, the one who would redeem all the brokenness of the world?

And yet, this is the story of Easter: from deep sorrow to unimaginable joy through faith.

In a much humbler way, I am blessed to witness glimpses of this same movement from sorrow to joy in the communities we serve.

We see it when men and women, carrying the heaviest burdens of poverty, begin to find renewed hope. When someone dares to believe that God created them for more than a life of extreme poverty, and takes the courageous step of opening themselves to hope for a future beyond the circumstances they can see.

This is not easy. And it starts with an act of faith.

And yet, again and again, we see that faith takes root and begins to bear fruit in lives restored, families strengthened, and communities renewed.

This Easter, I pray that you would be filled with the deep joy that comes from trusting in the promises of God: the same promises that turn sorrow into hope and hope into new life!