Fixing My Eyes on Him: Grace’s Story!

Hasn’t it been wonderful to hear from some of our new interns in the past couple of weeks? We are so thankful for each of them, and for their openness in sharing how God has worked in their lives and brought them to Vision of Hope to serve. They have already been such an amazing blessing to us, and we cannot wait to continue to work with them throughout this year!

Today, it is our privilege to introduce to you Grace! Grace came to us in January from Auburn, Indiana. She has been a loving example of Christ to our residents so far, and we are looking forward to seeing her continue to grow and be used by Christ! We hope you are encouraged to hear her story.

“I praise God for my family! I was raised in a Christian home, and my parents faithfully and lovingly shared the gospel with my siblings and me. When I was little, I remember telling a lie to my sister and knowing for the first time that I had sinned. That night, I prayed to ask Jesus to save me, and He began writing His story of faithfulness and grace in my life.

As a teenager, I struggled with pride and the sinful belief that I could earn God’s favor through my performance – and my life showed that my heart was centered on my own glory instead of His. Mercifully, God continued to draw me to Himself, convicted me of this sin, and revealed more deeply the truth of His forgiveness and love in the gospel. I need a savior – and what a Savior Jesus is! Of course, the journey continues, and I am so thankful for His ongoing sanctification in my life as He lovingly works for His glory!

In a time of struggle, God used a godly couple to speak such truth and wisdom into my life through biblical counseling. Through their loving influence, I became even more convinced that God alone changes hearts through His sufficient Word, and I looked for ways to learn more about how to help others in the same way. God kept bringing Faith Church and Vision of Hope to my attention through different people, and He eventually brought me here! I am so thankful for the opportunity to see and grow in applying God’s Word lovingly and skillfully to the heart – first in my own life and also in ministry. God has given the staff of VOH such wisdom, and I am humbled and excited for all that He will teach me through them.

As for future plans, right now my desire is to keep growing! I’m not sure how, exactly, but I do love residential ministry. God has provided several unique experiences (an orphanage in Romania and a children’s home in Tennessee) that keep increasing my desire to serve Him in this kind of setting. I don’t know how the pieces will fit together, but I pray that in the meantime He will keep building my trust and help me to fix my eyes on Him!”

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Grace! How wonderful is our God, that He would work so powerfully in our lives in just the right way to draw us to Himself!

If you are interested in joining our team as an intern, or to receive more information about our internship program, contact Jenn Breitwieser at jbreitwieser@faithlafayette.org.

Bethany Dunn
Bethany heard about Vision of Hope while attending Word of Life Bible Institute in Florida. When she began praying about what God wanted her to do after graduating, He kept bringing Vision of Hope to her mind. Knowing that there was an internship available, Bethany applied, was accepted, and began her internship with VOH in July, 2012. Since then she has been amazed at the opportunities God has given her to learn more about His Word and how it applies to everyday life. Bethany now serves on staff at Vision of Hope.