Can you think of a moment in your life when you know that the Lord has clearly been at work? Those moments where He quietly shifts plans and aligns events? For Homes of Love, one of those times was in October 2000...

A group traveled from Knoxville, Tennessee to pray in Vietnam. Gary and Debbie Chesney had originally planned to be on this trip, but felt the Lord leading them to stay behind. 

Sue Dee (our current Zimbabwe Director) was a part of this prayer team. As the team was prayer walking on a street in Vietnam, near a Christian orphanage that had been closed down, Sue stopped in front of a home along this street and prayed specifically for the Lord to open Christian homes for orphaned children - not orphanages. Her prayer was that these children would know the love of Christ in the context of a loving family.

At the same time, back in Knoxville, the Chesneys were invited to have dinner with a visiting pastor from Vietnam. That evening, the pastor shared a dream that he had, to quietly set up small Christian homes that would care for orphans. The parents in these homes would teach the children about the love of Christ while allowing them to experience the love of a family. Gary and Debbie were excited that they shared the same heart for orphans in Vietnam. 

In June 2001, the first Home of Love was established in the very same home where Sue had stood and prayed a few months earlier. God had worked in the hearts and through the prayers of many different people to accomplish His goals. He has taken us on a wonderful journey. Over 15 years later, Homes of Love now has 16 homes in three different countries. 

Psalm 126:3 reads, "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." This is a very condensed version of a beautiful story, but we are so thankful for the journey that the Lord has Homes of Love on - His hand has been clear from the very beginning!

Thank you for being on this journey with Homes of Love!