The Hope of Heaven

Dear Friends, 

During the month of May, the Show Hope team always takes a little extra time to remember and honor the life and legacy of Maria Sue Chapman. If you are unfamiliar with Maria, she is the youngest daughter of our Founders, Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, who is now with Jesus. I did not have the privilege of personally knowing Maria, but from what I understand, she was larger than life—full of energy and spunk! 

As I have shared before, so much of the Show Hope story encapsulates Maria’s legacy. This summer, as Mary Beth and Steven recently shared, we will welcome children and families from around the country for a Care Centers Legacy Reunion. Many of those children received care at Maria’s Big House of Hope in China, which still stands today and is covered by Maria’s artwork—a beacon of light in the city of Luoyang. 

And within the pages of our annual Summer Newsletter (arriving in homes now), you will find the story of Josiah Futrell, whose life has been forever changed through a truly remarkable surgery and therapy made possible by a Show Hope Medical Care grant. Established years ago in honor of Maria, Maria’s Miracle Fund once supported Show Hope’s Care Centers work, but now, Maria’s Miracle Fund supports the ongoing and growing work of our Medical Care grants. 

As Josiah’s dad shared, “I can 100 percent say that Josiah’s life would look differently without the grant that Show Hope has given him to do things that wouldn’t have been possible if it was our own financial means …  the surgery and therapy in Iowa just wouldn’t have been possible. There is no doubt that they are changing his life, growing his brain, and allowing him to do things that neurotypical kids do that many doctors have questioned if he will be able to do.”

I cannot pretend to understand the grief Mary Beth and Steven carry with the loss of Maria, yet I have seen the love of Jesus and their faith in him continue to hold them and their family today. And when we hear stories like Josiah’s or see faces of ones cared for at Maria’s Big House of Hope, we know our God is making beauty from ashes through Maria’s life and legacy. Through pausing to remember and honor Maria Sue Chapman, God’s goodness is ultimately celebrated, and the hope of heaven is shown to a world in desperate need of him. 

Thank you for standing with us. Your kindness and generosity are lights shining through the cracks of a broken, weary world. 

In him, 

This letter is part of our annual Summer Newsletter. Our work is not possible without the love, support, and generosity of faithful donors. We would be honored for you to join us in this work through a financial gift. You can give today at showhope.org/give.