Known, Loved, and Never Forgotten
Dear Faith In Practice Family,
There are moments in life when something we have taken for granted suddenly becomes extraordinary.
The ability to stand. To take a step. To embrace someone we love. To walk beside our children. For many of us, these are ordinary moments. For others, they are prayers whispered through years of pain, disability, and uncertainty.
Sometimes, by God’s grace, those prayers are answered through the hands of people who simply choose to serve.
During my nearly five months living in Guatemala, I have witnessed what that willingness to serve can mean. I have seen remarkable compassion and moments of healing, but also faced difficult days that have taught me to trust God even when the path ahead is uncertain.
Yet one of the most meaningful moments of this journey came not in Guatemala, but in Houston.
As I stood surrounded by our Faith In Practice family at our Known & Loved Annual Celebration, I found myself thinking about the people I had encountered in Guatemala.
Families for whom poverty, distance, and limited access to healthcare can turn treatable conditions into years of suffering. A grandmother longing to walk again and play with her grandchildren. A child dreaming of running and playing with friends. A father praying to return to work.
Then I looked around the room.
I saw hundreds of people who had chosen to care about families they might never meet. Some had given years of service. Others were just beginning their journey with Faith In Practice. Yet each, in their own way, was helping bring hope within reach.
In that moment, I thought of someone in Guatemala praying for help, unaware of the extraordinary people gathered in Houston who were willing to answer that call.
Psalm 139 reminds us:
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” – Psalm 139:1
God knows every person we serve, their struggles, their hopes, and their prayers. They are known and loved long before we meet them.
The love of Christ should not only be something people hear about. It should be something they experience.
That is what we celebrated on October 16.
We honored the profession of Orthopaedic Surgery and Free Wheelchair Mission, whose work reminds us that restoring movement means far more than physical mobility. A successful surgery can mean returning to work. A wheelchair can mean attending school. Greater independence can restore possibilities once thought lost.
We are not simply restoring movement. We are renewing hope.
This year, a record 1,481 volunteers served across 43 mission teams, providing more than 26,000 clinical visits and 2,364 surgeries. Behind those numbers are lives touched, families strengthened, and hope renewed for people who once believed the care they needed was beyond reach.
Making this care possible requires extraordinary preparation: Guatemalan staff and community leaders organizing clinics, medical supplies gathered from around the world, and volunteers answering the call to serve. Together with our valued partners at Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro, Hospital Hilario Galindo, and many others, they make life-changing care possible.
Healing is never the work of one individual, one hospital, or one organization. It becomes possible when people choose to walk together.
That same spirit was evident at our Annual Celebration, where we raised a record $1.13 million. My heartfelt thanks to Event Chairs Dr. Mike and Julie Berend, Co-Chairs Norman and Donna Lewis, event consultant Gayle Pratt, and every donor, volunteer, board member, and staff member who made the evening possible.
Even as we celebrate these remarkable blessings, I recognize that this year has also brought difficult decisions, unexpected loss, and moments of uncertainty. Through it all, I have returned to Psalm 91:
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” – Psalm 91:1
God’s presence does not spare us every hardship, but it sustains us through them. As we move forward, we must honor the trust placed in us through faithful stewardship, strong partnerships, and integrity in every decision.
When I think back to that evening in Houston, I remember more than a room filled with generous people. I remember a community united by the belief that no one should be forgotten simply because the care they need is beyond their reach.
Somewhere in Guatemala, someone is still waiting. May we continue to restore movement, renew hope, and make the love of Christ visible so that every person we serve knows they are seen, known, and loved.
Love you all.
Dr. Oluwagbenga (Ben) Adesope
Chief Executive Officer
Faith In Practice
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