# @hopewdm on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Az3d-AP7g
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/16338932-hopewdm-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/5303d039e8.jpg
- **Posted:** 2019-10-24T19:27:32.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** HOPE (@HopeWDM) — https://gondola.cc/HopeWDM

## Caption

Our Hope adventure began when we were transferred back to Des Moines and we wanted to try out a mission start we had heard about. It took us three weeks to find the church was meeting in an office building because the only address was a vacant corn field on Ashworth. The first Sunday we attended with our 3-year old daughter Kim, we found the friendliest group of about 12 people, a Mr. Coffee and a dozen cookies.  Asking Kim if we should go to Hope or one of the established churches we had visited she immediately said “the small one.” So began our adventure seeing what God can do with a few faithful believers.

The move to Living History Farms didn’t stop a steady growth of new visitors even during winter snow or the ice-cold Christmas Eve in “the barn.” When the first building was completed it seemed huge but was quickly full and cars filled the lot, around the log cabin and then also filled the front lawn.  That Easter required a huge tent out front to hold the growing attendance with visitors pitching in to hold down the tent poles when strong winds began to blow. Maybe it was the Holy Spirit blowing that day because after years of hoping the mission church would take root it was obvious God had something much bigger in mind.

As our daughter grew, so did Hope. Our first VBS held in the office building was attended by less than 10 eager students, as was Sunday school. We watched as the first preschool was developed at the first building on Ashworth. Daughter Kim was in the first class which was about 15 students. As Hope began to grow, we saw that church wasn’t just a building, but a place where believers were gathering and bringing in others that were looking for a church where they might fit in. Our “come as you are” services were drawing people that probably were coming because they didn’t feel “out of place.” What a testament that God does move in wonderful ways and “Hopesters” are everywhere.

#PiecesFromHope
#BirthdayPieces
#Hope25

Wayne & Jean

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## Tags

hope25, piecesfromhope, birthdaypieces

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