Every week we see a lot of volunteers come into Phil’s Friends eager to serve. Even though we’d love to, we unfortunately don’t get to meet everyone. However, we do occasionally get to know some of the individual volunteers who frequent the Hope Center. And with volunteers like these, we just can’t help but feel like they’re family.

One of these volunteers is Sue. I first met Sue when she visited the office unannounced some time ago. She wanted to bring a group of volunteers in from a church down the street, St. Walter Catholic Church. I had mentioned to Sue that a group of ladies would come to the Hope Center once every month. Sue’s eyes lit up. You see the ladies were part of a widows group. Sue shared with me that her husband passed away two years before. Since then, Sue has been a committed volunteer and we’ve enjoyed getting to know her more and have appreciated all of the great work that she has done to help bring hope!

A couple of months ago, a friend of Sue’s called our office and shared that Sue was in the hospital. More than that, we found out that Sue had been battling cancer for almost two years. But she never told anyone. After learning this, the staff at Phil’s Friends joined in prayer for our friend and packed a care package to send to her. We’ve packed them before but the experience is so much different when the care package is going to someone you know so closely.

I heard back from Sue and she expressed her thanks for the care package. She is doing well. As we talked, she shared that she is happy that she is now open about her battle with cancer and hopes that she can use this journey to share God’s love with others. She keeps her Phil’s Friends bookmark near her bedside so that she can share the mission with everyone she encounters.

The box and blanket that was packed for her had a picture of a puzzle on them. Something she would often say was that, “life is about having pieces of the puzzle come together.” And would you believe it, we had no idea! But God did. He knew exactly what box and blanket would have an impact on Sue. God has a plan for all of our lives. We are grateful for the way in which He is using Sue through her battle. And we are so grateful for the blessing that Sue has been to everyone here at Phil’s Friends!

~ Lauren Coleman

 

I’m sitting alone in my hospital room and not feeling well. I am wondering what the purpose of this all is. And that’s when God shines a light into the darkness!

My night nurse came in and started asking me what Phil’s Friends is all about. I got the chance to tell her about the Hope to Hospitals program and the mission of the organization. I gave away cards and even directed her to the website. And to top it off, I had the blessing of meeting a fellow believer!

So even in the darkness, when you don’t feel like being very hopeful, you never know where God wants you to roll out the welcome mat.

~ Carolyn Boersma

 

Last fall, another Phil’s Friends Hope to Hospitals team member and myself had visited with a young lady at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. It was her first day in the hospital and she was so scared. During that visit I had given her my phone number and told her to call me anytime she needed encouragement or advice during her cancer journey.

Just the other day, I was at Northwestern awaiting a blood transfusion (I am going through my second bout of AML Leukemia). While I was there waiting, this same young lady called! She was going to have a stem cell transplant and had all kinds of questions about it. But she also thanked us for coming to see her and her mom that day back in the fall and bringing her a care package. They were both so scared, but when my fellow team member and I, both of us survivors of her disease, took time to come and see her, it meant so much to them! And I was very glad to still be able to encourage her even now as she takes the next step in her journey.

~ Carolyn Boersma