The Willard Hope Center

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

Psalm 71
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

04/29/2026

The Hope Center & HopeFest would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of Emma Caldwell.

Miss Emma faithfully volunteered countless hours at the Hope Center & the HopeFest and became our dedicated cook for many years. She may not have had much, but she gave everything she had to our Hope Center kids. Even while facing her own battles with cancer and ongoing health challenges, she continued to love and serve in the ways she could—always making sure our kids felt special, especially on their birthdays.

We are so grateful for the lasting impact she made on the lives of our children and throughout our community. Emma truly fought a good fight, and we find comfort in knowing she is now in the arms of Jesus.

You are deeply loved and will be greatly missed, Emma ❤️

04/05/2026

Judas Iscariot had followed Jesus for three years — heard His teachings, witnessed His miracles — and yet he led the mob to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Bible tells us Satan entered Judas and set the plan in motion.

Which raises a bigger question: why does God allow Satan to operate at all? The answer might surprise you. Satan, in his twisted way, actually serves the purposes of God.

The crucifixion looked like Satan's greatest victory. He prompted Judas to betray Jesus, had Him beaten and crucified, and watched Him die. But what Satan didn't realize was that he was walking straight into God's plan.

The death of Jesus on the cross was exactly what God had ordained all along to offer redemption to the whole world — and in that moment, Satan sealed his own doom. His best shot against God became the greatest gift to humanity.

So whatever darkness you're walking through right now, hold on. Satan's best shots against you will ultimately work for your good and God's glory.

HE IS RISEN!

04/01/2026

We waited out the lighting and rain to see two of our Hope Center kids participate in the Willard High School Track meet on Tuesday. Shout out to Tonya and Caiden.

03/31/2026

A little fun competition tonight at the Hope Center. The team had to pass the ring around the circle without using their hands. ONLY THEIR FEET AND MOUTHS WERE ACTIVE! Part of the Hope

03/27/2026

There are three key pieces to help build your relationship with God.
COMMUNICATE: Communication is talking and listening. Do you take the time to communicate with God? We communicate with God through prayer. Take time each day to talk to God through daily prayer.
EDUCATE: To become more knowledge, we need to learn more. A dusty Bible is just a fixture on the shelf. Open the Bible to learn God's Word. What else? How about Christian music, podcast, sermons, spiritual books?
CONGREGATE: Satan loves for us to be isolated. When we stay away from other like minded people it is easier for Satan to attack you. When you learn to congregate with like minded people, they can help you when Satan attacks.
​BUILDING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD MAKES YOU PART OF THE HOPE!

02/02/2026

The Hurdles in Your Life

How do the hurdles in your life define who you are?
The BIGS have been learning about the hurdles in their lives. Hurdles, struggles, life situations and what others say about you can define you or refine you.

What hurdles do teens have in their lives; Made fun of, Not enough to eat, no money ,ot pretty/handsome ,weight, screwed up family, Parents don’t have time for me, my clothes, no friends are a few they shared.

When we look at our situations, we can always find people who have it better and who have it worse than the situation we are in at this moment. We learned about wallowing in the mud(staying in that situation) or using it to get out of the mud and grow from it.

Three things we found help you grow from the hurdles in your life.
#1 A strong foundation whether it is family, friends or groups. Some of the kids at the Hope shared that the Hope Center is their foundation. A strong foundation helps you to understand that hurdles in your life don’t define you, but help you build the person you can become.
#2 Attitude is a key piece. Some great testimonies have shown how a person looks at their hurdles and how those hurdles help them be the person they are.
Some great lessons we have learned
#3 A relationship with God. Having a relationship with God will not always make the situation easier, but leaning on God can help you through the valleys and back to the mountain tops.

When you feel that life can’t be worse, take some time to look up a few people:
Nick Vujicic - the story of a man born without arms or legs
Jordan Walker Ross - the actor who plays Little James in the movie “The Chosen” who is disabled
Jamey Carrington - a young man paralyzed from the neck down

BE PART OF THE HOPE!