The House of Hope
I had the privilege of going to China and witnessing the work that God is doing through Robin and Joyce Hill. They are wonderful servants of God who lovingly care for the least of these. I hope that many will read this book and consider their example.
Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love
This is a wonderful book. It tells how God works through us to save the weakest of the weak, bringing people together from across the world to build families in amazing and miraculous ways. It can only encourage all who love to read about Gods grace, His faithfulness and His love for all people.
John Mumford, National Director, Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland
Virgin Atlantic is extremely privileged to be associated with the Hope Healing Home and the inspirational, humbling work of Joyce and Robin Hill and their amazing team. All of us are proud of our relationship with the New Hope Foundation and are in awe of the dignity, kindness and love which those special people who work at the Home share with the special children in their care.
Jonathan Harding, General Manager International, Virgin Atlantic
I have been fortunate enough to see the Hope Healing Home grow from an idea nearly two decades ago to the extraordinarily joyous and tangible message of love it is today. My sense of pride at the generosity and servitude of my family in bringing dignity and hope to the lives of these children cannot be expressed in words.
Adam Liaw, Masterchef Australia 2010
It has been my privilege to watch as God has raised up Joyce and Robin to give life-saving care to many young orphans from across China. I know of nothing more central to our message of love or of greater importance to God, than to care for these that cannot care for themselves. You will discover how one couple fully sold out to God has made it possible for so many to live. A modern-day miracle of God using His people to change the world!
Jon Davis, Lead Pastor, Beijing International Christian Fellowship
Liz Giffords compelling account of how a family gave up their comfortable, expatriate life in China to take sick and abandoned orphans into their home is both moving and challenging. In telling how hundreds of Chinas most neglected children have been rescued from oblivion, the author remains lucid and unsentimental, letting the stories speak clearly for themselves. The House of Hope is what every reader longs for: a great story well told.
Rhidian Brook, broadcaster and author
One of the greatest blessings of my work in China has been meeting Joyce and Robin Hill and getting to see through them what it means to be Gods hands and feet in the world. They have shown me so clearly that until a child draws their last breath, we must do everything in our power to help them know love. Each and every day, through their tireless efforts, a true story of hope is being written for children who would otherwise be forgotten.
Amy Eldridge, Executive Director, Love Without Boundaries Foundation
The reality of Gods love explains how Rob and Joyce can so love the sick orphans of China! They have given their lives to care for each new arrival, as their very own, that each one may have life and be loved. New Hope Foundation is the aroma of Christ.
Sally Allred Lockett, Founder and Director, Portion for Orphans
The House of Hope
Gods love for the abandoned orphans of China
Elisabeth Gifford
Copyright 2011 Robin and Joyce Hill.
The right of Elisabeth Gifford to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First published in the UK in 2011 by Monarch Books
(a publishing imprint of Lion Hudson plc)
Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road, Oxford OX2 8DR, England
Tel: +44 (0)1865 302750 Fax: +44 (0)1865 302757
Email: monarch@lionhudson.com
www.lionhudson.com
ISBN 978 0 85721 059 3 (print)
ISBN 978 0 85721 146 0 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 85721 145 3 (Kindle)
ISBN 978 0 85721 147 7 (PDF)
Distributed by:
UK: Marston Book Services, PO Box 269, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4YN
USA: Kregel Publications, PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan and Hodder & Stoughton Limited. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790. Extracts marked KJV from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crowns patentee, Cambridge University Press. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All right reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches in the USA. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.
British Library Cataloguing Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Cover image: Josh Gifford.
Contents
Acknowledgments
It was a huge joy to spend time with the Hills and the babies at New Hope. Joyce and Robin were very generous in their hospitality, interview time and access to past newsletters. We took the decision to keep as close as possible to the words of all the interviewees. These stories need no embellishments. Huge thanks also to the many people who rushed to share their stories of Joyce and Robins work, many of whom were running amazing support ministries for children in their own right Amy Eldridge, Steven, Mary Beth and Emily Chapman, Delphine and Guillaume Gauvain of Bethel, and Dr Ngan, to name but a few. Thanks too to exceptional people like Simon Wu, and the staff of New Hope including Linda, Marsha, Xiao Jun, Rose, Mikey and Dr Zhai. Very many thanks, also, for the generous contributions of stories, Skype interviews and photographs from adoptive parents. It was a real privilege to share in so much happiness.
Thank you to Toby and Jing Littlewood who conceived of and facilitated this book, to Rhidian and Nicola Brook-Sulman for editorial advice, and to Frances Grant for copy-editing. Very sincere thanks also to Alan Dixon for copyright advice, to Josh Gifford for cover photography and to Tony Collins and Jenny Ward of Monarch for bringing this story to publication.
Elisabeth Gifford lives in Kingston and teaches children with dyslexia. She has written articles on literacy for the Times Educational and Independent newspapers. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from the course run by Sir Andrew Motion at Royal Holloway University, London.