New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers graciously visited our Sacramento home to spend time with our residents! Mrs. Rivers is an international bestselling author of popular Christian fiction books like Redeeming Love, The Masterpiece, Bridge to Haven, and A Voice in the Wind. During her visit, she was joined by her daughter-in-law, Leah, as well as Mercy Founder and President, Nancy Alcorn.
Mrs. Rivers and Leah took time to meet with our residents and share their personal stories with them. Many of our residents can relate to her personal testimony, and the struggles that many of the characters in her books go through. Many of our residents even read several of her books during their time at Mercy!
Below are a few resident highlights from their special time with Mrs. Rivers!
“Redeeming Love changed my life! This book implemented what redeeming love really means. After reading this book, I felt that it showed how I have run from God the way Sarah ran from Michael. It has truly made me draw closer to God by not taking His redeeming love for granted. This will be my favorite book to share with unbelievers. Meeting Mrs. Rivers as a life-changing experience.” – McKinsey
“When I read Redeeming Love, I had no idea that it was based off a book in the Bible. Reading this book showed me that no matter what we do or how many times we mess up God will always come back for us. I thought of myself as Angel and Michael as God. Even when Angel left and did all that she did, Michael still came to find her every time. When I realized there was a book in the Bible called Hosea and I read it, my mind was blown. I had never really liked reading the Bible, but this book made the Word come alive to me. I fell in love with the Word and this book took me there.” -Dia
“Reading the Mark of the Lion series, I found myself being able to relate to countless characters. They faced real problems. They asked real questions, and they found their answers in a real God. In all of Francine Rivers’ books she never holds back or tries to paint reality in a pretty light. Her books shed truth, light, love, and hope in a God who sees us.” -Bentlee
“I am so humbled and so glad that Francine Rivers came to our Sacramento, Mercy Home. She is every ounce as genuine and personable in person as she is in print. Her presence exudes humility and peace. I remember her explaining her inspiration for Redeeming Love character, Angel. Mrs. Rivers explained that she stepped in the forefront of the mind of a young girl she had heard about in the paper who was a victim of sex trafficking. As she explained it you could see the tears well up in her eyes and the sadness was audible in her voice. She got quiet then said, “I wrote Redeeming Love for that sweet little girl, that other young woman with stories similar to hers could hear that they are seen and loved. Although, I do not know that little girl I will never forget her face.” Through her stories she speaks on behalf of the oppressed, the abused, the hopeless and those who have been silenced, and that is a beautiful, powerful thing. She told us it was her honor to partner with God to tell their stories. Thank God for people like Francine Rivers.” -Olivia
“Wow, God is so cool! While being at Mercy I’ve read five books written by Mrs. Rivers. I started reading Redeeming Love and can relate so much with Angel. I have run from God so many times, failing to realize He is the only one that truly satisfies. Every single time He’s always been there and seen me through every trial and every pain. Just like Angel, I found that wholeness, true healing, peace, joy, love, and freedom come only from Jesus. Being able to meet Mrs. Rivers was awesome! Her books have truly made the Bible come to life for me.” -Courtney
“I’ve grown up in church, but never thought God was more powerful than a good song on Sunday morning. Francine Rivers’ books, especially the Mark of the Lion series, were a huge part of my journey in discovering God’s power. Her books beautifully illustrate to me that God really does change lives. It doesn’t matter what your problem is, Jesus is the answer. Mrs. Rivers’ willingness and fearlessness in her writing shows that she leaves no topic off limits, backs down from no hard question, and leads with raw honesty. When she visited Mercy Multiplied in person, I would have been perfectly content to just meet her and thank her for the impact her books have made on my life, but God had so much more in mind. When I saw her fire for Jesus and passion to share Him with the world, my heart was filled with hope and joy. The way she has taken the gift God has given to her and used it to spread the gospel gives me hope and encouragement that I can do the same. I am so glad that she was able to visit us.” -Macy
Founder and President, Nancy Alcorn, shared this about Francine and Leah’s visit, “We are beyond grateful to Francine Rivers and her beautiful daughter-in-law, Leah Rivers, for spending time with our Sacramento residents. Francine and Leah are the real deal! The residents were so blessed by the personal time of sharing that Francine and Leah so generously gave. The time they spent with us this week will have an eternal impact for everyone who was in the room.”
We are so thankful to Francine and Leah for taking the time to really connect with our residents and make them feel so loved. To learn more about Francine Rivers and her books, click here to visit her website.
