“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” ( 2 Cor. 1:3–4 NIV).
When Heather underwent surgery earlier this year, she didn’t expect her recovery to be touched by personal kindness.
However, a thoughtful card soon arrived—signed with familiar names and filled with heartfelt prayers and well wishes. It came from members of the HomePage community who simply wanted her to know she was not forgotten. Heather stated that their kind words and prayers truly meant a lot to her.
This is what encouraging hope and well-being looks like—small acts of care that carry the presence of God and the support of His people.
For more than two decades, HomePage, a company of Seventh-day Adventist believers meeting in Marion, Iowa, has served as the home of Noted Ministry, led by Mavis Dickerson. Mavis, wife of lay pastor, master teacher, and author Ed Dickerson, has deep roots in Iowa—having moved to the state as a youth and attending Oak Park Academy during her adolescence. After spending time out of state, she returned to Iowa in the 1980s to raise a family. That long-standing connection with Iowa’s people and places has shaped and enriched her ministry.
Since 2002, Noted Ministry has quietly become a source of compassion, encouragement and spiritual support. The ministry sends about 30 cards each month, with additional mailings for special events and holidays. More than 10,000 cards have been sent to individuals in Iowa, across the United States, and throughout the international Adventist community. These aren’t just cards—they’re reminders. Touch points. Threads of care that bind a community together.
Noted Ministry honors a wide range of life experiences: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, losses and transitions. Cards are also sent on special occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents’ Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas—times when feeling remembered makes all the difference.
Each card is a gentle signal that someone sees you. Someone prayed for you. Someone remembered your joy, your grief, or your season of waiting. Each card is like a thread on the loom of connection. Together, they weave a tapestry of recognition and validation, a reflection of God’s love in everyday life.
Bigger than one ministry
In recent years, secular initiatives have also begun to spotlight the importance of personal connection. Organizations like Letters Against Depression (founded in 2014) and Letters Against Isolation (launched in 2020) were created to use handwritten communication as a tool for mental health prevention and emotional support.
These programs mirror what HomePage has been doing for more than 20 years—offering comfort and connection through tangible, thoughtful gestures. The science may be new, but the principle is rooted in traditional communication.
Noted Ministry has offered over 20 years of mental and emotional well-being to the Adventist, Christian and secular communities alike in Iowa—a steady, faithful presence consistently making a difference. It is a quiet ministry of presence, woven into the fabric of the Adventist community in Iowa and beyond.
In a time when so many feel forgotten, this ministry serves as an empathetic witness through the journey of life. It gently affirms that those who suffer or struggle are not alone—and that God sees, and His blessings endure.
Shoshannah Guerrero is a multi-generational Adventist, and second generation Adventist in Iowa.
