Some of you are probably falling off your chair right now. Seeing me do three blogs in one week is akin to seeing lightning striking three times in the same place. But with so much happening, I am working hard to keep all of you who so faithfully pray and support us up-to-date on our ministry.
Yesterday I headed back out to some of the villages with Wanda, Keith and Melanie Musser (Wanda’s brother and sister-in-law) and Andrea Birkmeyer. The back of the Forerunner was loaded down with two wheelchairs, food, vitamins, and tools. When we left we had plans of meeting with four families, but when we returned 11 hours later we had spent time ministering to six. God had some other appointments in mind.
Our first stop was in Esquintla, where I had arranged to meet Ingrid, Yubini’s mother. (I wrote about Yubini in my last blog, having met him at Hermano Pedro.) I praise God that we were able to find a sponsor for his wheelchair, which I picked-up on Thursday. Since I had never been to his house, his mother met me at a McDonalds and took me to their home. When we placed Yubini in his new chair and began to make adjustments, he beamed at me and said, “Muchas gracias! Muy amable!” (Thank you very much! Very friendly of you!) Wanda and Andrea passed out suckers to some of the neighborhood children while we worked, so lots of folks came out to meet the gringos while we were there.
One of the ladies that approached us told me that she had a grandson who had a sore on his foot and wanted to know if we would come look at him. I confess that my first instinct was to say no. It is easy to become overwhelmed with minor medical needs that families will bring to us if we are not careful, and his problem did not sound severe. However, as I opened my mouth so say no, I heard a “Si” come out instead. So, grandma crowded in the Forerunner with us and we headed across town to meet her grandson.
As soon as we pulled up in front of the home I was glad we had come. A little seven year old named Walter came waddling up to us with a very awkward gate. I realized quickly that he had Spina Bifida and club feet and was wearing improperly fitted braces. As soon as we removed the braces I saw that the sore his grandmother had mentioned was growing pressure sores on both feet.
After taking a moment to pray for wisdom, I communicated to his mother, Blanca, that he could not continue to wear the braces and walk around. His feet are twisted and the braces, while providing rigidity to his lower leg and feet, are causing him to bear his wait on the outside of his feet and creating the problem. I spent time showing her how to make a saline solution, clean the wounds, and bandage them. I also explained that he needed to keep the braces off, a very difficult and discouraging concept for a little guy that has adapted to his disability and is very active.
In order to providing him with some mobility during the healing process, I told his mother that we would provide him with a wheelchair. I also told her that once the wounds were healed we needed to take him to a specialist to find out how to best get him on his feet again. So, I find myself, once again, coming to you seeking a sponsor for another wheelchair. Walter needs a simple travel chair that will cost $90, so let me know if you are being led to help by writing to me at daryl@hopeforhome.org.
We finally left Esquintla 1 1/2 hours later than I planned and headed to Las Palmas. In my last blog I shared that Henri needed another wheelchair as he had outgrown his old one. I praise God that we found a sponsor and had a new chair for him when we arrived. As soon as his mother, Nereda, saw us coming with the new chair her face lit up.
While Keith and I worked to make adjustments on the chair, the ladies in our group spent time interacting with the children. Lots of photos were taken, suckers were given, and lots of laughter ensued. Meanwhile, I was dealing with a very friendly and persistent chick (a bird, not the slang term for a girl) that kept climbing on my feet, tools, and the wheelchair while we tried to work. After battling with a nasty curve in Henri’s lower spine, along with the heat and humidity, we were able to get him seated and looking good.
I spent a little time playing with the children when we were done. Some of the kids had been doing headstands, so I told them that I could do it just as well as they could. The picture to the right shows just how wrong that statement was.
As we were loading my tools back in the truck, we were approached by a lady who told us that her grandmother needed milk. I was somewhat confused about what she was saying because my Spanish is still weak and she spoke fast. But my questions were answered when she pointed over my shoulder and I saw an elderly lady approaching while being supported by another grandchild. Pilar is not the most malnourished person I have ever met, but I think she is the most malnourished person that I have ever seen upright. At 84 years of age, she is a skeleton with a thin layer of skin over top.
Upon examination, I realized that she was also severely dehydrated. Obviously, she was very weak, and her short walk to meet us had left her very winded. When I looked past her skeletal face, I saw kind and intelligent eyes and a sharp wit. This encounter led to another change in our plans as we headed to the nearest town to purchase Ensure and bring it back to her. When we returned we spent time explaining how important it is that she drink lots of water, use the Ensure, and eat, even when she doesn’t feel like it. In reality, she should be in a hospital with an IV (if they could find a vein) and feeding tube. But in a country with very limited resources and so many needs, that just isn’t feasible for such an elderly person. In a situation like this I always find myself asking if we did enough.
From there we headed to Reina’s house to check up on her. Once again, we were welcomed like royalty. Wanda was very warmly embraced when they found out that she was my wife. Reina has been asking to meet her for my last two visits, and she sat and held her hand for much of our visit. As she has recovered from her pneumonia and gained weight, her outer beauty has begun to shine and complement her inner beauty that was always there. I have truly grown to love the little lady. We gave the family some money to help with the cost of her doctor’s appointment next week, and the family gave us a large bag of bananas to express their ongoing gratitude. We said goodbye and set out again.
This time we headed to La Gomera to see Jorge and his family. Even though the hour was late, I had told his mother that we would come on Saturday and I didn’t want to disappoint her. We were carrying groceries for them that was provided by sponsoring family in the US, and I knew they really needed it. We spent some time getting an update on Jorge’s doctor appointments, and his mother asked me to check his bedsores. I was pleased to see that the sore on his foot had improved considerably, but was disappointed to find that the one on his buttocks has gotten worse. The wound was clean and well cared for by mom, but the wound size was increased. I was very happy to hear that she has an appointment for him at the end of this month with a wound specialist at Hermano Pedro. Bedsores can be deadly here if not addressed properly.
We finally returned home at 7:45, very tired, but very happy with our God-orchestrated day. The best days are the ones when God changes our schedule, and He definitely did that yesterday.
Today is a sad day as we say goodbye to Andrea, who has spent the last two months working with us. She heads home to Ohio today and begins making preparations for her freshman year at Moody where she will be majoring in missions. Please pray for her as she adjust back to life in the US and starts college life. We love you and will miss you greatly, Andrea! Hope to see you back soon!
That’s all for now! Have a great start to your week! May God use you in great ways!
Daryl, Wanda, and the Crew
