The last month has been somewhat of a blur as I have continued to wrestle with health issues. As a result, I have been negligent on keeping with this blog. I have spent several days out of my office due to illness and other days on the road. So most of my days in the office have been spent catching up on the stack of work that was waiting.
Being away from my blog has been difficult because so much has been happening on this end. I have been anxious to share what God has been doing, but was unable to do so.
First, we had a great Easter weekend as a home. We were able to hard boil and color 120 eggs and the kids had a great time in the process. Then, on Sunday afternoon we had an Easter Egg Hunt all over our home, inside and out. Some of our children had never experienced anything like this, and the looks on their faces were priceless.
In addition to the festivities in our home, there was also much fanfare around us with the Catholic processions. While these events can be frustrating because they can close down streets for the entire day, I have come to appreciate much of the ceremony. Families and businesses work hard to create alfombras to honor Jesus, and the actual processions can be quite impressive as hundreds of people take part. Our village, San Andres, has its big procession on Tuesday before Easter, so we carried all the children up to the roof to watch.
One important update that I need to give is regarding the twins, Racquel and Esther. When they first came to us we were told that they both had microcephalus and their long-term prognosis was not good. We had been concerned for them because this condition can worsen over time and may require surgical intervention to prevent the build-up of pressure on the brain. So, we have been working to have them evaluated by our own specialist to determine what we can do for them.
One of those specialists is a pediatric neurologist in Guatemala City. He is considered to be the best neurologist in Guatemala, so we were anxious to hear what he had to say. After a very thorough exam and analysis of test result, he informed us that, while the girls’ heads are somewhat small, they do not have microcephalus! He also told us that with our continued intervention through therapy that their prognosis is very good! We praise God for this news!
Our little Thania continues to improve. We are still awaiting her test results from Switzerland, but in the meantime she is continuing to gain weight and get stronger. In fact, the girl that could hardly raise her hand now fights me mightily every time I have to replace her feeding tube. As a result, it is now a two person job, and I am thankful for that.
Brayan, Yenni, Raphael and Alejandra continue to do well in school. We continue to see improvement in Brayan’s behavior and concentration.
In the midst of all of this, we are once again planning to expand our work, both here in Guatemala and elsewhere. Our daughter, Brittney, is currently in the States completing her student teaching. She will be graduating in a couple of weeks with a double degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. God has given her a real passion for the community of San Pablo La Laguna on Lake Atitlan, and He has called her to move there and begin a special education ministry, which is much needed. This community is very poor and has a high concentration of children with special needs. Yet there are very few resources for those with disabilities. She will be moving there full-time this fall and will begin this ministry under Hope for Home Ministries. Please pray with us for the necessary funding and for God’s hand of guidance and provision on Brittney as she does this work.
In addition, our daughter Carissa will be leading another area of expansion in our ministry. She has been serving as the Co-director of our group home, Hogar de la Esperanza, and has done a fantastic job in this role. She has filled that position to help prepare for God’s calling on her life. In 2015 she plans to move to Uganda, Africa and open a group home for girls with special needs. She has already spent five months in Uganda last year doing preparation work, investigating details and volunteering in orphan ministries, and she has a good foundation laid. So, in July of this year she will be heading to the States to do fundraising for that new work. This ministry will be the fulfillment of a vision that God gave me in early 2009 and will expand Home for Home’s ministry to a third country and second continent.
So, I have a favor to ask…would your church consider allowing Carissa to come and share about this new ministry? She is currently booking dates from late July through November, so if your church would be interested in having her come, please contact me at daryl@hopeforhome.org. As a part of her presentation, she will be giving an update on our work here in Guatemala, so this would be a good opportunity to connect with our supporting churches.
So, as you can tell, life is full. Each day we rely on God’s provision and guidance…and each day He delivers. He is so very good and He proves it anew each day!
Blessings from Guatemala!
Daryl, Wanda and the Crew
