Cancer

The other day I had a fellow Christian tell me, “Go easy on the church. It’s the only one we’ve got.” I had to smile when he said it, because I understand his meaning. At times, I can be very critical of the American church, to the point of making some wince. I am very outspoken about the materialism, self-centeredness and shallow discipleship that frequently characterizes churches in the US. So, allow me a moment to clarify with the following points:

1. I speak as a part of the problem. – For almost 20 years I served in leadership positions in Stateside churches, first as a youth pastor and later as a church planter and pastor. It breaks my heart to say it, but during much of that time I modeled the very characteristics I now despise. I was frequently self-centered, materialistic and shallow in my discipleship. As a result, the churches under my care were as well. I wince when I think back on the missed opportunities of those years and wish that I could have a “do-over.” If I was given that chance, things would be very different. But, since that is never going to happen, I can only change the present and the future. I have learned (and continue to learn) from my sin and desperately want others to learn those same lessons sooner rather than later.
2. I love the church! – I believe the church of Jesus Christ holds the hope of the world. I believe that within it lies the capacity to change the world, both physically and spiritually. I recognize that since the church is filled with imperfect people, such as myself, it will never be perfect in this life. I do believe, however, that it can do and be much better. And because I love it and bear part of the responsibility for its current state, I feel a passionate desire to call it back to the biblical standards of discipleship and stewardship. Sometimes I do it loudly with fire in my eyes, but I do it out of love.
3. I speak not of the church specific, but of the church in general. – As I write and speak about the failures of the church I am not talking about every body of believers. I know that there are good congregations that do not fit into the stereotypical churches with a 2% conversion rate and 8-10% giving to missions. I know that there are missional churches in the US that are filled with disciples who lay down their lives and their pocketbooks for the sake of Jesus and His kingdom. I praise God for them and pray that their numbers will increase. However, when you look US churches AS A WHOLE the numbers and reality are discouraging. Instead of growing through the making of new disciples and influencing the culture around us, we are diminishing is size and impact. A few churches buck this trend, but the large majority are living examples of the decline and the unbiblical priorities that have caused it.
4. Serious conditions require drastic responses. – If your doctor realizes that you have cancer, what response would you want from him? Should he give you a pat on the shoulder and some ibuprofen and tell you everything will be fine? Or would you want him to be honest and lay out a plan for aggressive treatment? As I speak with most people regarding the state of the church, the general consensus is that everything is, overall, good. Sure, we could use some work in a few areas, but everything will be fine. Every time I have those kinds of conversations my mind goes to another church which felt the same:

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.”

- Revelation 3:14-19

Those are hard words. In fact, some might be tempted to say that the speaker (Jesus) didn’t love the church in Laodicea because He spoke so harshly. But nothing could be further from the truth. He saw the cancer in his bride and He addressed it.

If we truly love the church we have to be honest about the cancer that exists within it. We have to recognize that we have allowed the culture that surrounds us to shape it more than Scripture. We have to look, not to the cultural understanding of what the church should be, but to the Word of God to determine our true condition and then allow God to do the work required to conform us into His image. In many case, I believe this will require a tear-down and rebuild, but the results will be worth it.

It is so easy for us to divorce ourselves from the church and speak of it in third-person. But, in reality, we are the church. So, as we seek to address the cancer in the church we must start with ourselves and our own families. Are we modeling true discipleship and biblical stewardship, or are we living the American interpretation of those things? If the entire church was a macrocosm of our lives and priorities would it be healthy, caring about the things for which God cares? If not, let’s start in our own hearts and own homes and let it spread from there.

Okay, that’s enough! Thanks for letting me clarify and share my heart!

Blessings from Guate!

Daryl

Beginnings

As I shared in my last blog, our group home is now officially licensed. As a a result, the calls are coming in seeking placement for children with special needs. On the day we received the resolution back from CNA we were called about two children needing a home. Since then we have received two additional calls and have gone to visit one of the children awaiting placement with another child to visit on Monday.

Whenever we receive a call from another group home, we have to visit the child, ask to see his/her paperwork, and determine if they are a good fit for our home. While our official license states that we are equipped to accept children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and down syndrome, we are better equipped to care for most special needs than the typical orphanage here. Our ministry works with all types of special needs, and we have been told by CNA  that we are not limited in the disabilities we can accept.

On Wednesday we went with our Social Worker, Edy Tum, to visit some of the local judges and courts to introduce our home to them and show that we are a safe place for children. In each place we were greeted enthusiastically. We are the first ministry licensed to care for children with special needs in quite a long time, and the only one within the department of Sacatapequez. So, it appears our home will fill-up quickly. Therefore, we are trying to discern which children can most benefit from our home and care.

In addition to the children about which we have been called, we are also visiting with two other children whose families are unable to take care of them. One is Rafael, who is one of the sponsored children in our ministry. His mother and grandmother are unable to provide the care he needs, and he spends most of his time in their cramped home in a small crib. We have spoken with his mother and she is coming to our home tomorrow for a tour and to make her final decision. If she agrees, she will sign the necessary papers to allow the courts to place him in our home.

The same is true for Jenny, a little girl who was orphaned last year when her father passed away. (Her mother died 4 years ago.) Currently her grandmother is caring for her, but she no longer feels able to deal with Jenny’s special needs. So, we are hoping that Jenny will be a part of our home soon. Her grandmother lives right here in San Antonio, so this would enable her and Jenny’s little brother to visit her regularly. Please pray about these situations. Ask God to guide the right children into our home.

Over the last 16 months I have fretted and complained to God about the slowness of our licensing process. I cannot tell you how frustrated I have been as we experienced delay after delay. But looking back I now see (Surprise!) that God’s timing is perfect. Because of those delays Wanda and I were able to enjoy a wonderful time away celebrating our 25th anniversary before facing the increased work-load that the group home will demand. In addition, two wonderful young ladies, Emily Abner and Emily Stagnaro, came to us on Saturday as a part of the current team. When the rest of the team departs tomorrow they will be staying behind for the next nine months to serve with us. Their presence as volunteers will enable us to delay the hiring of additional staff and save money during a time that money is tight. God’s timing is, indeed, perfect.

Meanwhile, the rest of our ministry here is hopping. Currently we have the last team of the summer season with us, and they will be flying out tomorrow. We welcome teams year-round, but during the rest of the year they tend to be much fewer and far between.

April Clark has done a fantastic job this year of overseeing our teams. She has handled all the communication, scheduling and leadership in this area of our ministry and that has been a HUGE blessing to our ministry and me personally. Due, in large part, to her oversight, we had the best team season ever this summer. Even in the midst of our growing pains and learning to work together she kept things running smoothly and efficiently.

As a result, we have decided to up the volume of teams we accept each year. Since I am now able to step away from much of the hands-on work with the groups and focus on other areas of ministry, we can handle more groups. We are passionate about short-term service trips because we believe they open the eyes of believers and the church to the world around them and motivate them to live missionally. In the next year we hope to double our number of teams from around 12 – 14 a year to around 24. So, if you would like to put together a team for your family, church, or youth group, please write to April at april@hopeforhome.org.

In the last month we have done our normal visits with families while also delivering seven new wheelchairs to children and adults. This is my favorite part of this ministry as we see people gain a new element of freedom. Four weeks ago we delivered wheelchairs to two adult siblings who had been unable to leave their home for years. When we visited them yesterday, they were thrilled to tell us that every day they get to go outside now that they have chairs. Their family was even able to take them to a local soccer game last week, and they were still beaming about it. It is amazing what a simple wheelchair can do to change a life.

One area in which we need prayer is for our vehicle situation. I am currently shopping for a new 4-wheel drive vehicle as I can no longer put off the purchase. (A special donation designated toward this purchase will cover the cost.) Please pray that God will lead us to the right truck quickly as my 4-Runner is gasping what may be its last breaths. Meanwhile, we are seeking God for His provision for a second van as we are out of passenger space and have not even received our first child. Please join us in praying for God’s provision in that area. (And you might want to pray for additional parking space as well!)

That is all for now. As the children begin arriving in our home I will take the time to introduce them to you here.

Blessings from Guate!

Daryl

Big News!!! (At last!)

I realize it has been a while since my last blog update. I apologize, but everything seems to happen at once, and I have been trying to keep up with life and ministry. So, without further ado...

Our group home, Hogar de la Esperanza has been licensed!!! After over 2 1/2 years on the ground, piles and piles of paperwork, and more meetings than I care to count, we have finally received authorization! As I understand it, we are only the 24th home in Guatemala to receive full authorization, and many of the homes that are currently operating have not yet been authorized but are simply allowed to continue as they work on the process. Our success in this goal is largely due to the work of our social worker, Edy Tum, who has guided us step-by-step through the process and fought constantly on our behalf.

In the next few weeks we will be meeting judges to introduce ourselves and our home, and the placements should begin as we receive children with special needs through the courts. So, now the real work begins. As mentioned before, as of this month our operating budget increases by around $1000 a month as the psychologist and case worker come on staff and our medical and food expenses increases. Please pray with us for God to provide.


God's timing for the licensing was perfect as it enabled Wanda and I to celebrate our 25th anniversary in style before the opening of our group home. Last week we splurged on a very nice motel suite in Guatemala City for three nights and enjoyed some nice meals, swimming and a wonderful time together. God has taught us to be thrifty with our resources over the years, but this time it just felt like God was blessing the splurge. It was so nice celebrating our relationship and the journey on which God has taken us over the last 25 years. We would have been terrified had we known what we were facing ahead as we stood at the altar on July 23, 1988, but looking back now we wouldn't change a thing.


Speaking of changing things, it appears that it is time to change vehicles as my faithful 4-Runner seems ready to be put out to pasture. The years of hard miles have taken their toll and its aches and pains seem to be overwhelming its ability to function. It is still a good vehicle for gentler driving, but needs a retirement from the rural and hard roads to which I have subjected her. In addition, we simply need a vehicle with more cargo space. On a recent trip to Las Palmas, La Gomera and Sipacate we were fully loaded down both inside and out as we carried food baskets, diapers, medicine and three wheelchairs. Our ministry will be receiving a donation to cover the cost of a vehicle upgrade minus the projected profit we will receive through the sale of the 4-Runner, so we are currently shopping for a 4-door pick-up truck. We are looking for a used 4-wheel drive diesel as the cost of diesel fuel is cheaper here and it would get better fuel efficiency with more power. We expect such a purchase to save us around $1500-2000 in fuel cost each year.

One of the reasons for the need for more cargo area is our increase in new families with which we work. With each passing month we are fitting more wheelchairs, delivering more food and supplies, and transporting more people. On Friday we delivered four wheelchairs to some folks who desperately needed them. It is not easy fitting all those chairs in a 4-Runner, but the smiles on the faces were worth it all (and then some).






One of the children who recieved a wheelchair is Maria Jose. Her family fishes for a living, and they wanted to share what they had with us in gratitude for our help. So they prepared a wonderful seafood lunch for us that rivaled the best restaurant I have encountered. Fish, shrimp, crab, ceviches...we were stuffed "to the gills" and enjoyed the incredible company of a wonderful family. So often we seek to bless families but usually end up being more blessed by them.



As I write this blog I am sitting outside my hotel room in San Pablo La Laguna. We have had a long day as we traveled up and visited with six families. One of the families we visited was little Michael and his mom, Juana. This handsome three year old has Down Syndrome and his single mother struggles to provide for them. We have been providing some food and the bus fare for her to take Michael to therapy, thanks to a generous sponsor in the States. Today we were able to deliver a special treat for them...a real bed! Until now, they have been sleeping on a crib mattress that they place on their dirt floor each night. This is a challenge that becomes even more difficult during rainy season as their floors often turn to mud. For the first time, they will sleep on a real bed tonight thanks to another generous sponsor in the States. As we carried the bed in Juana began to cry. She told us, through our Tzutujil translator, Michel, that she was overwhelmed with gratitude because no one had cared for them before. As we told her about the sponsor in the US her tear increased and she asked us repeatedly to tell them "Thank you!"

The longer I live here and do this ministry the more I realize the difference a few dollars can make. The cost of a simple meal at McDonalds for a family of five each month can literal save and change lives. And the more I see that lived out in front of me, the more grateful I am for all of you who pray and give to make this ministry a reality. Many of you are making real sacrifices to support this work because you realize how much God loves the whole world, not just your little world. For that, I thank you...from the bottom of my heart!

Blessings from San Pablo La Laguna!
Daryl

Walk Humbly

I am a problem-solver and fixer. I have been since I was a child. My mother would often find me in the midst of taking apart some appliance or another in efforts to repair them (even when they weren’t broken). My dad assumed that I would follow in his shoes and become an engineer, but I chose a different path. I chose ministry. And while my days look very different from my father’s days, I have come to understand that my misguided goals were similar. To fix things…specifically lives.

So, when I came to Guatemala I had visions of fixing things. You can call it what you want, including the following clichés:

• Have an impact
• Make a difference
• Save lives
• Change hearts
• Yada, yada, yada

But after over 2 1/2 years in this country of incredible need I have come to the following conclusion…I can do none of the above (with the possible exception of the yada, yada, yada). Further, I have come to realize that the pursuit of these things will lead me only to discouragement and burnout and cause me to fail at the only thing that I can do. (More about that later.)

Let me tell you about last week, and maybe you will understand a little better. Quite frankly it was a week in which everything for which we have been working seemed to fall apart.

I will begin with a young man named Diego. He is 12 years old and we found him in San Pablo La Laguna about six weeks ago. His mother begged for our help because he had unexplained bruises all over his body. When I asked her some diagnostic questions I found out that his energy level was very low, and when he gets cut or scraped it takes a long time for him to stop bleeding. I was immediately concerned, so we made arrangements for him to see a doctor and get blood work done. When we returned at the beginning of July, we found that his test results showed some serious concerns and the doctor had referred him to the national hospital in Guatemala City. They wanted him to see an oncologist because they believe he has leukemia. So, we paid for their transportation via chicken bus to the city and arranged for our Tzutujil translator, Michel, to accompany them.

Last week Michel took them to the city. We received a call from him the next day telling us that when Diego was examined they decided to admit him to the hospital immediately. Michel left for a moment to take care of paperwork and returned to discover that Diego and his father had gotten scared and had run away. He spent most of that day looking for them and finally gave up and returned to San Pablo late that evening. We are still trying to track Diego and his father down.

That same day we heard from the mother of Alex, one of our sponsored children in Santa Catarina. She told me that he had stopped walking and was sick with a fever. I headed up to their house and examined Alex and realized that he was not walking because he was in pain. He also had swollen glands and difficulty swallowing. We arranged for him to see the doctor who works with our ministry and he immediately ordered blood, urine and feces tests. He also ordered pelvis and knee X-rays. As suspected, the results showed a urinary tract infection. What was unexpected was what the X-rays showed. Both hip sockets are broken. No wonder the little guy doesn’t want to walk.

We will be taking Alex to a specialist this week and I expect that he will want to do surgery. The recovery from this will be long and difficult for both Alex and his family.

On the same day that we received Alex’s test results, we also received a call from Jorge’s mom. He lives in Nueva Concepción and is 15 years old. You may remember that he has suffered from pressure sores on both his buttocks and right heel. Last year he had to have a Syames amputation of his heel because the pressure sore had penetrated to the bone and destroyed it. His mother called and told me that he had another pressure sore on the same foot.

On receiving this news, I wanted to just scream. I had explained to this family on numerous occasions that it was very important for them to watch both his feet and his buttocks for beginnings of sores. But when I visited him yesterday I found that he had sores and deterioration that had to have been in the works at least two months. Yet they had done nothing to prevent their worsening or treat them. I checked his buttocks and found that this sore had worsened considerably as well. And when I confronted Jorge about why he had not alerted his family regarding the sores he actually smiled and told me, “I don’t care.” (This was followed by a firm scolding on my part in which I explained that he was no longer a child, but a young man. I also told him that if he continued not to care he would likely lose more of his foot, or even his life.)

In the midst of all this, we have had a wonderful family staying with us and working with our ministry. Jason and Lori Yelton are here with two of their children, Dillon and Jessica. On Friday we were heading out of town and I was telling them about all of these set-back we have been facing. I made the mistake of saying, “When it rains, it pours!” About five seconds after I uttered those words, my 4-Runner made an odd sound and I lost my 4-wheel drive. So, my much-abused vehicle is once again in the hands of our mechanic.

Sometimes I can be pretty thick and miss the lessons that are right in front of me. But over the weekend it finally began to dawn on me that God is trying to teach me something through all of this. It took me another day before I finally figured out WHAT He was trying to teach me.

What was the great lesson? Answer: I CAN’T FIX ANYTHING.

As I look back over the last nine days of my life, my powerlessness is very evident. I cannot control any of these situations:

• I cannot prevent Diego and his father from running away. And if we find them and take them back to the hospital I cannot prevent them from running again. And I certainly can’t take away Diego’s leukemia.
• I cannot heal Alex’s pelvis or prevent his coming surgery. And I cannot assure that the surgery will be a success.
• I cannot make Jorge care enough about his health to monitor his bedsores. I cannot make his family do a better job of watching for problems. These are their choices, and I cannot control them.
• I cannot keep my 4-Runner from breaking down. I can’t even have a say in when or where the breakdowns occur.
• In my last blog I wrote about the inner turmoil I often feel when asking, “Which ones can we save/should we save?” But the reality is that we cannot save any of them. We can intervene with medical care, but that does not mean that they will live. Likewise, we can choose not to intervene, but God may spare and heal. I have often thought I was playing God when deciding who to save, but I really play God when I am arrogant enough to think I can save anyone.

So, in light of my complete powerlessness to save and fix, why am I here? God is slowly penetrating my thickness to reveal that simple answer. I am here to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God." (Micah 6:8)

I cannot control or change any of these situations, but fortunately that is not my role. That is God’s job. My task is to love God and love others recklessly with the humble awareness of my powerlessness next to God’s great power.

I don’t need to get hung up on or burdened down by the needs that surround me. When I do, I will be ineffective at loving both God and man. I will lose the joy of the Lord, which is my strength, and that is what each of these families need to see and experience more than anything else.

My life and this ministry is not about fixing anything or anyone. It is about leading people to the One who can either fix things for them, or walk with them through their brokenness. That is the greatest need of the families with which we work. It is also my greatest need, to humbly walk with Him in my own brokenness and to know that it enough.

Blessings from a former fixer!

Daryl

Life and Death Decisions

I love this ministry. It is the most challenging and demanding work that I have ever done, but I would not trade what I do now for anything that this world has to offer. If you could list every job in the world and offer me my pick I would still choose this life and this ministry.

Having said that, there are still days when I want to quit. I know…that sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? Maybe it is. But there are times when I feel like the decisions that are necessary to run a ministry like this are just too far above my head. Someone else could do it better. Someone else has more wisdom. Someone else should be the Director, and I should just go do the grunt work.

Never have I felt more over my head than when we face the life and death decisions of this ministry. And we are facing once such decision this week.

Little Emily is eighteen months old and has hydrocephalus. This condition results from excess cerebral fluid surrounding her brain which creates tremendous pressure, damaging her brain and causing her head to grow to an abnormally large size. Normally when a child is born with hydrocephalus they would have immediate surgery to install a cerebral shunt that would drain off excess fluid from the child’s cranium to their abdomen. In the US this would have been done regardless of the family’s economic situation, but here things are different. Emily’s mom is very poor and cannot afford a doctor or the surgery. So the pressure on her little brain continues to increase. Already she has experienced permanent brain damage that has greatly limited her development.

We entered her life a few weeks ago when we were down in Sipicate. We were contacted by the local health department and told that she and her mom needed emergency transportation from Sipicate to the free clinic in La Gomera (because they could not afford to pay for an ambulance). We had just wrapped up our work for the day, so we readily agreed to give them a ride.

As we traveled my heart broke for both this mother and her child. The mother was desperate to help her child and Emily was clearly suffering. When we arrived in La Gomera the doctor took one look at her and took her straight back to a room in front of the dozens who were awaiting treatment. In addition to the pressure on her brain she was also diagnosed as having an impacted bowel. The clinic arranged to transport her to the national hospital, and we left to head home.

Last week we received a call from her mother in which she told us that the national hospital examined Emily and then sent her away without treatment. She wanted to know if we could help. We contacted the health center in Sipicate and they arranged to send her to the national hospital in Guatemala City. That hospital is better than most other national hospitals, and I know the neurosurgeon that works there. He is an excellent doctor and surgeon. However, they will still need to pay for the surgery. And therein lies the rub.

What should we do? From past experiences I know that I could request money on this blog and the many wonderful readers such as you would respond. You have done it many times before, and I am confident that you would again. I have no doubt that within 24 hours we could raise the $3500 we would need, and she could have the surgery. But should I do that?

Every day we face a long line of medical needs, and often those needs are life and death in nature. As a small ministry with limited resources, we have to ask not only “Can we help?” but also “Should we help?” In other words, is this the best way to use our limited resources?

In Emily’s situation, she is already severely brain damaged. By paying for this surgery, we can extend her life indefinitely, but we cannot reverse the damage or significantly improve her quality of life. She is suffering. So, should we make her comfortable and allow Jesus to bring her perfect healing sooner rather than later? Or should we intervene with the surgery?

This is not a sanctity of life issue. Of course Emily’s life is sacred and valuable, and I would never say that it is not. Every life is valuable and precious from the womb to the tomb. But we are dealing with hard facts here which include the following:

• In Guatemala if you cannot afford the treatment you do not receive it, regardless of how critical that treatment might be.
• People die everyday due to their inability to pay for necessary treatment.
• With our limited resources we are, at times, forced to choose who we will allow to die and who we will save.
• A part of that decision-making process has to include the long-term quality of life for the person we save.
• No, I am not qualified to make these decisions.
• Yes, it does feel like we are playing God at times. (And I hate it.)

For those of you who would like to write and set me straight, I welcome the correction under the following condition: Offer me real solutions and not just clichés. If you think I am doing it wrong you are welcome to move here and run this ministry. I will do the grunt work and you can make these hard decisions. You probably will do a better job and I can be free of the emotional and spiritual turmoil.

I will also say this…now is not a good time to complain to me about the US health care system.

I beg for your prayers. We are facing numerous life and death decisions in our ministry right now. We understand that we cannot save them all. For some our role is to simply stand with families and love them as Jesus does while they say goodbye and mourn. For others, we must intervene with medical care. But always we need the wisdom of God to determine which role we should pray in each situation.

Thanks for allowing me to pour out my heart. Now, back to work…

Blessings from Guatemala!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

Prayers and Help Needed

What a month this has been! The Beyer family arrived, we hosted four days of physical and occupational therapy clinics, we added three more villages and 16 children to our rural village ministry, and I still have a little bit of sanity left. (At least I think so. But a crazy person really isn’t a good judge of sanity.)

In spite of my best efforts to slow down the growth of this ministry, I find things moving beyond my control as we find more and more children and families in desperate situations. I have not yet figured out how to say no to a parent whose child is in serious crisis, so I keep saying yes and trusting God to provide.

During our PT/OT clinics we were led to 16 new families in need of assistance. This also led us into three new villages that are each giving my 4-runner a workout. When we returned from our Las Palma/La Gomera/Sipicate trip on Friday it was difficult to tell that my vehicle was black and not mud brown. In addition, I think some members of our ministry team may be suffering the effects of shaken baby syndrome. We endured heat and humidity, mosquitos, mud and long days, but had a blast doing it.

The longer I do this ministry the more the size of the needs become real to me, and the more I commit myself to giving my all to ease suffering and share Jesus. I am so grateful that God has given me a great team of people to assist with that work.

So, I am coming to you once again with a list of prayer requests followed by a list of children/adults needing sponsorship. I feel bad as I am so often asking for support for these precious ones and their families. At the same time, I take consolation in knowing that I never ask for financial support for our ministry, only for specific children. Many ministries that I respect and love frequently fundraise and beg for donations. We do not. We instead take our ministry’s financial needs to God and trust Him to provide…and He always does. And when you sponsor a child, 100% of your donation goes directly to that child’s needs.

So, with that in mind, I want to share with you a few prayer requests:

• Our group home continues to await our licensing. We have been told for weeks that it should come any day, but we face ongoing barriers from CNA. Four times now they have come back to us to request information that we have already submitted to them. Over and over again they delay without reason. Meanwhile, I have heard from three different orphanages in the last few weeks wanting to know if our home is open because children with special needs have been placed in their homes since there is no room for them elsewhere. These directors do not feel equipped to care for these children, so I am working with them to train them in how to address their needs. And all of this occurs as CNA continues to delay our opening. Would you please pray that God will either change those who are blocking our licensing or remove them from their positions?
• The Beyer family continues to get settled and have begun Spanish lessons. One big area that still needs to be addressed is the purchase of a vehicle for their family. Because Dale will be assisting with our rural village ministry, they are seeking a 4-wheel drive vehicle that will endure the rough travel we do on a regular basis. Will you please pray that we find the right vehicle soon for a good price?
• As our ministry grows, we are struggling to find the necessary storage space to accommodate our supplies and equipment. Each month we purchase and sort over 1000 pounds of food that then awaits distribution to different homes in 20 different villages. Add to that the medicines, wheelchairs, diapers, walkers, crutches and other supplies and we have quite a mountain of stuff on any give day. We are praying for and seeking creative solutions to alleviate this crowding. Please pray that God will direct us.
• Currently we are taking three Guatemalan families with us to church every Sunday in addition to two young men. This means that on the typical week we have 10 Fulps plus 15 Guatemalans squeezing into one 15 passenger van and one Toyota 4-Runner. When we have a visiting team, as we did this week, those numbers increase. (This past Sunday we were scheduled to take 39 people to church until our plans were thwarted by a Catholic procession that closed down our street and blocked us in for the morning.) Those numbers will increase even more when our group home opens. So, will you please pray that God will provide us with another 15 passenger van and a place to park it?

Now, on to the children and adults who are awaiting sponsorship. Some of these need a one time sponsorship for a wheelchair. Some need monthly sponsorship for formula, diapers or medicine. Some need both. If you would like to help, please contact me at daryl@hopeforhome.org.

Manuel lives in La Gomera and has cerebral palsy. He is 12 years old and has a wheelchair that is made for adults and is missing its back. They have placed two straps across the back to keep him from falling backward and he slouches to the side because he has no lateral support. He desperately needs a new wheelchair that is the right size for him and that will provide the support he needs.

I would like to place him in a custom chair which would cost $250.00 US, but we need a sponsor to cover that expense.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Marvin is 8 years old and lives in a very rural village about 30 minutes outside La Gomera. He currently has a Hope Haven chair, but the footrest has broken off and the high humidity has rusted it badly. So, he needs a replacement.

The cost for a new chair will be $250.00 US.

We also need a monthly sponsor for formula for him. His current weight is only 23 pounds and we need to help him fatten up. Monthly cost: $14.00 US.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following family is particularly challenging as there are four adult sibling who all have special needs. We are focusing on two of these siblings, each of whom are suffering from the effects of polio that they had as a child.

Gloria is 51 years old and has been bedridden since age 4 when she had polio. She is unable to sit upright and requires a special wheelchair to give her mobility. However, we are so grateful to God and to Bethel Ministries because they are donating her chair to us at no cost.

However, Gloria is on three types of medicine which cost the family around $150 a month. While I do not expect for find a sponsor for that entire amount, we would like to help with $50 or $75 each month. If you are interested in helping, please write to me.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lorena is 41 years old and also had polio when she was four. She is unable to walk without assistance and does not have the necessary balance to use a walker. She needs a standard wheelchair to give her some much needed mobility. The sponsorship for this wheelchair is $150.00 US.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Leslie is 7 years old and suffers from cerebral palsy. She has a wheelchair that Dick Rutgers provided for her and is working well, although we did perform some maintenance on it while we were there.

However, Leslie is very thin and needs to gain weight, so we would like a sponsor to provide the monthly formula she needs. The cost is $14.00 US each month.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dorcas is 7 years old as well and has cerebral palsy. Her mother has to carry her everywhere as she has no wheelchair. While that was not a problem when she was younger, as she is getting older her mother is struggling. We would like to provide a custom chair for her if we can find a sponsor. The cost for sponsorship is a one-time expense of $250.00 US.

We would also like a monthly sponsor to provide diapers for her as this cost is difficult for the family. The monthly sponsorship for this is $5.50 US.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria Jose is a precious little 4 year old girl. Like so many, she suffers from cerebral palsy and is under-weight. She needs a custom wheelchair to give her the support and stability she requires. The cost is $250.00 US.

We also need a monthly sponsor for formula for her. The cost is $14.00 US a month.

 

 

As I look back over this list of people awaiting help, it is easy to become overwhelmed. If my math is correct, we need $1150.00 for wheelchairs and $122.50 of new monthly sponsorship. However, I take great comfort in knowing that each of the adults and children are God’s children. He loves them greatly and is the perfect provider. Will you please join me in praying that He will meet each and every one of these needs?

Okay, I think I have written more than enough for now. Blessings from Guatemala!

Daryl

Another Picture Blog

Time has gotten away from me and I realized this morning that it has been over three weeks since my last blog. I apologize for my delinquency and want to catch you up on some of the details of life and ministry. However, because of the tightness of time, I will let pictures do most of the talking.

First, on May 27th we welcomed the Beyer family to our team! This has been long awaited and prayed for, so we are thrilled that they are actually on the ground. They have found a home right here in town and signed a lease, and we expect them to make the move from our place to theirs in the next few days (if I can ever find the time to take them to do the shopping that needs to be done prior to the move). Our dinner table has been crowded with them joining us, but we love it because we love the Beyer clan. We are actually a little sad to see them leave and head to their own home.

As I write this they are meeting with their Spanish teacher to set-up lessons. They will be immersed in language study for the next couple of months.

We made it up to San Pablo La Laguna on May 31st and June 1st. It was an encouraging trip as we saw several of our children making significant progress.

Little Marta gained 2 1/2 pounds in the last month, bringing this 12 year old up to a whopping 19 pounds (up from her original weight of 14 1/2 pounds)! This is significant progress in the last three months.

 

 

 

 

Little Lucia continues to improve. It has been two months since her last seizure and she is now able to sit comfortably. (When we found her she was nearly doubled backward and unable to sit or lie flat.)

 

 

 

 

With each passing month we are more warmly received in the community of San Pablo. Little Maria’s family first met us with coldness and distrust. We are now welcomed warmly and as part of the family. They even invited us to Maria’s birthday party.

 

 

 

 

On the down side, when we visited Oscar we found his bedsores to be much worse. I was confused by this since the local health center had been coming in to treat him every day. Yet I found the sores deeper and infected. I discovered the reason later when we ran into the nurse from the health center. He asked us if we could come with him back to Oscar’s house to answer questions. When we arrived he looked at me and asked me how to treat bedsores. So, we spent the next half-hour teaching him the basics of pressure sore treatment. Hopefully we will see improvement as a result.

Over the last week we have been working with a wonderful team of occupational and physical therapists from Xavier University in Cincinnati. We were contacted by Steve Osborn from Amor del Niño, who has worked with them for years, and asked if we could arrange several clinics in different communities in which we work. Of course our answer was “Yes!” So, we had two days of therapy clinic in our town on Monday and Tuesday. Then, we went down to La Gomera for a one day clinic on Thursday and to Sipicate for a one day clinic on Friday. It was a wonderful and exhausting week of 14 hour days for me. God used these times to build our relationship with the communities in which we work and truly touch lives.

During these days our ministry picked up 15 new families who need assistance. We will be doing follow-up with them later this week.

Once particularly difficult situation was a young lady named Katerin. She is 16 years old and has cerebral palsy. Her mother showed up seeking therapy, but as soon as I saw her I realized that she was in crisis. She was malnourished, seizing and too weak for therapy. So, we did a quick assessment. The mother explained that she could not afford the medicine for seizures that the doctor had prescribed. Neither could she afford formula. I made a quick run to the local pharmacy for both meds and formula. I am thrilled to say that we have found a sponsor for her to provide these things every month. Please pray for her.

Sipacate is only a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean, so in spite of my fatigue after a long week I yielded to their pleas and we did a detour to the shore as we were leaving town. We were all greatly entertained as the ladies of the team were taken by surprise by a large wave while taking a group photo. (I am still trying to get all the sand out of my van.) At my insistence we moved further up the shore before I joined them for a couple of photos, one yielding the Xavier X. I am so thankful for this wonderful group of therapists and the time we had together.

One of our areas of ministry has been through our local church. I preach about once each month, and we have been bringing three Guatemalan families with us each Sunday. That has made transportation interesting as we have filled both our van and our 4-Runner to overflowing to get everyone to and from the service. And this is prior to the opening of our group home which will add even more to those number. So, we have begun praying for a second van to assist with transportation. In the meantime, we may resort to having our kids ride on the luggage rack up top.

My daughter, Krishauna, is safely settled in at Casa Bernabe, an orphanage on the other side of Guatemala City. Today is her birthday and we are really missing being with her. However, she will be home this weekend, so we will celebrate together then.

My daughter, Carissa, is safely in London now for a layover during her trip home from Uganda. We will pick her up from the airport tomorrow evening and enjoy a little time with her before she begins fundraising to return full-time to Uganda.

And my daughter, Teisha, is settled into the community of Troy, OH where she is working full-time and saving for school in the fall. She will celebrate her birthday on Thursday, so we are feeling her absence as well.

We are hoping to have four of the five Musketeer Fulp Girls back together for a brief time over the holidays (minus Ashley who cannot come). Until then, we will pray for and miss all of them who are not with us.

Well, that is all for now. Blessings from Guatemala!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew