Help Is On the Way

Another week has passed, and I find myself wondering where it went and how it is over in the blink of an eye. Life is busy, so every day tends to be a blur of activity that ends with our collapse into bed.

   

Last week was birthday week as both Carissa (18) and Taryn (13) celebrated their special days on Monday and Tuesday. In a two day period we added another adult and another teenager to our family. So, we had the normal cake and candles and a few modest gifts. As Taryn enters the teen years it means that she gets to have a Facebook account and start wearing make-up. Oh, boy. Pray for me.

Carissa decided that she wanted our family to celebrate her birthday by going to Hermano Pedro and taking out some of the older guys for ice cream at the park. We had a wonderful time with Juan, Max, David, and Elmer, enjoying the fresh air and wheelchair races in Central Park. It is so wonderful to know that these guys are some of our family’s closest friends.

Since we returned from Mexico, Wanda and I have been in the process of renewing our passports which expire in October. The US Embassy if very friendly and easy to work with, which is a refreshing change for the normal long lines and bureaucratic nightmares that we usually experience here. However, getting to the embassy is not so easy, particularly with our GPS (now named Cruella Deville) who has no awareness of one-way streets. And once we found the place, we spent another 20 minutes driving in circles looking for parking. But, eventually, we made it inside, filed the papers, paid our fees, and headed home again.

On Wednesday we returned to the Embassy to pick-up our passports. This time I had learned enough to ignore Cruella and take my own path, so we arrived and parked in about half the time. When we picked up the passports, it was determined that Wanda’s picture was too dark and the book needed to be remade. So, at the end of this week I will be heading back again. Yay.

On the bright side, life in Guatemala is teaching us patience. I find that many of the things that used to frustrate and irritate me so badly no longer fazes me at all. Traffic jams, long lines, and obnoxious chicken bus drivers hardly bother me any more. (Okay, the chicken bus drivers still get under my skin.) For years I prayed that God would help me to be more patient. I had no idea what would be required to make that a reality.

Speaking of patience, I have had to exercise it even more in relation to the van work we are having done. If you recall, I hit a rock in the road about 4 weeks ago, requiring body work on the van. So, 13 days ago I dropped off the van with Nissan to have the repairs done. At that time, I was told it would be ready in eight days, more or less. Surprise, surprise…it’s more! On day 10 I received this photo of the progress they had made on the work, only to discover that they had only just begun. I am hoping to have it back by the end of this week, but we will see.

Thursday and Friday were filled with shopping for our monthly food and medicine distribution to children who are sponsored by US supporters. This process is taking more and more time as the number of families increases. But, we find ourselves able to stretch our money further as we are now able to buy most items in bulk. Sugar, rice, beans, and soup are now purchased in 20 to 50 pound quantities and divided up. This is wonderful seeing the amount of food going to families increase, but the time it takes to do this is increasing.

On Friday morning, Jeremiah and I finished sorting the food and made deliveries in San Andres, San Antonio, and Santa Catarina. This is always one of my favorite times of the month as we visit with families. I stand amazed at the things God has done to grow our ministry and influence in this area. We have truly become know as Hogar de la Esperanza (Home of the Hope).

This weekend we were able to spend some much needed time away together as a family due to the generous gift from Living Waters Church in Michigan. Games, swimming, pizza, and more were a part of our weekend, and everyone had a blast and returned refreshed. We took this time because the Ecklebarger family arrives today, and the next few weeks will be spent helping them to settle in and find their way around.

Speaking of which, we have many miracles to praise God for, with the greatest of which being that the Ecklebargers are finally here in Guatemala with us. When they checked-in at Chicago O’Hare airport at 3:30 am, they were told that they could not fly into Guatemala on a one-way ticket. The desk personnel told them they needed to show return flight plans in order to fly. There are hundred of people in Guatemala who live here and who flew down with one-way tickets, but that made no difference to Spirit Airlines. After a long discussion and numerous phone calls, they were finally allowed to board their first flight to Ft. Lauderdale with questions still being raised about whether they would be allowed to fly to Guatemala.

Meanwhile, their flight out of Chicago was delayed by over an hour, which meant they would not be able to make their connecting flight. When I saw their flight status, I told Wanda and we immediately began to pray. We praise God that their plane into Ft. Lauderdale was actually the same plane they would take into Guatemala. So, they couldn’t miss it. We also praise God that they were allowed to continue without question regarding their one-way tickets. So, we welcomed them to Guatemala and our home this afternoon.

Their addition to our team will be a huge blessing to us. If you read my blog regularly, you see how overworked and overwhelmed we have been. They will be providing assistance with everything from administrative duties to our 4-wheel drive ministry. Plus, it will be wonderful having these good friends here with us.

That is all for now. Love and blessings from Guatemala!

Daryl, Wanda, and the Crew