I am tired as I write this. It has been a long day as Taryn, Jeremiah, Gerardo and I have weighed, sorted, and packed food and distributed it to some of our local sponsored families. Each month the process gets bigger as more families are added.
Today was just a distribution to families who are a part of San Antonio Aguas Calientes. That includes the three aldeas of San Andres, San Antonio, and Santa Catarina. Other distributions occur at the first of each month, and still others occur as a part of our regular trips into villages.
I thought it might be a good idea to show you what is involved in each distribution and how it works. I want transparency in our ministry, and our prayer and financial supporters deserve to know how God is using their help.
It starts when we find a person with special needs who requires assistance. We find these people in a variety of ways. Sometimes they just show up at our door seeking help. This has happened on six different occasions. Sometimes we are sent to them by friends or neighbors who know of their need. Still other times, we simply stumble upon them as a part of our village work. Often, we can only explain it as a God-ordained appointment.
Once we find a person in need, we seek to analyze their situation to determine if assistance is truly necessary. If support is justified, we determine the level of assistance that is required. Our goal is to provide assistance in key areas, not to provide all of their needs. Often the difference between losing their home and paying their bills is simply the cost of a child’s medication or doctor’s visit. In those cases, we provide the medication or pay for the doctor. In other cases, it is $30 of groceries.
Once the needs are verified and the level of assistance is determined, we seek a sponsor for that family. Our primary avenue for finding these sponsors is this blog. Someone reads here about the needs of a family and contacts me with a desire to sponsor them. Note: When a person or family chooses to sponsor a child or person in need, every penny that they give goes directly to provide the needs of that person. None is used for administrative costs, salaries, or even the cost of gas for deliveries. A $50 gift results in $50 of food, medicine, and/or diapers going directly to the sponsored family.
That brings us to the shopping (my least favorite part of the process). In the early days, that was done in local grocery stores as we purchased the necessary amounts for one or two families. As the ministry has grown, we have graduated to buying 20 lb. bags of sugar, 40 lb. bags of rice, 10 lb. bags of powdered milk, and 30 lb. bags of black beans at Pricesmart (comparable to Costco or Sam’s Club). Today I realized that we are ready to go to the next level of purchasing 100 lb. bags of each.
In addition to food, a list is consulted for the required medications and we shop at a pharmacy that gives us a 30% discount. We also purchase diapers for children and adult continence products for the older ones.
As the distribution gets close, the large quantities of product are split into smaller portions and sealed in ziplock bags to keep out insects and moisture. This can be time consuming as all of the food is split into 2.5-5 lb. portions, air is removed, and bags are sealed. Then the food is sorted into different piles for each family and bagged. Each family receives 10 lbs. of rice, 8 lbs of beans, 5 lbs. of Maseca, 3 lbs. of sugar, 2.5 lbs. of powdered milk, 3 bags of Encamparina, and 8 packets of soup in addition to any diapers or medication they require.
When the food is distributed we don’t just drop it off at the door. We enter each home, visit for a while, find out how the child is doing, give them the food/medicine/ diapers, and pray with them. We also check on the well-being of the entire family, knowing the emotional, financial, and physical toll that caring for a person with special needs can take. Each month we remind every family that the help is from Jesus and that He loves them very much. We also let them know that our prayers for them continue all month long.
On a regular basis, those who sponsor a child or person receive an update, along with a photo and news of recent deliveries. This process takes longer and longer each time we do it, as the list of sponsors and sponsored families keeps growing. However, we believe this is important as it keeps individuals connected to those they are supporting and reminds them to keep praying.
I love these distribution. They are my favorite part of our ministry, and I always return exhausted, but full of life. I want to thank each of you who pray and give to make these days possible. Whether you sponsor a family, give to Hope for Home or Hogar de la Esperanza, or simply hit your knees on our behalf, God is using you to make this vision a reality day after day. May He bless you richly in return for all that you do!
Daryl, Wanda, and the Crew
