Three Day Weeks

I know, that’s a strange title for a blog entry. But it seems appropriate because the weeks go so fast. I woke up this morning thinking it must be Tuesday or Wednesday, only to look at my phone and discover it is Friday already. It honestly seems like my weeks only have three days in them.

This week our family went to Rehoboth Children’s Home in Parramos. This ministry is operated by our new church (more on this later) and does an incredible job of caring for kids who have been abandoned or abused. School just ended here (the school year goes from mid January through October) and we were invited out to enjoy a picnic with the kids to celebrate the beginning of vacation and learn more about their ministry.

We were impressed right away with the quality of care that the children receive and the love and openness among the kids. Considering their background, you would expect anger, rebellion and distrust, but the opposite was what we found. The kids were all respectful, loving, and happy, and the difference is their Jesus-centered approach. I think the majority of our own kids have decided they want to live there. This will be one of the ministries with which all our teams will work.

An unexpected plus of this visit was the guidance that Chici Barbella (wife of our pastor and co-founder of the ministry) was able to give us regarding the licensing process for our group home. After much prayer and seeking guidance from others, we have decided not to operate under the license of another ministry, but to pursue our own licensing. With the counsel and contacts she gave us, we will be ready to pursue that process early in January. Please pray for God’s provision for that process, as we expect it to cost over $5000 to complete.

In addition, our church also operates a rehabilitation center for drug addicts and alcoholics. Currently they have about 35 men enrolled in the program who are finding freedom through relationship with Jesus.

Hearing all this, you might think that we are going to a large church. In reality, the church is only about 120 people, but they are so focused on Jesus they don’t realize that they can’t do what they are doing. So, by God’s power, they do it. It is called Nueva Vida y Paz (New Life & Peace) and is pastored by Victor Barbella and his wife, Chici. Victor grew up in Philadelphia where he came to know Jesus while in jail facing 7 to 15 years in prison. He has an in-your-face approach to preaching that we love. The sermons and announcements are translated to English, but everything else is in Spanish. We love our new church and are looking forward to taking all our teams there. You can find more information here and even listen to the same great sermons we hear each week.

Our ministries to families of children with special needs continues to grow. News of our ministry is spreading by word of mouth, and more and more people are seeking us out. On Sunday, one of my friends pulled me aside and told me about one of his friends who has a 14 year old daughter with spina bifida. Her chair has worn out and she needs a new one. So, we went to her home on Tuesday to assess her needs and measure her for a new one.

Her name is Rosa and she has bright eyes and a beautiful smile. The challenge she faces is that her house is located at the bottom of a hill that has a long flight of concrete steps leading up to the road. As a result, her old chair has taken a beating.

While Rosa is paralyzed from the waist down, she has good upper body strength and trunk control. So, after consulting with Dick Rutgers, I have decided to try and find a more rugged but light-weight chair that will allow better control and a smoother ride. Praise God that we already have a sponsor for this chair! Just please pray that we can find the right one for her.

Another need that we encountered over the last week has been a little guy named Jorje. He is 8 years old and suffers from Autism. He has nasty scars on his forehead from where he regularly bangs his head against the wall, in spite of his family’s best efforts to keep him from doing so. He had not been to a doctor since he was 3 years old, so our first act was to arrange for him to go to our doctor for an exam and to begin getting him caught up on his inoculations.

Also, as I visited with the other kids, I realized that they were all undernourished. So, our desire is to begin assisting them on a monthly basis through food deliveries. So, you know what that means…we need a sponsor for $40 a month. If you are able to help, could you write to me at daryl@hopeforhome.org? Remember, every penny of your sponsorship gift each month goes directly to the family. None is withheld for administrative costs.

Last night Wanda and I slept on the roof. (Actually, we slept there until midnight when we realized that our air mattress had a leak in it.) While lying there looking up at the sky watching the volcano spew its lava and a few shooting stars darting past, I was reminded of the following passage from God’s Word:

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” – Psalm 8:3-4

I am sure that I don’t understand why God is mindful of me, my family, or the people to which we minister. We sure don’t deserve his attention or his care. I only know that He is mindful of us in a very loving and personal way. So, I take comfort in knowing that the Source of it all holds us and every need close to His heart. And that is all I need to know.

I must end now so I can go do follow-up with several families and find a wheelchair for Rosa. Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement and faithful support!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew