Great friends and a huge stretch

Please keep reading to the end as I have an important message and prayer request to share.

Over the last week we have had the privilege of hosting the Anderson family from Harrisburg, PA. Rande and his wife, Heidi, along with their three children, Emma, Max and Jonah, stayed with us and ministered alongside us in some powerful ways. It is always nice when you find a family who really “gets it,” and the Andersons definitely do.

When I talk about “getting it” I am referring to those believers who realize that Jesus did not save us to make us comfortable and prosperous, but that He saved us so that we could pour out our lives for the glory of His name. We did that together this week, and I am sure that they are returning home exhausted. (Wanda had to encourage me to slow down with our schedule this week, lest I make them so tired that they would not want to come back again.

We took them to visit Rehoboth Children’s Home on Saturday (after a harrowing experience in the Antigua market). We played soccer and basketball and visited with the kids after they received a tour of this wonderful ministry.

On Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful worship service at our home church, Vida Nueva y Paz, followed by lunch in Antigua and an afternoon in Hermano Pedro.

On Monday, they helped with our monthly food distribution by assisting with the measuring, sorting, boxing and delivery. Each month this task gets a little larger, and the additional help was very welcome.

 

On Tuesday we headed out to Las Palmas and La Gomera where we visited with our families and delivered food and medicine. We also found two other children in need of intervention. Natalie, age 7, has intestinal issues that makes eating difficult. She is losing weight and struggling. We are making arrangements for her to receive the medication she desperately needs.

We also met a 15 year-old girl who is hearing and speech impaired. We are arranging for this beautiful young lady to be assessed by a specialist to see if they can improve her hearing through hearing aids.

On Wednesday morning, Rande and I, along with Jeremiah and Max, headed out to visit with Rosa in Antigua. We had placed her in a wheelchair back in November, but someone had told us that her chair was broken. When we arrived we found out the report was incorrect and her chair was fine. However, it was a good excuse to visit with her and her family for a while.

We left her home and went to Hope Haven where we picked up a chair for little Jorge in Ciudad Vieja. Rande also was treated to a tour of their facilities while I picked-up some additional parts I needed to make repairs on several chairs. We intended to deliver and fit the chair that morning, but when we arrived at Jorge’s house we found out he was at a therapy appointment. So, we will make that delivery next week.

In the afternoon we went to Casa Jackson, the malnutrition center in San Felipe de Jesus. One of the heartbreaking stories in the center was a 12 year old who had arrived the day before. He was severely malnourished, weighing only 23 pounds. The cognitive impact of the malnutrition was obvious, as he showed clear signs of brain damage. I wish I could say these stories were a rarity, but they are all too common.

Yesterday we spent the day at Amor del Niño. This is always a treat, because it is one of the best orphanages in Guatemala. They have excellent nannies, wonderful facilities, and all the children are loved deeply. They currently have 52 children in the home, with 40 of them being two years old and younger. There was cuteness galore in that place.

And, today, with much sadness, we said goodbye to the Andersons as they headed home. They are really more like family than friends, so we miss them already.

Over the last month, God has been challenging me in a couple of areas. I know that He is calling us to, once again, expand our ministry, but I have been resisting. To be honest, I am tired and overworked, and I have no idea how we are going to fund these expansions. (Can you sense that Daryl is, again, trying to do God-sized things by his own strength?)

Specifically, God has been calling me to expand our areas of ministry to address systematic issues that are hurting the people of Guatemala. This prompting is leading us to address two areas of concern:

1. Pre-natal care – Most babies in Guatemala are born in homes without any pre-natal care by doctors or nurses. That, combined with poor nutrition, leads to high instances of birth defects and disabilities related to complications during birth. I believe God is calling us to begin a program in which we provide maternity vitamins to pregnant women along with two doctor appointments during their pregnancy. How will we do this? I have no idea. But with God’s help, we will.
2. Generational poverty – Many of the families with which we work are held in place by generational poverty. If you are poor, how do you obtain the necessary tools to break the chains of poverty? How do you secure a decent education? How do you find a meaningful job? Even if you have a solid skill, how do you start a business with no money? I sense God’s leading to begin a micro-financing ministry in which we provide small loans to people with useful and marketable skills, along with biblical business counseling. We would provide loans of $50 to $300, allowing for a modest repayment schedule and a decent interest rate. Any money that we make on interest would be invested in other loans. In so doing, our desire is to break the cycle of poverty, allowing for families to create a business that will better provide for their family, thus allowing for independence. How will we do this? Once again…no idea. But we will, by God’s power.

Will you please pray with us for God’s guidance and provision? Also, if you have experience in either of the areas of ministry, we would welcome your input and advice.

Thanks for all your prayers, support and encouragement! Have a great weekend!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew