Exciting News to Share!

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. – Psalm 115:1

Today my blog entry is serving as a newsletter on behalf of Hope for Home Ministries and Hogar de la Esperanza. There is a lot of news to share, so let’s get right to it:

Introducing Our New Maternity Care Director

Some time ago I shared my desire to begin a ministry to pregnant mothers in Guatemala. Many of the special needs that we encounter here could be prevented or reduced through good care during pregnancy and having trained personnel available to assist with deliveries. So, it has been my desire to have someone to oversee a program that would meet those needs.

I am pleased to announce that Rachel McCray will be joining our team sometime next spring or summer and will serve as our Maternity Care Director. She will provide regular check-ups of pregnant women in their homes, advise them regarding nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy, distribute vitamins, and assist with births. Our desire is that she will also train other midwives in rural villages to duplicate that ministry.

Rachel currently resides in Warsaw, Missouri and graduated from Heritage College in Kansas City with an Occupational Studies Degree in X-ray Medical Technician/Medical Assistant. She is currently completing her training as a midwife and gaining experience in that role.

We are excited to have Rachel join our team here in Guatemala! Please pray for her over the next year as she raises support, completes her training and makes her transition to her new home and country. If you have questions or would like to invite her to share at your church, you can contact her at rachel@hopeforhome.org.

A Transition for the Ecklebargers

Even as we are welcoming a new team member, we are saying goodbye to Ron and Melanie Ecklebarger and their family. At the end of this month they will be moving back to the States and Ron will be transitioning into his new role as our Communications Director. The reasons for this move back to the US are numerous, but high on the list are the medical needs of their children.

The Ecklebargers have adopted five children from Uganda, and three of them have special needs which need to be addressed. Of particular concern is some surgery that their daughter, Immaculate, needs that is quite extensive. As a result, they will be moving back, having these medical needs addressed, and seeking God for their next step.

However, even as they are looking for God’s direction, they will be serving a valuable role for Hope for Home. We have lacked a person to speak on behalf of our ministry in America, and they will now be filling that much needed position. They will be available to speak in your church and, due to their time here in Guatemala, have a greater understanding of both the needs and the opportunities we face.

Meanwhile, Ron’s parents, Bob and Jane Ecklebarger, will be staying in Guatemala and continuing to assist with our ministry and others. They have become valuable ministers to the people of Guatemala, and we are glad to still have them as a part of our team on the ground.

Please pray for Ron, Melanie and their children as they move back to the States. Pray especially for God’s provision and for their children as they address their medical needs. If you would like to arrange for their family to speak are your church, please contact Ron at ron@hopeforhome.org.

A New Kids Against Hunger Distribution Point

If you follow my blog regularly, you have seen me mention the huge blessing that a ministry called Kids Against Hunger is to our work here. They provide high calorie/high nutrition food packets to us free-of-charge that we distribute as a part of our rural village ministry. They have not only helped us, but numerous other ministries in Guatemala as well.

Recently I was contacted by Coral Matus from the Toledo branch of Kids Against Hunger. She asked if I would be willing to oversee the opening and management of a new Kids Against Hunger distribution point in our area. It did not take me long to respond with an excited “Yes!”

As a result, we are currently searching for suitable warehouse/storage space to hold a shipping container of food at a time (That is 36 pallets of KAH food!) and making arrangements for hiring the necessary truck to get it from the ports to here. This distribution site will provide the packets for Hogar de la Esperanza and numerous other ministries in our area. Once everything is in place, my right-hand man, Gerardo Hernandez, will oversee the daily operation.

As we begin this new area of ministry, please pray that God will bring together the necessary logistics. Also pray that He will be glorified in the way it is distributed.

Hogar de la Esperanza Opening Soon

No, we still have a long ways to go before we are licensed as a group home for children with special needs. However, we will soon be opening the door to those children as a day care program.

Recently, the mother of a child with severe disabilities approached Gerardo and asked him, with tears in her eyes, if we were able to take her son into our home. She told him that she loves her son, but is unable to care for him properly and go to work. This started my mental wheels turning (always a dangerous thing). What if we were to begin providing a day care/respite program for these children? This would give their parents an opportunity to get a break, go to work, or just take care of errands and chores. At the same time, it will give us valuable experience and help us to sharpen our care-giving skills in preparation for the opening of our group home.

After discussing it as a family, we decided to open such a program on a test basis beginning in May. At first, we will open one day a week and will expand to additional days as we are able. We already have strong relationships with lots of families that have children who have special needs in our community, and we believe a number of them will be blessed by this ministry. Please pray for us as we begin this new work.

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

As you can tell, there is a lot going on in addition to our ongoing work. We hope to have even more big news to share in the next month or two.

Thanks for your ongoing prayer and financial support! It is greatly appreciated!

Daryl Fulp

Director, Hope for Home Ministries