Life here is rolling along quickly. At the top of our priorities list are the preparations for our group home. Edy Tum, our social worker, is pleased with our progress and the additions we are making. In about seven weeks we will have a huge inspection in which three different agencies of the Guatemalan government will be coming through our home to examine the structural and sanitary conditions of the house and to approve our preparations for the children we will be receiving.
Among those preparations has been the building of wheelchair ramps. A team from Living Waters Church in Michigan did the bulk of the building and I have been working on the finishing touches. I still have one more ramp to build and need to cover the outside ramp with rubber and they will all be done.
When the inspection occurs, we have to have all the bed we need. As a result, we purchased two sets of bunk beds this week that can be un-stacked. This allows for additional space in the bedrooms if the children are capable of sleeping in an upper bunk, but is flexible in case the beds all need to be low. We also purchased two Pack-and-Plays to serve as cribs/bassinets. Once again, flexibility is the key as we don’t know the ages and disabilities of the children we will receive.
Money is tight these days, so a couple of purchases have been put on hold. One such optional purchase is a generator. We encounter regular power outages in our town and this makes me nervous for a couple of reasons. First, we will be accepting medically fragile children, some whom may require medical equipment that relies on power. A generator would assure that such equipment could function during long-term power outages. Second, we purchase our food in bulk and a large amount of meat is stored in two separate freezers. A long-term power outage would result in a big financial blow with the loss of those perishables. At the same time, we understand that God is our safety net, not a generator. So, would you simply pray that if He wants us to have one it will be provided. If not, then pray that the power stays on!
Currently I am grounded from our village work as my 4-Runner is once again in the shop. There were a lot of things that needed attention but I had been putting off until I could find a break to have them addressed. Finally, with my starter failing to start at times, I realized I could wait no longer. I was concerned with finding myself stranded in a remote spot. So my mechanic, Jouquim, picked it up and tore into it. As I suspected, the starter needed to be replaced along with the clutch and several clutch components. In addition, my front brake calipers were bad and needed to be rebuilt and the brake pads replaced. I also had a bad UV joint on the right side. Finally, the A/C compressor needed to be replaced. (I know this last item is probably considered a perk instead of a necessity, but after making eight or nine trips to regions with 90 to 100 degree temps and high humidity I was feeling mighty wiped at the end of those days with no A/C in the 4-Runner.)
Some have suggested that I seem to be spending a lot of money on vehicle repairs and that I might want to consider trashing the 4-Runner and finding something newer. In reality this is a very good vehicle. Unless you have traveled with me it would be hard to understand the pounding this 4x4 takes on a regular basis, especially the suspension, brakes and clutch. I abuse it regularly in order to get to where we need to go. (This picture was taken from my 4-Runner by a team member just before we followed this pick-up truck across. And this is not the roughest road we travel and that is the shallowest stream we cross. During rainy season we drive through 2 1/2 foot deep streams.) So, please pray for this vehicle (affectionately known as “The Batmobile” by some of the local Guatemalan children). Also pray for the continued provision to keep it maintained.
On Tuesday we purchased the food for our monthly distribution and I continue to be amazed at how God has moved. This month we purchased almost 600 pounds of food that will be weighed, sorted and delivered on the 23rd of this month. God is faithful and has provided the necessary sponsors to make this happen. The difference this is making in the lives of families is a wonderful thing to see.
As I write this we have two more children who are waiting for us to come and evaluate their needs. It is hard to find the time to do everything that needs to be done.
Meanwhile, life is more than ministry and work. We are also having lots of fun as a family. Brittney has been away in the States for the last two months and is returning Sunday evening. (And this dad is more than ready to have her back!) In order to prepare her for her return, we sent her a fun video that we put together. It is a documentary showing all the “changes” in our family since she left. You can see it here:
Since You’ve Been Gone with Blooper reel
Also we will be taking our visa renewal trip to Tapachula, Mexico next week. This required trip out of the country has become a forced vacation that we really enjoy and look forward to. It is nice to have three days away to just be a family.
Well, that’s all for now. Blessings from San Antonio Aguas Calientes!
Daryl, Wanda and the Crew
