Did God Forget?

Life is returning to some semblance of normalcy after the loss of my mom and time in the States. I still find myself thinking that I need to give her a call only to remember that I cannot, and in those moments the pain hits sharply. However, with each passing day the peace is greater. It always helps to know that I will see her again before I know it.

Meanwhile, there is lots of work to do. I have been laboring furiously, trying to catch up on on the work that was awaiting me when I returned. Last Tuesday I discovered that I DO have a desk, and I am able to see it again after finally clearing the pile that was on top of it. I have also been working to try to catch up with our village ministry where numerous families were awaiting our much delayed visit.

On October 12th we headed up to Guastatoya and spent a very long day of ministry with nine different families. It had been almost two months since our last visit, so some of the children were pretty desperate for our visit.

Our first stop was at Berne’s home. He had been waiting for a wheelchair since our last visit and needed one desperately. They had been given a chair some months earlier, but it was a large stroller-style device that they could not use in the home. His mother was hoping to sell it and buy something more suitable with the money, but had no idea what he needed. We found a sponsor for a new chair for him and brought it with us and seated him. They love the new chair and they can easily navigate it through their home.

Meanwhile, Berne’s younger brother, Jeremi, is eight months old and has one of the worst heart murmurs I have ever heard. You can actually hear it if you sit in a quiet room close to him. We had arranged for them to go to see a cardiologist in Guatemala City in September, but he had ordered tests that cost over Q.500, which they could not afford. So, we bought their old wheelchair from them (we have other families who live in rough terrain areas for which the chair will be perfect) and they were going to use the money to get the needed tests the next day. Please pray for little Jeremi as he will require surgery soon.

Berne, along with Darolin, were the two main reasons I felt pressure to get up to Guastatoyo so quickly after I returned from the States. Both of them are greatly malnourished and needed formula quickly. Up until this month we had been using store bought formula that was expensive and not as effective as I would have liked. After charting weights for a couple of months I was not seeing gains I wanted. So I spent two full days in September researching other options. I finally found a ministry that works in the Coban area that told me about a formula that they were using and with whch they were seeing great success. We can mix it ourselves at a cheaper cost and provide about 50% more to each family for the same price. So, we made these deliveries for the first time that day. Please pray that Darolin and Berne will gain weight in the days ahead.

By the time I returned home that evening (after fighting through two hours of Guatemala City traffic) I was wiped-out. I think it is time to make Guastetoya a two day trip, spending the night in a cheap motel, as the number of families have increased so much.

On Thursday of last week a mother came by with her daughter, Lydia Patricia. Lydia is 19 years old and has spina bifida that has left her paralyzed from the waist down. After noticing how beautiful this young lady was, I also noticed that she had no rubber on her wheelchair’s wheels. The tires had completely worn away and fallen off and her mom was pushing her on metal rims. (If you have never pushed a person in such a chair you would likely be surprised at how hard this task is. I had three sets of extra tires in my storage room and I prayed that one set would fit. Praise God, one of them did and we put them on and performed some basic maintenance on the chair while they waited.

We then interviewed her mom and found out that their family is hurting financially and in need of assistance with diapers for Lydia. She is also underweight and could benefit from a formula drink to help her gain weight. The total cost for both of these would be Q.275 (about $35.00 US). If you would be interested in sponsoring her for these needs, please write me at daryl@hopeforhome.org.

This past Friday we had a team from Pennsylvania join us to help with our food weighing and sorting and distribution. Our good friend, Heidi Anderson, led this group, and we were blessed to have them as a part of our day. Distribution day is always one of my favorite days of the month as we get to visit and catch-up with so many of the families with which we work.

On a down note I received word that one of our families in La Gomera has gotten themselves in a serious financial jam. As a result, they have moved to another village that is two-and-a-half hours further away from us. This family receives monthly sponsorship, so we are faced with a decision. Do we follow them to their new village with the monthly food and diapers they receive? That would mean a five hour drive each month. In addition, it would mean opening our ministry up to and entirely new area that will likely uncover an new group of children needing help at a time when I am already overworked. Or, do we wish them well and release them to God?

This leads us back to our regular struggle…we need more help. With the addition of two more 4-wheel drive teams (along with the financial support) our ministry could expand significantly, adding approximately another 100 families and 20 additional villages. The Beyer family is working hard to get here and have a tentative move date of early April, providing the funding has been committed. Rachel McCray is shooting for the Fall of 2013 as her moving date and will work alongside our teams to provide maternity care. But we need more help.

On Sunday our pastor, Victor Barbella, spoke about Moses at the burning bush and how he argued with God about his call. “But God, I don’t speak very well!” Moses spoke those words as if God needed to be reminded of who he was. He thought God had forgotten that he wasn’t a gifted speaker. And we do the same thing…

• God, did you forget that I never went to college (or graduate from high school)?
• God, did you forget that I have a career?
• God, did you forget that I have a wife and children?
• God, did you forget that my bank account is empty and I have no retirement plan?
• God, did you forget that Guatemala (or Uganda, or Kenya, or Russia, or China, etc.) has lousy health care?
• God, did you forget that I seem to fail at everything I try to do?

It seems absurd when you say it out loud, doesn’t it? Did the God who envisioned us and knit us together in our mother’s womb forget anything about us? Of course not. He knows the number of hairs on our heads and the greatest fears of our hearts. And yet He calls and invites us to join Him in what He is doing! So why do we (I) argue with Him?

Moses almost missed the adventure he was created to live, but God sent along a babysitter named Aaron to get him moving and he eventually embraced God’s call on his life. I refuse to miss a moment of the adventure God has for me because I foolishly think God has forgotten anything. And please…don’t allow yourself to miss a moment of His adventure either. Say yes to His call, whatever it may be.

Blessings from Guatemala!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew