Tuesday, January 29, 2013

So Much News

Over the last year we have been praying with increasing desperation for someone to help relieve my workload. With the quickly growing rural village ministry, the newly granted Guatemalan association status of our ministry, and the licensing of our group home for children with special needs approaching rapidly, I find myself overwhelmed. And just when I thought there was no relief in sight…God sent us a gift.

April Clark PhotoApril Clark has been serving as a missionary in Guatemala for the last five years, but she recently saw the door close to her old ministry and felt God calling her to a new work. We have known her since our move here two years ago and have had the opportunity to observe her work and ministry first-hand. She has a passion for worship, a love for children and is skilled in administration. As a bonus, she also has experience in social work. So, when I found out she was seeking God for direction regarding future ministry, I mentioned our need to her.

Last week she decided to join us for our monthly trip to Guastatoya and experience our ministry first-hand. During the trip we had a lot of time to discuss what we needed and how she wants to serve. By the end of the day it was clear that God was leading us to work together. A few days later, I had submitted her resume to our board and received unanimous approval. So, April will be joining our team on Monday, February 3rd. She is already fully-funded, so the help she provides will cost our ministry nothing except ministry expenses.

April will help with the administrative tasks of our ministry and will assist in the scheduling, coordination and leadership of short-term teams that come to serve with us. In addition, she will serve as care coordinator for the families we serve through our rural village ministry and assist with quarterly reassessments of the care they receive.

We praise God for providing this wonderful lady to work alongside us! (Maybe I will post a video of me dancing a celebratory jig.) You can contact her at her new e-mail address, april@hopeforhome.org. Welcome aboard April!

Now, on to other updates. In spite of blogging regularly, there are a few people I need to update you about because special news and yearly reports have prevented me from doing so early. So, here you go (in no particular order):

One of the things that has been concerning me is that one of our families relocated a couple of months back. Jorge and his family moved from La Gomera to Nueva Concepción, which is about 50 minutes further away from us and is in an area in which we have never worked. It took us some time to track them down and even longer to get around to making the trip, but we finally got around to it.

IMG_0117Jorge has a sponsor that provides food and diapers for him, but we had missed two monthly deliveries due to their move. However, when we reconnected we realized that he was starting to a new school and needed supplies and a school uniform. So, we took him and his mom shopping and purchased these things for him, using the accrued sponsorship from our missed visits. He was so excited to see us again and to receive everything he needed for school.

One of the reasons I had been procrastinating on making this visit is because I know how things work. The moment we enter a new town or village to provide assistance there will be others lining up for help. We have been overwhelmed recently, and I did not want to add another community to our ministry. I can be pretty firm about saying no to most things, but a family with a special needs child is not one of them.

IMG_0116Sure enough, one of Jorge’s neighbors has a 17 year-old daughter named Rosario Margarita. She has what I believe to be cerebral palsy and cognitive delays, but has never been officially diagnosed by a doctor. The mother wanted to know if we could help them with a wheelchair and, of course, I said yes.

So, we need a sponsor for a chair. She has decent trunk strength and balance, so a standard hospital chair, which will cost me $100, will suffice. If you would be willing to sponsor Rosario for the cost of this chair, please write to me at daryl@hopeforhome.org.

That same week I was contacted by my friend Todd Erickson. He and his family are missionaries who work in the local aldea of Santiago Zamora. They minister to families and run a weekly Bible club for the kids of the community. In the course of their ministry, they encountered a wonderful young family who has a daughter named Cheili with special needs. We met Todd and his wife, Maureen, and went to visit them.

IMG_0170I fell in love with Cheili the moment I saw her. She is two years old and unable to walk or talk. Her parents had been told that she had a vitamin deficiency and has spent a lot of money on tests. Her doctor had told them that they needed one more test on her brain to determine what type of vitamin she needed. They were seeking our help in paying for that test.

IMG_0169I was with her for 30 seconds when I realized that she has cerebral palsy and no vitamin would change that. It was heartbreaking to have to explain that to her parents. Her mother choked-up and Maureen quickly stepped forward to comfort her. We also explained that we would help them at no cost and walk beside them to make sure that Cheili achieves all that she can.

We spent time teaching them how to do twice-daily stretches. We also talked to them about her diet and provided vitamins for her and for her nursing mother.

Cheili is underweight, so we provided them with our special formula that we use. We would like to continue providing that on a monthly basis along with weekly physical therapy, but we need a sponsor to do that. The cost of both the formula and therapy will be $45 a month. If you would be willing to help with that, please write me at the address above.

IMG_0058A few weeks ago an elderly gentleman came to our door. He explained that his wife had a wheelchair that was broken and wanted to know if we could visit and repair it. When we got to their house, we found a wheelchair that was broken beyond repair and had obviously been in that condition for some time. His wife, Serafina, was “walking” on her knees and using a short stick to assist herself. We measured her for a wheelchair and told them that we would return in a week or two with a new one. As I left I winced thinking of her continuing to walk on her knees for that much longer. Her knees, shins and the tops of her feet were already scarred and calloused and I hated to see the damage she was doing to herself.

IMG_0111The next day I was walking past our storage room and noticed a wheelchair that I had forgotten about. One of the men that we work with had received another wheelchair from a ministry in the community, so he returned the chair we had given him. You guessed it…it was a perfect fit for Serafina and had hardly been used. So, we returned to their house with the chair two days after our first visit instead of two weeks. I felt a tangible sense of relief as we assisted her off the ground and into her new chair. (And, in spite of her stoic expression in the photo, she was very happy as well.)

SAM_1918We recently added another part-time staff member around our household. Some time ago I wrote about Katerin and her family. Katerin has brain damage that has caused severe cognitive delays. She and her six sisters were living with their mom and dad until their father abandoned them all in December for another woman. They have been living in desperate conditions since then (even more desperate than the conditions before, as hard as that is to imagine.)

Wanda and I had been praying about what we could do to help beyond the monthly sponsorship they are receiving. With the growing ministry, our weekly daycare, the quickly approaching opening of our group home, and the beginning of a new school year and homeschooling, we finally decided that Wanda could benefit from some help around the house. So, we hired Katerin’s mom, Aura, to do some cooking and cleaning for us one day a week.

SAM_1573She started last week and I cannot describe what a wonderful worker she is. She worked non-stop from 8am until 4pm, taking only a few minutes break to eat lunch. She cleaned each room from top to bottom. I don’t know when our home has been so clean. (This is NOT a criticism of my wife! She is one of the hardest working people I know and does keep our home clean. But she is very busy with all her responsibilities and doesn’t often have time to go the extra mile that Aura does.)

We were so pleased with her work that we talked about her to our friends. Already she has been hired for a second day each week and we are hopeful that more will result. If so, she will be able to move her and her family to better home. Please pray for Aura, Katerin and their entire family.

SAM_2283Meanwhile, our daycare is running smoothly. Even as I have been writing this blog the final child was picked up and we are shutting things down for the night. We are spending more time these days focusing on physical and occupational therapy with each child. Our goal is to do more of this while they are with us and then better equip each family to assist the process throughout the week. Some of the special needs of the children with which we work are severe, so this is a challenging task as we set goals and develop PT and OT plans. But we are already seeing improvement.

That’s all for now. Sorry for the scattered nature of this post, but I wanted to get you caught up on ministry as much as possible.

Blessings from Guatemala!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

2012 Year-end Report

 

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

                                                 2 Corinthians 9:10-11

SAM_1146

As I look back on the past year, three words seem to describe this ministry: growing, learning and faith . And all of these are tied together as I see this journey unfolding.

Growing

It is hard to believe that we are only now concluding our second year in Guatemala. When we hit the ground on January 25, 2011 we had a place to live, but little else. With God’s help and the help of wonderful people He sent to us he has built a real home and ministry.

SAM_1149The focus over the last year has been three-fold. First, we worked hard to obtain our official association paperwork from the Guatemalan government. This is the equivalent of obtaining 501(c)3 status as a non-profit ministry in the US. With the help of an excellent social worker, Edy Tum, we received our paperwork in October. Our official identity in Guatemala is Asociación Ministerio de Esperanza (Ministry of Hope Association). Under this paperwork we are approved to provide assistance to needy families, open group homes, operate schools, do community education, and more. With this new identity also comes a lot of accountability. The administrative load has increased significantly and we have had to hire an accountant to make sure we keep our records and receipts up to date with the government.

SAM_1103Second, we have worked hard to get our group home licensed. This process is a long and difficult one that requires lots of money, paperwork, inspections and meetings. The majority of the work is behind us now, as are the big inspections. We passed our big inspection in December with only a few small recommended changes.The licensing was delayed somewhat as we had to await some paperwork back from immigration concerning my application for Guatemalan residency, but that has now been submitted and we are back on track. We are now hoping to complete the licensing and open our group home in February or March.

While we have been awaiting licensing, we started a day care program in May which provides respite care for families with children who have special needs. This provides a much needed break for parents while helping us to prepare for caring for larger numbers of children with special needs. This experience has been priceless.

SAM_1571Finally, we have been working hard to keep up with the growth of our rural village ministry. We purchased our four-wheel drive vehicle in April of 2011 and began our work in villages the following month. We have been blessed (and sometimes overwhelmed) with the growth and provision we have seen for this work. In 2012 we worked with over 70 families in 17 communities, with 37 of those families receiving monthly assistance through our sponsorship program. Each month we purchase over 600 pounds of food that is weighed, bagged and distributed. We also purchase over $500 of medicine monthly which is given to families. Meanwhile, we have seen God provide in miraculous ways for this ministry. Currently we have a sponsor for every family that needs one, and each time we have needed repairs to our 4-Runner or funds for supplies or equipment the money has been there. We praise God for His faithfulness and provision!

This growth has caused some growing pains, however. Much of that has come in the form of an overloaded schedule for me. I love long days in villages working with families, but I hate long days sitting in an office. As we have grown, I have needed to do more of both. As a result, many late nights find me in my office after everyone else is in bed. However, I am pleased to say that help is on the way.

BeyersThe Beyer family, long-term friends of ours, will be moving to Guatemala in 2013 and joining our ministry. They will provide some much needed relief for my schedule as Dale will begin leading a rural village team. This will enable us to multiply our ministry and settle our schedule somewhat. They will also assist with hosting teams, which will be a huge blessing. Finally, they also have a passionate heart for helping build strong families through biblical principals. They hope to provide education and discipleship to Guatemalan parents and families in order to do so.

Likewise, we recently found out that I will be receiving help on the administrative front. I am not yet free to share details, but will do so in coming days.

Learning

Because of how quickly things have progressed and grown, we have faced a pretty steep learning curve. As always, much of that learning has come through mistakes that we have made during on-the-job training.

DSCF9918Our primary focus is leading people to true relationship with Jesus. That has been very difficult in this culture, and I have had to re-learn how to do evangelism. I am spiritually gifted as an evangelist, but Guatemala is a whole new world. This culture is saturated with religion that tends to inoculate people to true relationship with Jesus. Almost everyone believes in Jesus, but very few people live out Jesus in their lives. So, we have been learning how to break through the barrier of religion that surrounds most families. I am please to say that we are making headway as God is opening more and more doors for us to talk about Jesus and the true gospel. To read more about this battle, click here.

Another area of learning for us is how to best help. We believe that God has called us to care for the least of these, including those with special needs. God’s Word makes that clear. We also know that it is easy to cross the line from helping to enabling. We don’t want to cross that line.

SAM_1834So many missionaries and mission teams come here wanting to help. They have the best of intentions, but end up hurting families by giving hand-outs without discernment. We are working hard at learning how to best assess a family’s needs and provide the minimum assistance necessary. We encourage parents to do all that they can do for their children and family and then seek to fill the gaps. We also regularly reevaluate families to determine if the assistance should be decreased or stopped, increased or remain the same. Finally, we are learning how to best connect people with opportunities to help themselves.

I confess that walking the tightrope of helping without hurting is difficult. I still don’t have all the answers and sometimes I fall off on one side or the other. But with each passing month we seem to be getting better at it.

One of the things we have learned is to establish trust-worthy people in each community that we can use as caregivers to other families. Between our visits, they provide contact with families and can even be used to distribute funds in the event of emergencies. Being Guatemalans who live in the community, it is much easier for them to discern real needs from people just seeking a hand-out. We are currently putting such people in place in each of the communities in which we minister.

Finally, we continue to learn more about the people and the culture that surrounds us. As we do, we are learning to love and appreciate this country in which we live more and more. This culture is not a book that you read, but rather an onion that you peel, layer by layer. It takes time to understand and appreciate it, and from what I can tell so far, I will still be discovering new and wonderful things if I live her for another 50 years.

Faith

Last, but not least, as the ministry has grown, so has our faith. I would like to say that is because of great discipleship on our part, but that would not be honest. We really haven’t had a choice in the matter. At times, our faith grows as God asks us to step off a cliff and trust Him to catch us. Other times He doesn’t ask, He just pushes. That is a good description of what He has done in the last year. Over and over He has pushed, and over and over He has caught us.

SAM_1742It has been challenging, at times, to trust in the face of such incredible need. God brings us more and more people and calls us to act. As a result, our budget each month gets larger. We have a special working relationship with our food provider, the local pharmacy, and the local doctor because of the large amount of business we provide. That network is expanding now to include doctors in villages, physical therapists and speech therapists. Hope for Home Ministries started in August of 2008 and we were struggling to come up with the money for paper and office supplies. When I look around now and see the growing ministry and budget I occasionally find myself becoming nervous. Should I slow things down? Will we make budget this month? What about the increased expenses that will come when we open our group home? (We anticipate an increase in our monthly budget of over $1000 a month to cover the cost of our social worker, physical therapist, doctor bills, medicine and food.) Can we keep doing this?

Over and over, though, God soothes my fears and assures me that He is our provider. Which is so good to know. And each month, our faith grows a little more, not just in God’s financial provision, but in His faithfulness to give us all we need. He gives us the wisdom, help, and strength we need to do this ministry one day at a time. This is encouraging since I feel so ill equipped to manage a growing staff and run this ministry.

One of my favorite quotes, which has provided me much comfort, comes from Hudson Taylor and simply states this:

“God’s work done in God’s way never lacks God’s supply.”

Looking Ahead

As we face 2013, there are exciting things on the horizon. As already mentioned, we will be welcoming the Beyer family in April (their tentative moving date is April 20th). They will provide much needed help for which we have been praying.

Rachel McCray 2Likewise, Rachel McCray should be moving down and joining our team in the fall. She will be leading our maternity care program to help prevent disabilities though proper care and education of pregnant and nursing mothers. This is a part of our efforts to address the systematic issues which lead to extremely high rates of birth defects and complications resulting in special needs.

We will also be adding some more Guatemalan staff with the addition of another helper. Our desire is to train local people to do this ministry and surrender more and more of the responsibility to them.

Along with this growth in staff I will be seeking God’s wisdom to best manage them. Our desire is to have a close-knit group of disciples who pray, study, worship and grow together. We will meet together weekly as a small group for this purpose and to keep our vision sharp and focused on Jesus.

As already stated, we hope to open our group home in February, depending on the speed at which the government moves. This will be a huge step for us and will provide a whole new set of challenges, both physical and financial.

We have completed the process of applying for residency and are waiting for the immigration office to complete its work and declare us residents. We expect that sometime in the next three months. But, since we have applied, we no longer have to renew our visas and leave the country every six months. This is a huge financial help to us as those trips are expensive.

SAM_1797Meanwhile, we feel God quickening our hearts to expand our ministry into some new areas. There is a large piece of property next door to us to which I am drawn. It is handicapped accessible, has lots of space, and lots of rooms. With a little work it could be used as a facility to host medical clinics and a school for children with special needs. It could also be used to house families who need to come to the Antigua area for doctor appointments. (There is a Catholic run place that does this in Antigua called Casa de Fe, but I have seen them treating the families who stay there harshly. I don’t like housing our families in a place that will not respect them and treat them with love.) We have also discussed running a feeding program and hosting children’s ministries there in the spacious courtyard. Every time I go up onto our roof and look at that property I feel my heart quicken. As I look at it, I feel like it is ours. Part of it is currently being rented by some metal workers, but I have tracked down the owner, who lives in Oregon. I have started to communicate with her regarding the possibility of renting it and making repairs and improvements.

As we move ahead, we greatly need and desire your prayers in the following areas:

  1. For God’s continued provision for our ministry. As already stated, our monthly budget will increase by over $1000 as soon as our group home opens. At present, we do not have the funds to cover that. We need faithful monthly supporters who will partner with us to meet this need. Please pray that God will provide.
  2. Pray that the walls of religion that keep people from understanding and embracing the true gospel will be torn down. We are making headway, but there is still a long way to go. Pray that we will effectively communicate the good news of Jesus and that parents and children will come to true faith in Him.
  3. Pray for the Beyer family and Rachel McCray as they fundraise for their move and ministry. Pray that people will respond in obedience and that they will be fully-funded quickly. Also pray for Rachel as she completes her training as a mid-wife. Pray that things go smoothly and she is able to complete her education on time.
  4. Please pray for more workers. While we do have help on the way, we need more.
  5. Pray for Emily Vance, our US Office Manager. She does a fantastic job of running our stateside ministry, but her responsibilities and workload increases each month. Please pray for wisdom and strength for her.
  6. Pray for wisdom and direction for me as Director. I am in way over my head and have to rely on God every moment for what I need to lead.
  7. And, as always, pray that we keep our eyes on Jesus and that God receives the glory for all that we do!

Thank you so much for all that you have done to make this ministry a reality! It is only because of your prayers, support and encouragement that we are able to do what we do!

Because of Him!

Daryl Fulp,

Director

Thursday, January 17, 2013

What Is Failure?

397726_452059641527795_817499847_n (2)Last night I received a call telling me that one of our sponsored children, Darolin, had passed away. If you follow this blog, you know that we found her back in April up in Guastatoya suffering from cerebral palsy and severe malnutrition. I spent time educating the family about her condition as they had no idea why she was disabled or what to do for her. She struggled with chewing and swallowing and weighed only 27 pounds as a result.

My first desire was to get her checked into Hermano Pedro’s malnutrition ward and allow them to fatten her up. They do a fantastic job or bringing kids back from severe malnutrition. Then we could return her to their home with nutritional support. But when we spoke to the family they adamantly refused to let her go. They loved Darolin deeply and could not imagine letting her leave their home and go three hours away for months. In a situation like this, I always go back and forth in my opinion. On one hand, I know that HP could help her gain weight and get healthier. On the other hand, do I really want to pull her out of a loving family and place her in an institution for six months to a year?

DSCF5764So, it was decided that we would provide formula for her and track her weight. We found a generous sponsor who provided the funds we needed to do so, and the monthly deliveries began. We started with store-bought formula, but were dissatisfied with the results. So, we consulted with numerous ministries that work with malnourished children and discovered a formula that we could mix ourselves. Three months ago, we made that switch and began to see improvement. Darolin gained over two pounds in the last two months, which is nothing short of miraculous in a situation like this of such severe malnutrition. She was looking better and happier and I was beginning to feel good about her chances.

Then she came down with an infection a few days ago. In spite of a doctor’s intervention and antibiotics she was just too weak to fight it off. She passed away at 2:00 pm yesterday.

When I received the call I was devastated. Immediately I heard the enemy’s whispers:

“You failed! And she is dead as a result.”

“You should have done more. If you would have pressed you could have talked her parents into letting her go into Hermano Pedro.”

“You couldn’t even save one little girl who was right in front of you.”

“You aren’t making a difference.”

I confess that I nearly gave in to the despair. But as I sat thinking these thoughts, the passage of scripture that I shared in my last blog came to mind:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” 

- Matthew 25:35-36                  

SAM_1830And that was when God took me to the woodshed as I heard Him speak. He told me that over the last eight months as we ministered to her we were ministering to Him. We had eased His hunger pains at the same time that we had eased hers. We had treated His rash as we had treated hers. We had eased His burden as we had eased the burden of Darolin’s mother and grandmother. And then, I heard His firm but loving voice ask…

“And you consider these things done for me a waste and a failure?” Stop making this about you, Daryl, and make it about me.”

I was reminded that we are not here because of the results we hope to produce. We do not judge success based upon whether a child lives or dies or gains weight. We are are here to love Jesus and love people. At times, lives will be saved. Other times, we will just make someone more comfortable while they die and help them to know that they are not alone as they do. And then we will love and mourn with their family. In light of Jesus’ words, that is not a failure.

DSCF3297aI grieve deeply that we have lost Darolin. I loved this little girl and I ache that she is gone. But I feel so privileged that God allowed us to be part of her life during her final months. This morning I take comfort in knowing that she is in the arms of Jesus and now is free from cerebral palsy and malnutrition. Yesterday at 2:00 pm, for the first time, Darolin ran. And she ran into the arms of Jesus. And the next time I see her, she will run to me.

The Word of God tells us that “the last shall be first and the first shall be last.” I know that relates to positions of honor and service once we get to heaven, but I also imagine it means something else. Working with disabled children who cannot walk or struggle to keep up due to crutches, braces and wheelchairs, I would also like to think that in heaven they will be extra fast. And this morning I am picturing Darolin outrunning everyone while her Jesus laughs.

Daryl (Wanda and the Crew)

Thursday, January 10, 2013

When NOT Helping Hurts

SAM_1918In 2009, a book was published entitled When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself. Written by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, it addresses the very real issue of misguided but well-intended efforts to care for the poor that have actually done damage. It details the issues of harm to cultures and economies as well as fostering dependence on others instead of personal responsibility. I have read the book and believe it to be a very worthwhile way to spend your time. The concerns it raises are very real and do need to be addressed.

SAM_1801As a ministry we work very hard and diligently to assess needs and to evaluate the best ways to assist families. We seek to determine the cause of the crisis and address the root issues. We also try to settle on the least intervention necessary. For example, if a child needs medicine we try to determine what the family can contribute to the need and then help with the rest. Sometimes that is nothing. At other times it might be 100% and we realize that they don’t need our help. We, in no way, want to enable people to maintain a dependent lifestyle. We understand the concerns of the authors and want to make sure we don’t fall prey to those destructive tendencies that exist within many helping ministries.

SAM_1837However, I do have a very real concern, not so much with the book but with its application. In many cases, it seems that those who read the book or attend one of the accompanying seminars walk away paralyzed. In other words, they realize that much of what they have done to help has perhaps been used to harm. But they feel ill-equipped to address the bigger issues of poverty by addressing the systematic issues. As a result, they are afraid to do anything.

SAM_1830Just today I heard from a ministry leader in the States that is considering eliminating a part of their work that has been a huge blessing to our ministry here. That decision is rooted, in large part, in the principals of When Helping Hurts and some other resources along similar lines. So, we are suddenly finding ourselves scrambling to see how we can produce the same resource ourselves that they were providing. While I understand their motivation and desire to be careful, I wish that I could fully explain to them the ramifications of such a choice and how it will impact the families we and others help.

Then there are others who read the book and come to us to impart their new-found wisdom and insights. They enjoy telling us what they believe we are doing wrong and how we should change without understanding the real issues that we face. The black and white words on a printed page may seem cut and dried, but when they take place in real lives and real families it looks very different.

SAM_1829I agree that we do not want to become an American Santa Clause who comes to town regularly, gives gifts and then leaves again. We don’t want to be enablers and need to be careful in how we help. However, there are times in which we simply need to help, regardless of what the latest book or seminar says.

Let me give you a few examples:

  1. When faced with a widow who has a son with special needs that requires 24-hour a day care and is unable to work….
  2. When faced with a mother of seven children, one with severe special needs, whose husband has left her for another woman and has no means of income…
  3. When a father of five is working 12 hour days to provide for his family, but his son’s anti-seizure medication cost half of his monthly salary and the family is getting skinnier and skinnier…
  4. When a single mother has a son who has severe CP, is malnourished, and in whose lungs I can clearly hear fluid while their house is without food for them and the other three children…

In these instances, I have a greater fear than the one that warns me to be careful of how I help. It is the fear of what will happen if I DON’T help. In those moments, the only literature I need is the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”                                  Matthew 25:35-36

SAM_1713Once again, I want to extend that help in a way that truly helps and doesn’t hurt. I want to, while giving them a meal, consider ways to help them learn to produce what they need in the future. But you cannot argue with scripture which teaches us that when we encounter legitimate need and we have the means to help…we are to help. Period. Sometimes that is a meal. Sometimes that is lots of meals. Sometimes it is a wheelchair. Sometimes it is medicine or help with medical expenses. Sometimes it is giving them a job. Sometimes it is a hug and a prayer.

In the cases I listed above and many others, not helping is not an option. And in each case, there is no easy long-term solution to address the need, although I pray and seek God daily for his direction in finding it. At times, simply showing up with what they need in Jesus’ name is the only answer. So we do…and will continue to do so.

Often Not helping hurts more than helping.

That’s all for now. Blessings from San Antonio Aguas Calientes!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew