On Monday we were up bright and early and headed to Guastatoya. It was moving day for Jan and his mom, Claudia, and his three sisters, Katy, Angie and Alison. We hired a truck and two helpers to assist with the move, and I am very glad we did.
When we arrived at their home we found three very excited little girls who greeted us with hugs and kisses. We then began the process of moving all their possession down a steep and perilous set of steps to the truck. Because of the excellent helpers we were able to finish the loading by noon and head for home by 1:30.
Of course, there are always snags, and there was that day as well. The landlord of their new house was supposed to be in town no later than 4:00, but we ended up waiting…and waiting… with a truck that needed to be unloaded. He finally showed up at 5:00 and we began the tiring process of moving them into their home. Unfortunately, the street they live on is narrow and steep and the truck was only able to make it about half way up. So, we had to carry everything about 100 yards up the hill. But we eventually got everything inside and beds set up. Our family then delivered supper to them so they would not have to worry about a meal.
Around that time, reality began to set in for Claudia. She suddenly realized that she was three hours from home in a strange community. To make matter worse, it began to rain (one of the first showers of rainy season) and the temperature was very cool. They went from a humid 90 degrees in the morning to a rainy 55 that evening. As a mother, she looked a little shell-shocked. We spent time visiting and encouraging her, and she seemed better by the time we left for the evening.
The next morning Gerardo met them at their home and walked them to Katy and Angie’s new school where they had a great first day. Their whole family came to our house last night for dinner and both of them were excitedly chattering about all their new friends.
Please pray for their family. We are trying to help them all make new friends and feel at home in the community. Claudia begins working full-time in our home on Monday.
Meanwhile, word of our ministry continues to spread. Since we are a unique ministry that serves the community of children with special needs we are receiving a lot of calls. Some are from friends who are missionaries who find families in need of assistance. Others are from strangers who have heard of our work. But, regardless of the source, the calls keep coming.
Yesterday we went to assess three new families. I expected it to be an easy day. After all, what’s so hard about visiting three families? However, it ended up being quite exhausting.
Our first stop was at the home of Jenifer. We had received a message from our friends, Todd and Amy Block, who have been ministering to her and her family. They wanted to know if we could assist with getting her a wheelchair. They live in the community of Chixolis (say that 5 times fast) and Jenifer has cerebral palsy.
The first thing you notice about Jenifer is not her disability, but her infectious smile. She lit up the courtyard as we entered and smiled through most of our visit. She is the kind of person that makes you feel good just by being next to you. I took measurements for a new chair and then took the time to install a seat belt on her beat-up old chair so she would not keep sliding down. The Blocks had already found a sponsor for her chair, so I hope to deliver it in the next couple of weeks.
The streets in Chixolis are unique. They have paving stones, so the roads are not rough, but they are very narrow with no place to park. The problem is lessened somewhat because it is a poor community and most do not have vehicles. But it does create some parking challenges. Sometimes you need a 4-wheel drive just to park in Guatemala.
From there Daniel took me to the community of San Mateo, which was another adventure. The roads leading up the mountain are steep and curvy, and I was once again thankful for my 4-Runner. About 1/4 of the way up, we pas
sed an elderly man slowly walking up the mountain with a heavy load on his back. We stopped and offered him a ride and he gratefully accepted. When Daniel and I placed his load in the back of the truck we both looked at one another in astonishment. This 65 year old man was carrying a 75 pound load on a two mile journey up a mountain that would have exhausted me, even without the load.
When we finally arrived at our destination, I once again had to use my 4-wheel drive to park. We exited the vehicle and walked about another 1/4 mile up a narrow path. Thankfully, the people who live back the trail had done a good job of keeping the brush chopped back and the path maintained.
Finally we arrived at the home of Rufino. He is 23 years old and I believe he has Down Syndrome. However, it was hard to tell because he also has one of the worst skin conditions I have ever seen. The skin covering his entire body is hard and cracked, and I cannot imagine his suffering. But that does not keep him from being happy and affectionate. I barely had a chance to say hello before he had wrapped me in a warm hug. The entire time we were there he just wanted to be close to us.
Rufino’s mother had abandoned him as a baby when she discovered his disabilities, so his father has raised him alone. We spent time visiting with him and decided to come back later because his father was working in the fields. But as we were driving back down the mountain we passed his father riding their donkey back to their house. We stopped and visited for a while and arranged to come back on Monday. We need to find a dermatologist and arrange to transport them both to an appointment in the city for treatment.
The cost for a good dermatologist is Q300.00 (about $40) plus the cost of transportation (about $20). Would someone be willing to give a one-time gift of $60 to cover the cost of this appointment? If so, e-mail me at daryl@hopeforhome.org.
Our last stop was to visit a little guy named Nelson. He and his mom live in Jocotenango, which is a town that borders Antigua. For this last stop, I anticipated good roads, but was wrong. I did not realize this, but Joco extends for a couple of miles out to the north to include some very rural areas. So, we once again found ourselves bouncing on bumpy dirt roads.
When we arrived at Nelson’s home we found an adorable little two year old with a great laugh. He has cerebral palsy and needs good physical therapy. His father is not involved in his life, but a judge has ordered that he needs to contribute to Nelson’s care. So he is providing insurance through his employment (a national program that large businesses provide). The insurance is not very good, so it only covers one 20-minute session each week in Guatemala City. His mother takes him on three different chicken buses for a journey that takes almost three hours round trip to receive those 20 minutes of therapy.
We can provide him with one hour of therapy each week in Antigua for only $23 a month. This will be done by a quality therapist who will also work with his mom to teach her to do therapy with him at home. I am confident that she will follow through because she has already displayed her commitment through her weekly trips to the city.
If there is someone who would be willing to sponsor Nelson each month for the cost of this therapy, please contact me at the e-mail address listed above.
In two hours I will once again be hitting the road for San Pablo La Laguna. Prayers for our traveling and ministry are appreciated as we have a full schedule over the next two days.
Blessings from Guatemala!
Daryl
