Over the last year I have distanced myself somewhat from the rural village ministry. With the opening of our group home and some of the challenges we have faced, I simply have not had time to be as involved with that area of our ministry. And with the addition of the Beyer family and Dale's leadership in the village ministry, I have not been needed very much. However, that is once again changing.
My daughter, Brittney, will be moving to San Pablo La Laguna to begin her educational ministry with children who have special needs. Since a part of my heart will be living there, I have assumed responsibility for the work in that town and the surrounding areas. And since that is one of our larger communities with a lot of families, I will be kept busy.
Yesterday Gerardo, Brittney, Jeremiah and I set out to San Pablo, but we had quite a detour on our way. A few months ago we were contacted by a home building company in the States called Brush Arbor Homes. They have a wonderful business model that results in them building a home in the third world each time they build a house in the US. So they emailed me and asked if I knew of two families that needed homes. Of course, the answer was "Yes!" but the challenge was choosing which families would receive them. After consulting with Pastor Efrain who ministers in San Pablo, we chose two families with children who have special needs, Gerber and Javier. Gerber is 19 and has severe cognitive delays, autism and a seizure disorder. Javier is 3 and is missing his lower leg and foot and part of his hand.Both families are very poor and were living in desperate conditions, so they were excellent choices to receive homes. Those houses have both been built by Pastor Efrain's ministry and paid for by Brush Arbor Homes. So we set out to visit them both and see their new homes.
We met Pastor Efrain in Panajachel and drove to Gerber's new home. It was a drive that took about 1 1/2 hours over some very rough roads, but we managed to make it in one piece. But once the drive was complete we still had a walk ahead as his village was not passable by vehicles. We walked down a steep hill and then crossed a footbridge above a ravine before arriving at his house. This walk is amazing when you consider that the men who built their home had to carry every cinder block and bag of cement and mortor on the 400+ meter walk.
When we arrived we found a very enthusiastic Gerber who would not sit down and relax until every one of us was seated. He had recently had a seizure and had hit his head when he fell, but that did not seem to slow him down. We visited with him, his siblings and his parents as they repeatedly thanked us for providing the home. We, of course, repeatedly told them that we had done almost nothing in the process except choose them and pass along the money. It was Brush Arbor who paid the expenses and Pastor Efrain and his crew that did the work alongside their family. We also explained that it was a gift from God to them because of His great love and concern for them.
During our visit we discovered that the father works in the fields for about Q.700 a month (about $92 US). His son's anti-seizure medication costs them Q.175 (about $23 or 1/4 of their monthly income). So I told them that we would be seeking a sponsor for those medications. If you would be willing to help this precious family by sponsoring them for $23 a month, please write me at daryl@hopeforhome.org.
It was while we were visiting with them that their pastor mentioned that there was another girl with special needs who lived close by. He wondered if we would like to visit with her family as well. So we started walking again. This journey led us down a steep ravine where we found their home perched. There we met Lirria, a young woman with down syndrome who lived there with her family of seven. The pastor asked if they could be the next home we built. We told them we would pray and talk with Brush Harbor
After saying goodbye we walked back across the footbridge and up the hill to my truck and headed to our next destination, another 2 1/2 hour drive. There were no decent places to eat within a couple of hours, so our lunch consisted of snacks from a tienda. But we were excited to see Javier and his new home.
Alas, it was not to be as about an hour into our drive we hit a traffic back-up that stretched for miles. After sitting still for about an hour we decided Javier would wait for another day and turned back to head to San Pedro where we would overnight in a motel. We finally landed safely about 10 hours after leaving home and crashed for the evening.
So yesterday we spent about 10 hours on the road and only visited two families. Today was a different story as we visited with 14 families in a town that is about 1/4 mile by 1/2 mile. Quite a difference, eh? But what a day of ministry it was.
Here are some of the families that we spent time with today:
Marta Delores - When we first met this young girl she was seizing most of the night. She had not slept well in months and her grandmother was exhausted. Since visiting our neurologist and receiving medications through her sponsor she has been seizure-free and sleeping wonderfully.
Maria - Maria's mom was very skeptical when we visited and offered to help them with a wheelchair and monthly food. But now we are met with a big smile and a hug each month. Maria is growing quickly, so we made adjustments to her chair today, and she smiled the entire time.
Pablo Michel - This young man was nearly catatonic when we met him, staring in a daze and seldom responding. He suffered dozens of seizures each day, and his family was desperate. Now he is seizure-free and happy. He has cognitive delays, but the medicines our doctor prescribed has helped him tremendously.
Michael - This little guy and his mom, Juana, were desperate. She had gotten pregnant at age 15 and found herself with a child who has special needs at age 16. Her family disowned her and she was alone and scared. We have a sponsor for them now and provide food and money for therapy each month. About eight months ago we took a plunge and decided to give her a micro-loan of $125 to help her start a business that sells merchandise that cannot be found in San Pablo. And that business is now thriving. She recently sold out her entire inventory and had to make a special trip to a distant town to restock. She is repaying her loan faithfully each month.
Lucia - A little over a year ago Lucia could not sit or lay flat in bed. Her back arched severely and she was in constant pain from seizures and spasms. Now she is smiling, seizure-free and able to sit and lay comfortably in bed thanks to the medicines a sponsor provides each month.
These are just a few of the kids in San Pablo whose lives are being changed due to people such as you who give to sponsor them each month. (Just a reminder...when you sponsor a child through Hope for Home Ministries, 100% of your donation goes directly to the child. Not one penny is withheld for administration or expenses.)
But now I need to share a desperate need with you. This will likely be a very expensive need that will require lots of people working together. But it one of the rare opportunities we have to actually prevent special needs.
Little Yosselin is two months old. She was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. We met her last month when we visited town, and we stressed to her parents that she needed a shunt installed soon to relieve the pressure in her head before permanent brain damage results. They agreed to take her to the national hospital in Xela and see the neurologist and arrange the surgery. So we were anxious to visit with them this month. However, the parents informed us that the neurosurgeon told them that the shunt could wait until later. I confess to you, my blood boiled at this point. I wanted to drive to Xela and punch a doctor.
As I sat there and held little Yosselin I could see that her head had grown considerably in the last 30 days and the pressure was building. She needs surgery and she needs it now, before her brain is permanently damaged. So we called our neurosurgeon to arrange an appointment for this Friday. They are taking the bus to Chimaltenango and we will transport them to the city to see the doctor so he can schedule the surgery. However, we expect the surgery to cost $8000-10,000 US (although we will not know for sure until Friday). Once we know, we will need your help quickly to raise the funds. We have a small window to get this surgery before she is permanently brain damaged.
Please be in prayer for Yosselin and her family. And please stay tuned for more information coming soon.
We are now back at our hotel hoping for some much needed sleep before I drive home tomorrow. I am also giving my truck a much deserved break as she has stopped speaking with me because of the pounding I have given her over the last 36 hours. But before I crash for the night I want to take a moment to thank each of you who pray and give to make this ministry possible. I am honored to work alongside you to change lives and proclaim the name of Jesus!
Because of Him!
Daryl, Wanda and the Crew
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