Christmas…Wrapped Up!

Life has been full and crazy, and I have not been able to update my blog recently. It is still full and crazy, so I am giving you a picture update instead of my normally long-winded (long-keyboarded?) posting.

In spite of a stomach flu that invaded our home two days before Christmas, we were able to have a good celebration together. All the puking had passed by that point, so we were able to open presents and have a nice meal together. Here are a few photos of the big day:

(We want to give special thanks to Valley Fellowship Church and Christian Academy for their donation to help us purchase Christmas gifts for the children in the home! You helped to make it a great day for all of us!)

From our family and ministry to all of you…Happy New Year! May the coming year be a year in which you grow, are challenged and are used for the glory of the Kingdom!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

When Women Fight and God Laughs

(This is a long blog, but please stick it out. It gets pretty entertaining, if I do say so myself)

I would like to take a moment to share my day yesterday with you. But in order to do so I need to give you some background information.

As you know, Yosselin had her surgery on Tuesday and it was a tremendous success. We saw almost immediate results in her alertness and the size of her head reduced considerably once the pressure was relieved. So that afternoon we went into standby mode. We were committed to drive Yosselin and her parents home because we did not want her on a long, crowded chicken bus ride so soon after surgery. But we did not know when the doctor would release them. So we waited and made contingency plans.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, I received a call from my daughter, Brittney, in San Pablo La Laguna (Yosselin’s town). She told me that Juana and Michael (a single mother and a child with special needs with whom we have been working) had been thrown out of their home by Juana’s mother and had no place to go. So we immediately went into prayer mode for what we could do to help. Meanwhile, arrangements were made for her to stay with a pastor from the town for a night or two.

Then, on Wednesday evening, I received another call from Brittney. She had found out that Billy (a young man with cognitive delays and seizures with whom we have been working) was also homeless. His family had kicked him out. What was shocking was that he had apparently been homeless for the last five months.

Each month we visit families and deliver medicine, food, diapers, formula, diapers or money for therapy. And each visit we take a photo of the sponsored child. But around five months ago we were told that Billy was living with another part of his family but they would take the medicine to him. I don’t like that arrangement, but I knew he needed his meds and I had no other means of getting them to him, so I agreed. We now know that they had kicked him out and that most of the medicines we were bringing did not make it to him. I confess that I was angry when I found this out.

Brittney and Michel (our ministry partner that works with us in San Pablo) found Billy. It turns out that he had been staying most nights with his Aunt and her family, but they did not have room in their house for him. (Their home is an 8’x8’ house made of corn stalks and sheet metal.) So he had been sleeping outside on the ground next to their pila (a sink for washing laundry and dishes).  He would use a cardboard box and some old clothes and rags as a mattress, but when it rained water would flow through his bed. So he would drain the holding compartment of the pila and curl up in it to sleep, a very tight fit. His aunt’s family would give him whatever food they could spare each day. This broke my heart.

We immediately began to pray and think about ways we could help. It is dry season now, so rain is seldom an issue. Michele told me that he thought the most important things he needed was a bed, food and clothing (he had only the clothes on his back). I had posted the situation on Facebook and several people committed to send money to help. So we began to plan and pray.

I had no sooner hung up from that call when the phone rang again. It was Gerardo telling me that the doctor was releasing Yosselin the next morning between 8 and 9 am. Gerardo was scheduled to go to Guastatoya with Dale, so we decided that Manuel and I would pick them up the next morning and take them back to San Pablo.

And that brings us to yesterday. I got up early to drive to the hospital in Guatemala City. As I was getting ready I received a text message from Manuel saying that he was sick and needed to get some medicine for the stomach pain he was experiencing. He made arrangements to meet me in Chimaltenango on my way back through after picking up the family. However, I received another message while driving telling me that he was being held in the hospital. (He was released last night and is doing much better.) So, I called home and we made arrangements for Taryn to meet me and ride along and bring some supplies we needed.

I arrived at the hospital and found Yosselin and her family excited and ready to go home. We just had to wait for the doctor to provide discharge order. So we waited…and waited…and waited and… (You get the idea.) Finally we left the hospital at around 12:30 pm, and I was dreading the long drive ahead combined with our late start.

In the midst of all this, Wanda and I finally made a decision regarding what to do about Juana and Michael. We had been considering hiring another nanny to help in the home, so we decided to give her a chance. Brittney spoke with her and asked if she would be interested in working for us in return for a place to live, food, medical treatment and a small amount of cash for personal expenses. She readily and joyfully agreed. So, we made plans to bring her and Michael back with us.

I met up with Taryn in Chimaltenango. We stopped for lunch, and I bought the medicines Yosselin needed and a folding bed and mattress for Billy. Our drive up took longer than usual due to stops to care for Yosselin, but we still pulled into San Pablo at around 5:00 pm. We picked up Brittney so she could visit the families with us, and it was decided that Juana and Michael would stay at her house while we did so. At this point I wanted to just get in and out quickly. There is a series of sharp cutbacks going up the mountain that we call “the lower intestines” because that is what it looks like on the GPS display. These are hard to negotiate during the day, but that difficulty is multiplies after dark. So I wanted to get out of town before the sun set. Alas, it was not to be.

We delivered Yosselin and her parents to their home and gave them final instructions regarding care of her incisions and medicines. Then we immediately went to find Michel and have him help with the delivery to Billy.

We found Billy with the family that has been helping him. We gave him his bed and gave the entire family a basket of food. Since they were sharing what little they had with Billy it was only right to give them all food to share. I gave Michel some money to help him buy clothes and we made arrangements with the family to build a small, sheltered area for his bed with us providing the funds to do so. It was a wonderful visit and we all prayed together. When I took Billy’s photo, he laughed. It was the first time I had ever seen him laugh and was a sharp contrast to his tears the day before.

(From this point further, I do not have photos. My hands were too full to handle a camera.)

When we left his home things began to get interesting. Some of the neighbors told us that the municipal police has been walking around my truck asking questions about us. They were gone by this point, but Michel was concerned. He called the mayor who knew of no problems. Then one of Brittney’s neighbors approached us and told us that the police had been at her house talking to Juana. We raced back and found the police gone. The door was closed, and the lights were out, but Juana and Michael were inside and Juana was cowering and sobbing. I approached her and she grabbed me and started talking frantically through her tears. It took me a while to determine what she was saying because of her crying and rapid speech, but I then realized she was saying, “Please take us with you! Don’t leave us here! I don’t want to stay! Please let’s go right now!”

It turns out that her family found out about our plans to hire her and take them to live with us. They approached the police who came and told her that if she wanted to leave she could, but she could not take Michael. Her family accused her of neglecting Michael. Once again, Michael made some calls and confirmed that the police had no authority to say or do this, so they were free to leave. We quickly loaded their possessions (a small bag and small box), and I escorted them out to the truck.

And here things get even more exciting. I had opened the door and told Juana and Michael to get in when I saw a blur out of the corner of my eye. I later found out it was Juana’s sister who ran up and tried to snatch Michael out of his mother’s arms. And at that moment Juana (about 4’11” and 90 pounds) delivered a right cross to her sister’s jaw that jarred MY teeth. Her sister shook her head to clear it, looked at Juana and “it was on like Donkey Kong!”

When the altercation started, I was semi-between Juana and her sister, so I immediately stepped more in the middle and tried to break it up, absorbing a few blows and scratches in the process. There was yelling and a crowd quickly gathered. The arguing and yelling were all in T´zutujil, so I don’t know what all was being said, but I suspect that much of it was not church language.

So, here I was trying to break up the fight with people yelling around me, and I suddenly saw myself from a new angle. It was as if I was looking down on the whole situation from above. And, in that moment, I silently asked God, “What am I doing here? I am a pastor for crying out loud! What am I doing in this little community surrounded by a fight and hearing a very obscure language being shouted in my ears? What am I doing here, God?!?”

And then something happened…

I felt God laugh.

You know what I mean? That tickle that begins in your heart and bubbles up through your throat that doesn’t come from you, but from Someone Else. And I heard God’s voice:

Daryl, remember when you were a teenage and thought that following me would be boring? What do you think now?

And something happened. I smiled. I was trying to break up a fight and absorbing blows and trying to calm the situation…and I grinned. Fortunately everyone was focused on the two ladies trying to claw each other’s eyes out, so no one saw it. But I smiled and God laughed. And it was good.

We eventually calmed everyone down. Her sister made accusations of neglect again, so I explained that they would be living with us and we would make sure that Michael was well cared for, including doctors and therapists. She finally stomped off muttering more of what I assume was non-church words, which left us with the crowd that had gathered. And at this point I had no idea on which side they were. My concerns were quickly settled, though, as they gathered around to tell Juana and Michael goodbye and to thank us for giving Juana and Michael this opportunity.

We were leaving Brittney behind at her house, so my primary concern was for her. Would Juana’s family retaliate against her? But Michel, his wife Maria, and all the gathered neighbors assured us that they would look out for her and not to worry. So I hugged her goodbye and we drove away.

Michel rode with us to the checkpoint at the exit of the town to make sure the town police were not waiting for us. (They were not.) So we continued up through “the lower intestines” on a very dark night.

About an hour later I called Brittney to make sure everything was okay. She had been sitting out on the street with several neighbors visiting and everything was calm. She also told me that Michel and Billy had come by to show her the clothes they had bought for him. She said Billy had a huge smile as he modeled his new clothes.

By the way, yesterday was Juana’s 21st birthday. So when we pulled into our home at 9:00 last night Wanda had a plate of cookies with “Feliz Cumpleaños Juana” written on the cookies along with a gift. We sang to her and she blew out her candles and we ate together with the newest members of our family.

Please pray for Juana and Michael. Our town is an entirely new world for them, and our home is still another world. Juana’s primary language is T´zutujil and her Spanish is almost as broken as mine. This will be a challenging adjustment, even though they are excited now. In addition, Michael is not well-behaved. Juana was only 15 when she had him and she has much to learn about parenting. She has also fallen victim to the notion that, since he has special needs, he cannot learn better behavior. So we will be teaching and helping her in the coming days.

Juana carries a lot of anger and hurt from her past. But God has shown me more than anything she is just a little girl who really needs a family. Pray that we can be that family to her.

And, finally, please pray for our home and family as we add two more to the mix during the Christmas season.

So, now you know about yesterday…and how God sometimes laughs in the middle of a fight so that we can smile.

Blessings!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

Update on Yosselin

Many of you have given to help Yosselin get the surgery she so desperately needs. Many more of you have been praying for her and her family. So, I wanted to take a moment to give you an update on her surgery this morning and explain to you how it almost did not happen.

First, Yosselin had her surgery and it was a complete success! It lasted around three hours, and I was with her parents when they saw her afterward. I am pleased to say that she was awake, alert and none too happy! She was crying loudly, which was music to my ears because it showed that she was strong and fighting.

Despite the good news, these moments were tough for Yosselin’s parents, Edgar and Jesu. Even though she was doing well, it is tough to see your infant daughter with half her head shaved, bandaged and crying. They could not even pick her up to comfort her for the first few hours until she was stabilized. So both of them struggled through tears for the first hour after she was out of surgery.

The doctor reported that the surgery went wonderfully, the pressure was greatly reduced and he expects a full recovery barring complications. So, we give praise to God for His provision through His people and for His care for Yosselin.

Last week, though, we hit a crisis that made us wonder if the surgery was going to happen at all…

On Tuesday we drove Brittney back to San Pablo following Thanksgiving weekend. It was time for our monthly trip there, so we combined family visits and deliveries with taking her home. Carissa and Jeremiah traveled with us and spent Tuesday night with Brittney and we all did visits on Wednesday. And Yosselin and her family were our fifth stop of the day.

When we arrived I greeted them and asked them if they were ready for surgery on Tuesday. Both Edgar and Jesu responded by looking uncomfortable and telling me that they had changed their mind about having the surgery. It seems that some family members and friends had been telling them that surgery was a bad idea. In fact, someone told them that almost every child who has this surgery dies almost immediately. (And I guess this is a possibility if the surgeries were done in the national hospital.)

This is a major problem here in Guatemala. So many people give medical advise, even though they have no real knowledge to back it up. Families are pressured to make bad decisions on a regular basis, neighbors give unfinished medicines to other neighbors and old wives tales are used to treat serious medical conditions. And often people die as a result.

So, we spent the next hour talking with her parents, seeking to convince them of how urgently she needed the surgery. I explained that yes, there were possible complications of the surgery. And, yes, she could die. But I also explained that they were not likely outcomes. We told them that is why we were paying for the best neurosurgeon to do the surgery at one of the best hospitals. And, by doing so, we were greatly reducing the risks over having the same procedure at the national hospital. And we told them that if they did not have the surgery, her head would continue to grow, pressure would increase, brain damage would become more severe, her pain would grow and she would eventually die.

Gerardo called the neurosurgeon who spoke to them on speaker phone and explained how necessary the surgery was. He then called the mother of Misael, who also has hydrocephalus. She spoke to them for 20 minutes in a very direct way, telling them that the surgery was crucial and they needed to have it done.

Then, after everything else was done, I spoke to them heart-to-heart. I showed them a picture of my family and pointed out Joshua, who has a shunt. I told them that I have the heart of a father and understand their love and concern for their daughter. And I told them that if Yosselin was my daughter I would have the surgery as quickly as possible and that I would have this doctor do it at this hospital. And I concluded by begging them to trust me.

They told us that they would call us the next day with their answer. So we left…and prayed…and prayed…and prayed. Finally, Thursday evening they called us and told us they wanted to proceed with the surgery! And I breathed a sigh of relief…for about three minutes.

At that point a solemn reality hit me right between the eyes. I had done everything I could do to talk these parents into having this surgery, and they had chosen to trust me. Which meant they would likely hold me responsible if something went wrong. And while our primary concern was Yosselin’s life, this was no small concern. If they and their family held us responsible for problems, it would likely result in the end of our ability to minister in San Pablo La Laguna. In fact, it would likely make it dangerous for us to go into that town as some may decide that we need to be punished or killed. And it could also make things very dangerous for Brittney, who lives right in the middle of that town now. In other words, I had placed our entire ministry in San Pablo on the line. And this gave me another reason to pray fervently for today’s surgery.

So yesterday Yosselin and her very scared parents took a chicken bus to Chimaltenango where Manuel and Gerardo met them and took them to Hospital Maranatha in Guatemala City. We decided to pay $45 extra per night for a private room in the hospital so both her mom and dad would be allowed to stay with her overnight. When we saw how frantic both of them were we felt that it was right and best to keep the family together.

Then this morning she had the surgery, and you already know the outcome. As we stood in the room with her, her dad turned to me and said, “Please give everyone who gave to help our daughter our deepest thanks! Without them, our daughter could never have had this surgery and care!” He was crying as he said this.

So, thank you! To each of you who have given and prayed for Yosselin, please receive the gratitude of a desperate father and mother. And please receive my gratitude as well. Without you, this would not be possible.

If all goes well, Yosselin should leave the hospital on Thursday or Friday. When she does, we will drive them back to San Pablo because we don’t want to place them on a crowded bus while she is recovering. We will then bring them back for a follow-up appointment eight days later.

Continue to pray for Yosselin. She is eating well now, which is a good sign. Pray that there are no complications, including infection. And pray that Jesus is glorified.

Thanks for all you do to make this kind of ministry possible! I am profoundly grateful!

Because of Him!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

Hope for Home Ministry–2014 Year-end Report

As I look back on 2014, I can honestly say that it was the most challenging and difficult year of my ministry. At the same time, I would also say that it was one of the most fruitful. As is often the case, God has used adversity and pain to produce a harvest.

Hogar de la Esperanza:

Those challenges began on January 6^th when our little Esperanza left our arms and went to the arms of Jesus. While we knew this was coming, it was still a very painful loss. We still feel her absence in our home, but we rejoice in knowing that she is now whole and with her heavenly Daddy. During the days surrounding her death we were blessed by the community that surrounds us as they helped with her funeral, visited our home and even dug Esperanza’s grave. Through our loss we also experienced great gain as we came to better understand the blessings and provisions of God.

Then, exactly six months later on July 6^th we lost little Thania. This was a sudden and traumatic loss as we had believed her to have turned the corner in her health. But a chest cold took a sudden turn for the worse that resulted in respiratory distress. She stopped breathing in route to the hospital and, despite administering CPR, we were unable to save her. Her autopsy report showed that she had undiagnosed cystic fibrosis which resulted in her sudden downturn. None of the specialists had spotted this as they had told us repeatedly that her breathing problems were simply a result of her cerebral palsy.

The children in our home are loved as our own children, so to lose two of them so close together was devastating for us all. Yet God is faithful, and we have experienced His healing and faithfulness through it all.

During this same time, we were also facing fatigue. Our group home had opened in August of 2013 and, in spite of our best preparation and planning, it still took a while to get all areas of our home running smoothly. For the first nine months Wanda and I were running on the edge of exhaustion almost constantly. This was aggravated by some staffing issues that left us understaffed and without a cohesive team that worked well together. Yet, with God’s help, we persevered.

If you were to enter our home and observe our ministry first-hand today you would see the finest staff and volunteers that you could find anywhere. Our home is organized, every worker is like family and the schedule flows smoother than I ever dared to dream. My wife, Wanda, and done a fantastic job of organizing and managing the household and every child receives top-notch care, therapy, stimulation and love. We have come through the fire and the results have been refinement.

Before we opened Hogar de la Esperanza our prayer was that God would make us a model for other homes. We wanted to exceed the greatest expectations of the government, the courts and the community that surrounds us. I believe God has answered that prayer. In each hearing for our children the judges have praised the care we are providing and note the progress they are making. In one instance, the judge wept and told me, “I never dreamed that she could make this much progress, and your home has done it in only one month!” And each time we are quick to give credit to Jesus Christ, the true Leader of our home.

Still, we are looking to improve more. We care for these children for the glory of God, and we want Him reflected in everything we do. So each week I see changes and improvements in both the care of the children and the efficiency of the household.

Since opening our home we have received 14 children, including Esperanza and Thania who are now with Jesus. We are currently full with the 12 that are in our home. This means we are saying “No” a lot. Usually two or three times a week we are called by the courts and asked if we can receive another child. This has resulted in our turning away around 130 children since our home opened. And this grieves us deeply. It is always hard to say “No” to a child in need, but we cannot continue to provide quality care and attention if we keep adding children. So, we have to leave them in the hands of God until we can open additional homes.

Ruedas de Esperanza (Wheels of Hope):

Meanwhile our rural village ministry, Wheels of Hope, continues to flourish under the leadership of Dale Beyer. In 2014 we have ministered in 25 different villages to 78 families on a monthly basis. In addition, we have ministered to another 43 families with one time provision of equipment (22 wheelchairs, 3 walkers, 3 sets of crutches) or with regular visits for training, encouragement, or special resources.

In addition, this ministry also took its first tentative steps into micro-financing as we gave our first loan to Juana in San Pablo La Laguna. She used those funds to begin a small business which sells items which are not otherwise available in San Pablo. She has converted this $125.00 loan into a growing business that is enabling her and her son to find independence and confidence. In the coming year we are hoping to give addition loans to other families and expand this area of ministry.

Staffing:

Meanwhile, we have made some excellent additions to our staff. In January Manuel Moran joined our staff the Home Coordinator. He is responsible for taking all the children to all the court hearings and doctor appointments, which are quite numerous. He does a fantastic job of representing our ministry and proclaiming Jesus Christ as he does so. As a result, he will be transitioning into a more prominent role in the coming year.

In June Anny Lopez joined our ministry as a nanny. We could not ask for a better worker or friend. She loves the children and has become a part of our family. Because of her excellent work we are increasing her responsibilities in the coming year.

Gerardo Hernandez continues to be an excellent right hand man to our ministry. He does a fantastic job of helping coordinate our rural village ministry. He is also a networker and continues to connect us with valuable resources.

Dale Beyer has done a wonderful job of directing the rural village ministry, Wheels of Hope. His work has been priceless during this time of ministry growth as my attention has been needed in other areas. This area of work has thrived under his direction. At the same time, Anita Beyer has faithfully served to assist with the hosting of teams, coordinating interns and all around support.

And, last but not least, April Clark has served as our Ministry Coordinator and has been priceless to me. She is responsible for coordinating teams, including scheduling, communication and leading them on the ground. In addition, she has assumed a lion’s share of administrative paperwork for me, including much of our bookkeeping. Finally, she has played a key role in helping our growing ministry get organized. I can honestly say that I don’t know what I would have done without her over the last year.

Looking Ahead:

As we head into 2015, God has helped me see clearly the next steps that need to be taken. We have already begun taking steps in each of these areas, and we are excited about what God is doing.

1) Development of Effective Training Programs

It is important for our ministry to multiply in order to more effectively minister. This multiplication needs to occur in two areas: 1) The opening of additional group homes for children with special needs. 2) Equipping of strategic people in rural villages and the US to minister to those with special needs.

In order to facilitate this multiplication, we are developing a training program to educate individuals and families regarding the causes, manifestations, treatment and care of children and adults with special needs, and to provide them with hands-on experience in working with those who have special needs. This will enable those who have a desire to begin ministry to those with disabilities to be properly equipped.

This training will be offered to the following:

o Those considering opening a group home for children with special needs either in Guatemala or other nations.

o Individuals and churches in the rural villages of Guatemala who desire to minister to disabled individuals in their community.

o Anyone who desires to do similar ministry in the US.

o Parents who have children with special needs or who are adopting such a child.

Our desire is that by providing this training we can inspire and equip others to multiply the work we are currently doing, both in Guatemala and around the world.

2) Increased Independence of Sponsored Families

Our desire in working with families in the village setting is to help them come to know Jesus while improving their lives. However, there is a fine balance between assistance and creating dependence. We do not want our work to consist of monthly handouts and prayer, but to instead give them practical tools that they can use to better provide and care for their families over the long-term.

As stated earlier, we took our first step into micro-financing this year and deem it to be a huge success. As we head into 2015 we are looking for ways to do more of the same. Dale Beyer, who has been leading our rural village ministry, will be transitioning into the role of Special Projects Coordinator. His ministry will be to oversee special initiatives to provide a hand-up approach to families and to streamline our ministry.

Currently he is investigating the development and building of hydroponic systems that families can use to grow healthy vegetable in their home for a very small monthly cost. Under this model, a US sponsor could provide the one-time cost of a hydroponic system to a family that would provide years of healthy food instead of the sponsorship of monthly food or assistance.

In addition, he is developing local businesses that can provide an income for families with a small start-up cost. This will enable us to reduce or eliminate monthly assistance and work with more families.

Under this model, we would be able to find families in need and provide short-term assistance of immediate needs while developing and implementing a plan for long-term independence.

3) Guatemalans As Leaders:

As Dale transitions out of his role as the leader of our rural village ministry, Manuel Moran will be stepping into his spot. Manuel is a true man of God and a very effective evangelist. He will be working alongside Gerardo Hernandez who has been a part of our rural village ministry since day one. Together they will lead the day-to-day operation of our village ministry.

Because their medical and wheelchair experience is very limited, I will continue to be involved in the assessments of new families and wheelchair seatings. Likewise, Dale will continue to be involved by working with families on special projects and business development.

This is a very positive step for several reasons. First, Guatemala needs more examples of Guatemalans as ministers helping other Guatemalans. Second, this will make is easier to connect with families as it removes both cultural and language barriers. (Both Dale and I have come a long way in our Spanish, but we both still have a ways to go in order to effectively communicate the nuances of the Gospel and deep-seated emotions.) Third, Manuel and Gerardo are both excellent at sharing the heart of God and the Gospel. I believe this will lead to more transformed lives through the power of Jesus Christ.

As I look ahead to 2015 I have every reason to believe that it will be another year of growth. But, more importantly, I believe it will be the year that we hit our stride. Every person on our team will be serving in their area of passion and calling, and I believe we will be far more effective at sharing the Gospel.

Over the last four years God has built our ministry and helped us to become known and respected. The people with whom we work know that we are more than just words. They see our faith and love for God and them and, as a result, are ready to listen. May Jesus Christ be glorified and known in 2015!

For each of you that have prayed, supported and encouraged, I extend my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you for investing in the Kingdom of God in Guatemala!

I also want to remind you that we do not send out newsletters from our ministry. However, if you would like to keep up-to-date on ministry happenings you can do so at my blog at www.hopeforhome.blogspot.com. There is a spot there where you can sign-up to receive those blog posts via e-mail so that you can remain closely in touch. You are also welcome to write me directly at daryl@hopeforhome.org.

Because of Him!

Daryl I Fulp

Director, Hope for Home Ministries