My faith has been tested over the last two months. And, as a result, it is stronger than ever. Let me share that journey with you.
Almost three months ago, our ministry hit a financial crisis greater than any we have faced before. Literally, our group homes were out of money with our monthly wire transfer to Guatemala coming quickly. We have faced financial crises before, but this was a new level.
We are used to trusting in God for what we need. Wanda and I have done that for our entire married life. We never pursued money, instead pursuing Jesus, trusting Him to provide what we needed as we served Him. We have faced financial need more times than I can count, and each time God showed up, usually in just the nick of time. So, I rarely worry about money, focusing instead on ministry.
But this most recent crisis was the biggest I have ever faced. And fear threatened to take me down. What will happen to these children? What about the faithful workers we employ and their families? They are not just employees, they are family. What if we can’t pay them? It was a dark valley of fear and self-doubt.
But, in the midst of it all, I would remind myself that God has always been faithful. He loves these children far more than I ever could. He will not abandon or forsake them. And I would lay my fear at His feet and experience peace and joy. But a day or two (or maybe only an hour or two) later, I would realize that I had picked it up again.
We had enough funds in our overall bank account to transfer what we needed down, but it would throw our group homes’ account severely in the negative while draining our other accounts. But as I prayed, I sensed God asking me to trust Him. Order the transfer from the US and trust Him to replenish all the accounts by the next month. So, I did. And I waited, prayed, and surrendered. And then would find myself carrying fear and worry again. That cycle repeated itself several times.
About halfway through the month, I was spending time with God in prayer. And as I was openly confessing my fear and lack of faith, I heard Him speak. He said this: “Daryl, your faith needs to be bigger for what lies ahead. I need you to trust me more than you ever have before.” It was not a harsh voice spoken in anger. It was gentle and loving, like a father encouraging his child’s toddling steps. And it took my breath away. Suddenly, I understood the purpose of this trial. And I was finally able to lay my fear and doubts at His feet…and leave them there.
And, over the next two weeks, I enjoyed peace and joy in a powerful way in my life. God began a process in me that I can only describe as revival. My relationship with God became more intimate than I have ever known, my hunger for the Word exploded, and my joy began to overflow. And, with a snap of His fingers, the financial crisis was resolved. God met our needs in a way that was exceedingly and abundantly more than I would have ever imagined.
And my passion for Jesus and His Word has continued to grow. And He has continued to speak more clearly than ever before.
Last month, Wanda and I were given an opportunity to spend two nights away in a little cabin on a mountainside. It is only about a 40 minute drive from our home, and it is beautiful and quiet. So, we pulled together a last minute retreat.
We needed the time together, but we also needed time to talk and pray together about what God is doing. And, during the time, He confirmed what He had been saying for the previous three weeks: “Prepare yourselves.” He is getting ready to call us and stretch us in ways that are unlike anything we have experienced in the past. So, we are buckling our seatbelts and getting ready.
At the same time, I have been hearing another message. It is not really a new message, but it is louder and more urgent: “Stand with the broken!” And I believe this message relates to standing with the least of these both physically and as an advocate. Where there is suffering, I need to run to it and help. But I also need to cry out on their behalf to a church that is distracted by everything from politics to comfort and security.
Three weeks ago, we received word that the town of Florido Aceituno, Escuintla had been flooded. Homes had been destroyed and hundreds had been displaced. This is the town in which we run our Aliento Feeding Program. In fact, our team had just left the town when the rains began. And the river spilled over its banks just a few hours later.
My truck was in the shop when I received the news, so I called my mechanic to see how soon he could get it ready. He pushed it through quickly so we could hit the road mid-day, and we gathered food and supplies while we waited for the repairs to finish. Then we headed out.
When we arrived we found a town that had bonded together to help one another. They had opened a shelter in the school and the Catholic church across the street. Neighbor was helping neighbor. Those unaffected by the flood were bringing donations, preparing food, and helping with childcare. But there was very little assistance from the outside.
CONRED, the nation’s disaster relief organization, had come that morning and taken photos for their website. I confirmed that they had posted the pictures and were asking for donations, but they were not there. They did nothing to help. Likewise, the Red Cross had shown up for a couple of hours and then left, the only evidence of their visit being a Red Cross banner hanging outside the school. We, along with one other Christian organization, were the only outside presence in the town.
They needed food, and we were able to provide them with 2160 meals of fortified rice. We also had several large boxes of donated clothes. When we realized that they had no toilet paper for the shelters, Jeremiah and I made a run to a store to buy 240 rolls. The next day, we returned and moved the feeding program from the health center to the shelters. We also delivered enough water filters to assure both shelters clean drinking water.
And I was grateful to see more assistance show up. The Church of the Nazarene had shown up with a doctor and supplies. Another Christian group was passing out excellent hygiene kits to families. CONRED and the Red Cross were still not found there, but the church was stepping up.
And that is the key. It always has been. The church is supposed to STAND WITH THE BROKEN. We see it in both the Old and New Testament. We see it clearly in the words of Jesus. Our Savior is the hope of the world, and we are His hands and feet. It was God’s plan from the beginning that we be His channels of grace, mercy, and hope to a suffering world.
But we have gotten distracted, and the enemy is delighted.
In the days since, God has continued to unfold opportunities to stand with the broken. So, this ministry is continuing to expand. Here are a few examples:
- In the next year, we have numerous children in our group homes turning 18. Our plan has always been for them to remain in our home after they age out. But some of the courts are making it clear that they have to be in a separate area for adults only. And we have no space for such an area. So, we are faced with a choice. Do we surrender these young adults that we love to the system to be placed in an institution, or do we open a home just for them? If you know us at all, you know the decision we made. So, we are beginning work to open Hogar Nueva Esperanza (New Hope Home) for adults. No, we don’t know how we will do it. But we know that God would not have us allow these young men and women to move from our family to a crowded institution. So we are confident that He will provide.
- The Aliento Feeding Program in Aceituno is going wonderfully. But there is a spiritual darkness that we are fighting in the town. People are trapped in cycles of poverty, abuse, and addiction. And the local school is a nightmare that is feeding the crisis. Crowded classrooms and burned-out teachers lead to a setting in which very little learning occurs. But we now have an opportunity to make a difference. One of our ministry partners, BuildingGuate, has been used by God to transform the local school near our birthing center. The Departmental Superintendent of Schools has asked them if they could reproduce that program in other schools. So, our ministry will be stepping up to provide a sponsorship program for students through which we will pay for additional teachers and provide incentives for current teachers in Aceituno. In exchange, we will be allowed to provide Bible and character development classes to address the systemic issues of physical and sexual abuse and the identity crisis that many children face. Again, we are not sure how we can make this work, but God does.
- Our home’s school for children with special needs has outgrown the single teacher system that is currently in place. We have three more children from our homes who need to begin classes in January, as well as families in the community asking for admission. So, we need to add an additional teacher and expand. Here we grow again!
- And we just made contact with a ministry in Chiquimula, Guatemala. That department borders Honduras and has the highest level of malnutrition in the country. In some communities, stunting malnutrition tops 90%. I have wanted to begin ministry there for over four years, but God kept closing the doors and telling me to wait. Now we have an opportunity to begin a formula program for malnourished children and for pregnant and nursing mothers. This will be our third formula program in our attempt to fight the growing nutrition crisis in Guatemala.
And there is more coming. I can feel it in my times with God. I can sense His hand on my shoulder and His voice in my ear telling me to prepare myself to see His wonders revealed. I praise God that he saw these expansions coming long ago and is sending help, with three new couples and a single young lady joining our team in the first half of 2020.
Pray for our faith, that we will continue to trust the One who is more that trustworthy. Pray for wisdom to recognize God’s guidance and hear His voice. And pray that God will do God-sized works that are above human understanding and imagination, so that He will be made famous!
Blessings from Guatemala!
Daryl, Wanda, and the Crew
