As I type these words, all my devices have been set to Do Not Disturb. I had to. I was reaching a breaking point at which I could not face any more needs.
For the last three weeks, all nonessential work has been suspended in Guatemala. Two weeks ago a 4pm to 4 am curfew was implemented. And, as of this afternoon, inter-departmental travel is banned for Holy Week. We are not supposed to leave our department of Sacatepéquez.
Because of our humanitarian work, we have been told that we can have an exemption and be allowed to travel for the purposes of delivering food and medicine. But we will see tomorrow if they will, indeed, allow us to pass.
This shutdown has created a humanitarian crisis. In Guatemala, many people live hand-to-mouth. They depend on what they make today to feed their family tonight. And with so many being suddenly unemployed, families are hungry.
For the last two weeks, the calls and messages have been coming. And with each passing day, their frequency is increasing. This morning we took part in our church’s live streamed service, and during that one hour I received three requests for assistant to feed starving families.
In the last two weeks, we have distributed almost 3.5 tons of food to assist almost 2500 people. But by the time we meet one need, another five requests for help has arrived. So, I snapped. I put my devices on Do Not Disturb and walked away for a while.
Don’t worry, I will turn them back on again. And we will do all we can to help. But this situation is completely overwhelming.
Please don’t write to me and tell me that I can’t save the world. I know that already. I have no illusion that I am some kind of savior. I am not. There is only one Savior, and I follow Him. I am just Daryl. Tired, overwhelmed, and very insufficient Daryl.
I am surrounded by an incredible team, both in our homes and in the field, and they are doing a fantastic job under the worst of circumstance. They are fighting every day to keep families fed and to make sure that children are receiving the meds on which they depend. They are delivering babies, running feeding programs, and fighting malnutrition. I could not ask for a better group of people to be in this foxhole.
But we are tired. And the needs are increasing. And people are afraid. And the requests keep coming.
Have you every had trouble saying no to someone? A friend asks you for a ride to the airport or help to move. Maybe they need to borrow money or a babysitter for their children. You don’t want to do it, but you don’t want to let them down or leave them in a tough spot. It can be hard to say no.
Now imagine if your saying no means a family or multiple families will not have food. Tonight people will go to bed hungry because you told them no. And, eventually, that no means that malnutrition will come, followed soon by starvation. These days, that is what it means when I say no.
Jeremiah and I have been on the road almost constantly since this crisis erupted. We have not traveled this much since the volcano eruption in June of 2018. We have been traveling to pick up food and deliver it as fast as we can. Jeremiah is 19 years old and has a heart of service and seemingly endless energy. But even he is tired.
On Thursday we purchased another ton of beans and rice, and on Friday we weighed and bagged them in 10 pound portions. This coming week we will need to do more.
Yesterday (Saturday), Jeremiah and I were scheduled to do a quick run to Jocotenango, a town about 10 miles from our home. We were supposed to pick up boxes of concentrated soup from a ministry partner and then deliver some of it to another ministry partner. But when we showed up at the second ministry partners home, there were 80-90 people waiting for us. They had heard that we had food and had walked in to see if we could help. So we spent time passing out the soup to these people, each of whom represented a family in need. When we arrived back home, we were too exhausted to unload my truck.
Out of sheer necessity, we chose to not go out today, even though people are waiting. We have to get some rest. But tomorrow we will hit it again hard, providing help to three other towns. Then on Tuesday we will head to Jutiapa to provide assistance to another 70 families. The entire week is filled.
Meanwhile, we are getting calls from families requesting acetaminophen because their children have cough and fever. And our supplies are low. So this morning I spent time trying to track down channels to get some. I can purchase from our pharmacy, but it is expensive. But we have some donations coming our way, and another friend is working to get us the meds at a cheaper price. I estimate that we need around 300 bottles in total.
In just a moment, I will turn off the Do Not Disturb feature on my devices and see how many messages are waiting. And we will get back to work. But I ask you to please not forget the people of Guatemala. I know the world is suffering now, and everyone has their own battles to fight. But in the developing world, lives are literally hanging in the balance. Please pray and do what you can to help.
Tomorrow, beginning at noon EST, some dear friend of ours will be offering a matching campaign for every gift given to our Coronavirus Relief Fund up to $2500. If you visit https://hopeforhome.org/locations/coronavirus-relief.html you can donate to that fund via PayPal. EVERY PENNY OF YOUR GIFT WILL GO TO PROVIDE FOOD AND MEDICINE TO THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS CRISIS. NONE WILL BE TAKEN FOR ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES OR OTHER COSTS.
Please pray that we will be able to save lives and proclaim Jesus during this time. Pray that we can say yes instead of no.
Blessings from Guatemala,
Daryl, Wanda, and the Crew
