Medical Clinics (We Did It!)

Last week we attempted something we had never done before. My sister, Kathy Grant, and her husband, Bob, put together a medical missions team from their church, Project Re:3, and brought them to Guatemala. So we put together four days of medical clinics to touch physical needs. In the past we have done therapy clinics, but this was our first attempt at bringing doctors and nurses together to provide medical care.

The team from the States consisted of two nurses, two EMT’s and a respiratory therapist. We teamed them with our staff doctor, Dr. Augusto Perez, and our staff nurse, Katie Riley, and headed out to San Pablo La Laguna early Sunday morning. We arrived late morning and set up in the building that had been set aside for us. It was an excellent facility with a sheltered waiting area, a triage room and three exam rooms. We had no sooner finished unpacking and setting up when the crowd arrived.

As people came through the door, they were given a number and were called up one at a time to fill out an information card and go into triage for assessment. The role of the triage workers was to assess the need and determine if they needed the doctor, one of the nurses, or the respiratory therapist. From there they went to their respective exam rooms for treatment. During that day our clinic was only open for four hours, yet we treated over 70 patients.

That evening was spent in San Pedro La Laguna, because there are no hotels or decent restaurants in San Pablo. We had a crew of 18 people traveling with us, so the logistics of transportation, lodging and feeding was no small matter. Those logistics broke down somewhat the next morning when the restaurant took an hour and a half to feed our team, resulting in our arriving 15 minutes late to the clinic.

When we entered the building we found around 75 or 80 people already waiting, so we dove right into the work. We had gotten more efficient the day before, and were able to get people through the process faster. In the next 7 hours we saw around 120 patients. And as we were loading our vehicles people continued to approach us seeking medical help. Several people were examined and treated next to the van and truck. We pulled back into our town after 9 pm that night, exhausted and ready for sleep.

Over the next two days the team did some shopping, worked in our home and visited Hermano Pedro in Antigua. Then, on Thursday and Friday, we hosted another clinic in their hotel here in San Antonio Aguas Calientes.

In the past, we had used the municipal building in town for a therapy clinic. But a few months later we found that the mayor had used that clinic in a pamphlet promoting his political party. We work hard to not get involved in politics. We minister in Jesus’ name, not in the name of a party, so we decided to host future events in non-governmental locations. This has, apparently, angered our mayor and the local elements of his party. So, when we approached the municipality to ask them to announce the clinics through the loud speakers, they told us they would. But we later found out they did not. So we were wondering if many would show up.

We needn’t have worried, as around 170 people crowded in over the two days we were open. People with everything from infections to machete wounds showed up seeking help. The team was a group of rock stars as they endured the long hours and hard work without complaint. So many people were touched and helped in Jesus’ name.

As I look back over the clinics, I am struck by a few truths:

1) Sometime the emotional wounds can seem physical. On our second day of clinics I sat with a young girl who told me about her physical problems. She insisted that her heart would stop for brief periods. I asked her to describe the experience and quickly realized that she was having panic attacks. So I asked about her home life, and she teared-up as she told me of their poverty, her fear that she would have to drop out of school and the fighting these things had caused between her parents. What she needed was not medicine, but a listening ear and an understanding heart. We prayed with her, praying that she could take her fears and stress to God and encouraged her to follow-up with her pastor.

2) Education is crucial. One mother came in with her baby wrapped in layers of blankets and nearly unresponsive. The nurses realized he had a high fever and quickly removed the blankets and layers of clothing and replaced them with ice packs. Within 10 minutes, he was once again responding as his temperature dropped. He received antibiotics and Tylenol, and the mother received instructions on fever control. We face this issue repeatedly. A child runs a fever and shivers. The parents, seeing their discomfort, wraps them in blankets. The fever spikes and brain damage results. So much of the battle we face lies in educating parents.

3) Many people just need a friend. Several of the people who came through the doors and waited a long time to see us did not need a doctor. They were just seeking company. During the hours they waited and were seen, they were just enjoying being in the presence of others. This was especially true of some of the elderly who could not give us a good reason for coming to see us. So we chatted and prayed with them, and they went home a little happier than when they arrived. The ministry of presence is one of the most important ministries we can do.

The Project Re:3 team was amazing! They brought so many medicines and medical supplies and kept a great attitude through it all. My sister and brother-in-law served tirelessly as they greeted and kept children entertained with balloon animals. Another part of the team organized our pharmacy and dispensed medicine for hours. Our doctor was incredible as well, soliciting donations and bringing along almost his entire pharmacy. And, of course, our live-in nurse, Katie, did a fantastic job of leading and serving.

At the end of it all, we had an exhausted team:

I believe this will be the first of many medical clinics. We have learned that, with God’s help, we can do them and do them well, and we are anxious to continue this area of ministry that has been started.

Presently we are being presented with so many opportunities. There are so many open doors in front of us, and we cannot go through all of them. Could you please pray for us in the days ahead that we will know which directions are the right ones? We need wisdom, resources and people. The need is great, but the workers are few.

Blessings from Guate!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

Goodbyes

In the last 24 hours, we have said two painful goodbyes…

The first goodbye was to little Micah. He was in our home and a part of our family for only eight days. We knew when he came to us that he was dying, and we knew that it was good for him to go to Jesus. But it was still painful.

He entered our home via ambulance on Friday, May 22nd and was embraced by all. During the time he was in our home he was never alone. We took shifts overnight, knowing that his time was short and not wanting him to be alone. He was held and rocked, almost constantly. And he heard the words, “We love you!” hundreds of times.

So frequently during those days we thought he was leaving us, but each time he would rally and surge back. However, on Friday we all noticed a pronounced decline. He became less responsive and his breathing would stop for 10 to 15 seconds, only to restart again. Twice during his final days we all gathered around, told him we loved him, played worship music and said goodbye, the last time being Saturday afternoon. Then, around 5:00 pm, he took his final breath and slipped from our arms into Jesus’.

That was such a bitter-sweet moment. On the one hand, we were so tired of seeing him struggling that we wanted to see him go. I kept pleading with him to let go and go to Jesus. At the same time, I grieved that he had left us. We all wept and hugged and talked about our love for him.

Here in Guatemala, the funeral happens quickly. So within an hour Jeremiah, Joel, Dale and myself were digging the grave in the cemetery at the end of our street. We worked hard in order to finish by sunset. The casket was brought to our home and Wanda and the others prepared his body and placed him inside. He remained in our home overnight.

The memorial service was yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, and was well attended by staff and friends. Feliz, from Solola, came down, along with family and friends. She had been a mother to Micah before we ever met him, visiting him in the hospital regularly and praying for him.

The service was simple and held in our courtyard. Afterward, we had a procession down to the cemetery, where we prayed, sang and filled in the grave. As I type this, the workers are making his gravestone.

At this moment Micah is whole, healed and basking in the presence of Jesus. Of that, I have no doubt. And I rejoice for him. But the goodbye is hard and painful. Yet, this is our calling. And in the midst of the pain, I feel God smile.

Yesterday, during the service before I went up to speak, I was standing to the side with Wanda. I had tears in my eyes and was struggling to sing, but I put my arm around her shoulder, pulled her close and whispered in her ear…

“Thank you for being willing to live this life!”

Any other woman would have left me years ago. They would have left behind the pain that this life and ministry brings. They would have left behind the long hours and broken heart. And they certainly would have left behind this stubborn, driven and thick-headed excuse for a man. But she is still here beside me, embracing it all.

After it was all over, my son, Jeremiah, approached me. He struggle the most with our decision to accept Micah into our home, not because he wouldn’t love him, but because he would. When both Esperanza and Tanya died, Jeremiah struggle the most because he loves deeply and with abandon. So he was not thrilled when we decided to bring in another dying child. But his words to me were the most healing that I have heard through this process. He hugged my and said, “Thanks for being willing to say yes. It bothers me to think that he could have died without a family.”

And so, it is worth it, and that was our first goodbye.

Our second goodbye was this morning as we dropped our daughter Carissa off at the airport. My little girl is moving to Uganda where she will be opening a home for girls with special needs.

How do I feel about that? Good question.

I feel incredibly proud…and very scared.

I feel an overwhelming excitement…and a deep sense of sadness.

I feel confident of her future…and timid about her journey and the price she will have to pay.

When each of our children were born or adopted, we prayed and dedicated them to the Lord. And each time we asked God to raise them up as a man or woman of God that would love Jesus, love the world and would follow Him wherever He may lead. He has answered that prayer in spades with Carissa, and I could not be more proud of her.

But, just between you and me, sometimes obedience sucks. You know what I mean? (I know. That is a horrible thing for a man of God to say. I will expect your correcting e-mails.) Even though we know obeying God is what is right and best in the long run, it sure is painful in the present sometimes.

Today, as I watched her carrying her luggage through the crowds into the terminal, I stood on tiptoes to catch one more glimpse of her before she was gone. In my mind, she was a toddler taking her first steps again, but this time she wasn’t going to stop and come back. She confidently stepped through the doors without looking back. (I didn’t expect or want her to. That is who she is and how she lives.) And, at that moment, my heart both swelled in pride and broke in two.

She is off to change Uganda. And she will. The power of Jesus Christ is strong in her, and He will use her in mighty ways. And we are behind her, 200%. But this dad has a lump in his throat that just won’t go away.

One day, in the place where Micah runs and plays today, there will be no more goodbyes. There will only be hellos. I keep reminding myself that our family will be together in the presence of Jesus…forever. But in order to bring as many people with us as possible, we have to say a lot of goodbyes in this life. And it will all be worth it…one day.

But for now:

Goodbye, Micah. You are loved and missed deeply. You are and will always be our son and brother. Have fun and we will see you soon!

Goodbye, Carissa. We are proud of you, excited for you and miss you horribly already. Go change the world. And, remember, we love you, are praying for you and will be behind you all the way. Go get ‘em!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

(By the way, if you wish to support Carissa’s new branch of Hope for Home in Uganda you can do so through our US office. Just visit http://www.hopeforhome.org/Donate.html to see how.)

When Love Hurts and Heals

Today we drove to Solola to visit a little boy named Micah. (His legal name is Miguel, but a missionary friend who has been visiting him has been calling him Micah, so that is what we call him as well.) Micah is two months old and has severe birth defects that have produced a terminal condition.

Micah was born without a skull above his face and ears, so what little brain he has is floating in cerebral fluid that extends upwards in two lobes. Two days ago one of the lobes ruptured due to pressure, and cerebral fluid has been draining as a result. In addition, Micah has severe cleft lip and pallet, and is unable to suck or swallow as a result. Therefore, he relies on a feeding tube for nourishment. (Please note: We are being discreet with the photos we share publically. I have seen too many such photos used in hurtful and harmful ways on the internet, so we are being careful with the images we publish.)

As I approached his bed and reached out to touch his face, all of the tubes and birth defects disappeared. All I saw was a beautiful and precious little boy. And I, once again, fell in love.

At that moment, I had a little argument with God that went like this:

God: You are his daddy. Take him home to his family.

Me: God, I cannot do this again. I cannot love another child and watch him die. It hurts too much.

God: Daryl, do you know how deeply and how many times loving you has hurt me?

Checkmate, God.

At this point I had no idea if they would allow us to take him into our home. He is still leaking cerebral fluid, is at a high risk of infection and is very fragile. But I knew I had to try. So I turned to the representative from PGN, the social worker and the nurses and, with the help of our friend, Felis, explained about our home and the care we could provide. I then asked if we could make Micah a part of our family and carry him to Jesus during the days he has left. There was an immediate and unanimous affirmation of that plan, and Hugo, the PGN worker, left immediately to talk to the judge and arrange for the orders. As a result, an ambulance will be transporting Micah to our home tomorrow morning.

As I left the hospital, I felt joy. Don’t get me wrong, I also felt fear of what may lie ahead. But the overwhelming emotion was joy. This is what God created us to do, and I felt God smile. He loves Micah way more than I ever could, but He takes great joy when His children love the ones He loves. And that is enough to carry my family and I through whatever lies ahead.

Please pray for Micah and for our family and staff. Micah is suffering now, so pray that we can ease that suffering and hold and love him well until the day Jesus does so perfectly. Someday soon Micah will run to Him!

Thanks!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

A Big and Scary Leap

This is one of those blogs that I am afraid to write. I have been wrestling with this for months now, and have resisted putting it into print because of my fear. But as the vision grows in my heart, I find that I can no longer keep it to myself.

My fear is rooted in the sheer size of the vision that God has placed in my heart. When I was a child, around the age of five, my family and I went to visit the battleship USS North Carolina, and the experience scared me. As I stood on the dock, looking at that towering ship, I felt so very small and insignificant. I remember trembling in awe. It was so big that there was no way I could influence the gentle sway of it in the water at all. That is how I feel right now. There is no way that I can make this vision happen. I am too small and it is too big.

But I am also afraid to address this publically for fear of looking foolish. To the best of my ability to know, I believe this is God’s direction for this ministry. And that conviction has steadily grown. But what if I am wrong? What if I put this out in front of so many and fail? All of my self-doubt and self-esteem issues scream for me to keep it all to myself. But I believe God is calling me to leap off this cliff and trust Him to do the catching. If He doesn’t…splat. But if I don’t jump, He cannot show His faithfulness.

Before I share this vision, I want you to know what this is not. It is not a back-handed way of fundraising. We are committed to trusting God to provide for this ministry without asking for money. He has done this all along and will continue to do so. If we are doing His work His way, He will meet out needs.

Neither is this my way of stepping up as a leader. God does not need my wisdom, vision or leadership, I need His. Modern leadership seminars will talk about developing a clear vision and laying out the steps to get there, but I have not done so to this point, and God has built this ministry. I do not have a desire to have a big ministry, and am not trying to grow it. I simply want to be obedient today, one step at a time, and go where He leads. That is what has brought us this far, and it will take us all the way home. This is simply me sharing what God has placed in my heart.

And the goal of this post is twofold:

1. Accountability – By making it public, I am placing myself in your hands and inviting you to hold me accountable to this vision. I am moving this from a personal vision to a collaborative effort. Please help me.
2. Prayer – The size and scope of this vision is way too big for man to accomplish, especially this very insignificant man. We need to, together, seek the God of heaven to fulfill His vision in and through us. Please pray with me.

Now, on to the vision…

Currently our ministry is operating our group home, Hogar de la Esperanza, and the rural village ministry, Ruedas de Esperanza. The size and influence of these ministries has grown beyond our expectations, and we are a little overwhelmed. We are currently working monthly with 92 families in 18 towns (32 villages). We also work with an additional 33 families on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. In the next three months, we plan to add two new communities to this number and, since these areas are the poorest in Guatemala, we expect the number of families to increase significantly.

Our 6000 square foot home has been filled to the max with children, medicine, bandages, food (in 100 pound bags), diapers, wheelchairs, equipment and more. So one of our first priorities is to find a location that can serve as a separate headquarters for Ruedas de Esperanza. The Beyer family is currently seeking another home to rent or purchase, and as a part of that they are hoping to find a place large enough to accommodate this area of ministry. They and the ministry are currently considering all options to allow for this area of growth and establish a separate headquarters for this work.

But as this ministry grows, God has shown me that we also need to de-centralize the work. In other words, we need to establish ministry centers like the one we are developing here in each of the departments in which we work. (Departments are kind of like states within the country.) Currently we are working in Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango, El Progreso, Esquintla, Solola and Guatemala City. We will soon be adding Chiquimula and Santa Rosa.

The vision is for each department to have a director, a physical address that includes an office, significant storage, and a work area that is suitable for hosting clinics and training. Eventually, we would like to have a medical professional, a therapist and a special education professional in each of these headquarters. We also have the goal of having a birthing center and a trained midwife in each of these locations.

Now this goal is overwhelming and God-sized, even if we go no further. Just this vision alone means seven additional headquarters, along with seven wise and trustworthy men/women of God to serve as directors. Plus the needed therapists, educators, doctors and/or nurses and midwives. And don’t even talk about the money involved in such an endeavor. Oh, yeah…and the administration involved.

But that is the direction we need to go. I am confident of this.This will enable us to save money on transportation, lodging and more, while having people available in the communities as resources and ongoing help instead of a once-a-month visit. So that is the direction in which we are heading with God’s help.

But it doesn’t end there, and this is where it gets really scary. I believe God is calling us to develop these centers in every department in Guatemala. In case you are not aware, there are 22 departments. Yep…you read that right. 22. And as I consider that, the map of Guatemala looks really big, and I feel really small.

At the same time, we continue to feel God’s pull to open more group homes, ten in total. All of these will be located close to us, here in Sacatepequez. The children will be brought by the courts from all over the country, but having them located locally will enable us to share resources between the homes while being close to the best doctors and resources available in the country.

As I stand here on the dock looking at this battleship, I feel so very small. This task is enormous and cannot be done by man. We need God, which means we need prayer. Will you please pray with us for:

1. Quality men/women to serve as directors as we open these headquarters, one at a time.
2. Financial resources to pay the increased monthly expenses of these headquarters and the additional families that will come seeking assistance as a result.
3. Medical professionals, including doctors, nurses and midwives to join us in our work. (We also need a neurologist soon for our current work.)
4. Special education experts to join us.
5. Couples/families to join us to open additional group homes.
6. Wisdom from God to know what steps to take and when to take them.
7. Courage in the face of fear and resistance.

So, there you go. Now it is out there, and I can’t take it back. For better or for worse, I am jumping and trusting. And even in the midst of my fear I truly believe that the God Who has always been faithful before will be faithful again.

Care to jump with me?

Because of Him,

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

Doubts and Neglect

Our daughter, Kimmie, is having surgery on Wednesday. She has needed orthopedic surgery on her legs for some time now, but the doctor who had offered to do it has consistently not followed-through. So we arranged to get her in with a surgery team from Faith in Practice that has come from the States.

Yesterday she went in for evaluation to prepare for surgery, and the surgeon spoke with me after seeing her. The gist of the conversation can be summed up in the following bullet points:

• I can do surgery here, but I cannot do everything she needs done.
• It will not be my best work, as she needs additional assessment that can only be done in the States.
• You really should bring her to Texas where I can arrange for further assessment and the proper surgery.

She stopped just short of calling me a bad father and accusing me of neglect as I explained that the trip to the States was not feasible and asked her to please do what she could to help us. So, she finally agreed to do tendon and muscle-lengthening surgery on both legs and her groin.

Now is the time for transparency, so prepare yourself…

Throughout this conversation I kept hearing the voices of everyone who told us not to come to Guatemala. I heard the people who questioned us as parents for moving our children, two of whom have special needs, to a developing country. Those who told us we were being irresponsible. Fellow parents who questioned both our wisdom and commitment to our children and family. And, for the first time since I felt God’s call to Guatemala, I wondered if they are right.

My daughter needs surgery, and I want her to have the best. That is why we adopted her from Korea in 2005. We wanted to give her a family and every advantage to face her disabilities that we could. She is a wonderful young lady, and she deserves the best.

Yet, on Wednesday she will have surgery in a Guatemalan hospital. Yes, she has an excellent surgeon, but she will be in less-than-optimal facilities receiving less-than-the-best procedure. And that is because of my decision to move my family to this country to do this ministry. And I am filled with both fear and doubt. Am I being a bad father? Am I failing my child/children? Am I helping other kids at the expense of my own?

To that last question, I know the answer is “Yes.” In order to help other children, my own sons and daughters have paid a price. My children have paid a price, as have Wanda and I. And that really bothers me. It is one thing for Wanda and I to make a decision and face the consequences for it. It is another thing to force that decision and consequences on our children. Yet, that is what we have done.

Along the way, we have stopped to ask them how they feel about Guatemala and this ministry, and, almost exclusively, their responses have been positive. All have told us that they are glad to be here, and they love what we do. But this situation takes us into new territory. For the first time, this life and ministry is placing one of our children in a situation in which it is not just an inconvenience of lifestyle, but in which their health and long-term development may be affected. So now I am asking, “Am I a bad father?”

I honestly don’t know how to answer that question. I know that I love Kimmie and all my kids. I know that I would give my life for any single one of them. I know that I want them to achieve all that they can achieve, and do it for the glory of Jesus. And, above all else, I want them to follow Jesus, no matter the cost. I want them to be willing to die for Him.

But now I am making decisions that may cost one of my children. And that is much harder. If it were me facing the surgery, as I did two months ago, it would not be a problem. But this is my little Kimmie, my Little Asian Lilly.

Tonight I am struggling. The surgery is scheduled and is two days away (actually, it’s 36 hours away), and I am filled with self-doubt. Am I doing the wrong thing? Am I helping other children while neglecting my own? Am I truly following God’s call, or am I a deluded idiot who has lost my mind? (After all, there have been plenty of those.)

As my mind and heart struggles with these questions, it keeps coming back to this one thought: My God gave his child for me. Am I willing to give my child for Him? And in that thought, I find both comfort and fear.

I find comfort because that seems to provide some order to this chaos and make me think that I am following God. It just helps this path make sense.

At the same time, I find fear because I don’t want my children to ever suffer for my obedience. God, please let me pay the price, but not them.

Years ago, Wanda and I held hands and told Jesus we would follow Him, no matter the cost. At that point, we both were willing to pay the cost personally of that decision. I have to admit, I have never considered my children paying the price. Now that has become very real.

So this evening I am trying to trust. I have gone over and over the call that God has given, and I do believe we are following that call. We have heard God’s voice and have obeyed, to the best of our abilities, and I believe the unfolding of this ministry is evidence of that. I do not believe this is a fool’s errand or a personal delusion. It is us following God’s path, one step at a time.

And I have to believe that the One who started us on this journey loves our Kimmie (His Kimmie) far more than we ever could and holds her care in the palm of His hand. And I have to believe that whatever price he asks us or our children to pay will one day be worth it.

Please pray for Kimmie as she faces surgery one Wednesday. Thanks.

Because of Him,

Daryl

Buildings and Battles

I want to tell you the story of a Guatemalan church. Actually, it is the story of a lot of Guatemalan churches, so this is an amalgamation of their stories in the form of a congregation I will call Third-World Church.

Third-World Church is a small congregation of about 60 people made up of about eight families. They meet in the pastor’s courtyard, and you can hear the music from their services wafting through the neighborhood Sunday morning, Sunday evening and three nights a week. The pastor has very little theological training, but he loves Jesus and he loves his people. There are some theological problems with his teaching that stems from his lack of training, but he does a good job overall of communicating the gospel. He works another job to provide for his family, and works late into the evening visiting families and preparing his sermons.

Then one day a mission team comes from the States. They are from a church that we will call First Presbybaptist. They have come with the best of intentions and want to bless Guatemala with their work. While they are here they work with Third-World Church and its pastor to do some projects, and truly grow to love the congregation. They want to help, and an obvious area where help is needed is a meeting space for the church. After all, every Sunday the people pack into the pastor’s modest courtyard like sardines. Then, during rainy season, they rig plastic and tarps to create an ineffective system to keep the people dry.

So, the team from First Presbybaptist returns to the states and shares photos and stories. The US congregation is touched by the work of Third-World Church and decide they want to partner with them to build a building for them. So an edifice is designed, funds are raised and sent (construction is really cheap in Guatemala) and the building starts to rise from the ground. During the construction phase First Presbybaptist sends a couple of teams to help, and they return home with news and pictures of the progress, and everyone praises God that things are taking shape. 

Finally, the new building is completed, and it is big and beautiful. It is a three-story edifice with a sanctuary and classrooms and is filled with attractive tile and ornamental concrete work. After all, First Presbybaptist really wants to be a blessing, so they give them the best building they can. They send a team down for the dedication, photos are taken and shared back home and everyone rejoices and lives happily ever after. A photo of the Third-World Church and its congregation hangs in the foyer at First Presbybaptist today, ten years later.

But now take a journey with me back to the community where this big beautiful building is located. Let’s visit the neighbors and get to know them. After all, Third-World Church must be having a huge impact on their town now, and the change must be significant.

Two houses down from the church lives the Velasquez family. The father, Diego, gathers firewood and sells it in his community to provide for his wife and children. On a good day, he will make Q.30 (just under $4.00 USD), but most days it is half that. He is trying to feed, clothe and educate his 6 children on that amount, but it is not working. His wife is taking in laundry to help with the family’s income, but she is only making about Q.35 a week. The entire family is skinny and sickly. To make matters worse, one of his son is six years old and has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. His anti-seizure medication costs Q.250 a month, over a third of the father’s monthly income. So they are not able to provide it. As a result, he suffers between five and ten gran mal seizures a day.

Directly across from the church lives an elderly widow. Her husband died around the time the church was being constructed, and his meager income was her only provision. She walks with a bent back and a stick for a cane. Her eyes are covered with cataracts, so she is nearly blind. And each day she makes her way to the local park where she sits and begs, hoping to get enough money to eat for another day.

One block over lives a single mother with three children. Her alcoholic husband abandoned her after the last child was born, so life is a challenge. Each day she makes her way to the local market with two little ones in tow and a third swaddled in a blanket on her breast. There she sells hand-made crafts, trying to help her little family survive.

These are three families in a community filled with others like them. This is Guatemala, so everywhere you turn is poverty, malnutrition and suffering. The average income in this town is around $150 a month, and people are desperate.

And in the midst of this is the Third-World Church and its building that cost around $115,000 to build. (I know! What a great deal!) Every service the music can be heard wafting through the town, and occasionally people will turn their eyes to the source. Some look with cynicism. Others with open hostility. Others with empty eyes, wondering how such a church could ever relate to and help them. So, on a good Sunday, Third-World Church is half-full. A church that was once engaged in their community is now disengaged. Their offerings now go to pay for utilities and upkeep on their wonderful new building.

In most of the communities and villages where we work there is at least one such church. In one community I have counted three. In each case there is a US church behind the construction, and in most cases the church is very ineffective at reaching their community. There are exceptions, but they are rare. In most cases, these building projects have distanced the congregations from their communities and made it more difficult for them to minister.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am very much in favor of US churches partnering with congregations in the developing world. Indeed, I believe such partnerships are crucial. However, they need to be strategic and careful. And they need to be driven by a heart to produce biblical priorities in the supported church, not US priorities. (Believe me when I say there is a difference.)

So, how can US churches partner effectively with churches in developing countries? I’m glad you asked!

1) Get to know the culture and community surrounding the church. Really listen to the local church leaders who know and understand the culture. Send individuals from your congregation to spend time in the town and in homes. Look past the surface to truly see the needs of both the congregation and the community. You cannot visit a country on a one-week trip, take some snapshots and understand either the problems of a community or the solutions. This requires humility, patience and time. Don’t just jump in with a fundraising campaign and checkbook. Often it will require much more than money to help.

2) Stop having buildings on the brain. The US church tends to have a building fetish. We seem to think that the greatest thing a congregation can do is build a bigger, better building, or at least enlarge their current one. This is our marker for “success.” In a poor culture such as Guatemala, that is not important. Churches meet in courtyards, modified homes or anywhere they can fit enough chairs. The only places you find a preoccupation with buildings are within the churches that have been heavily influenced by US Christians. When you are surrounded by poverty, malnutrition and illness, buildings are not very important. But if you do feel led to assist a church with a better meeting place, keep it modest. Does a building really need to be built, or can you do modifications to their current building? Often $100-300 of lamina and building materials can make a big difference in a church’s current meeting place. If a building REALLY needs to be built, can it be built modestly in a way that blends into the town instead of standing out? And can it be built with a multipurpose mindset with a vision of blessing the community all week long? Think minimal and practical if you think of buildings at all.

3) The most important needs are often not obvious. Things like a lack theological training or social awareness are often overlooked. Sometimes the greatest need of the pastor and church is education in the Word of God because they have not had that privilege in the past. Sometimes they need help understand how the Gospel relates to the poverty and suffering of their neighbors. (There are many pastors here that teach it is not the responsibility of the church to address physical needs, only spiritual ones.) Are their ways your church can help your partnered church gain understanding and education? Word of Caution: As stated above, we need to be careful to make sure we are teaching biblical principal and not US principals.

4) Seek to address needs in ways that allow your role to remain behind the scenes with minimal intrusion. If a Guatemalan church is seen as simply taking money from North Americans it creates resentment in the local people and other churches. When working together to address the needs of the community, do so by providing support to the church and allow them to be the face of the work. The US church does not need another photo op or pat on the back.

5) Partner with a goal of eventual self-sustenance.  Help them establish a path to being self-supporting, so they can one day meet the needs of their community without outside assistance. Help them establish local businesses that employ locals and provide funds. And then plan to get out as soon as possible so that you can partner with another church to do the same. Often there are businessmen and women in US churches that can help develop such a plan. Think strategically and sustainably.

As you read through these suggestions, you might be tempted to think that this is a lot of work. It really is. But the reality is that there are no quick fixes to the challenges that churches in developing countries face. It requires long-term investment and carefully thought-out strategies. It requires prayer, seeking God’s guidance and the awareness that even the best intentions can do great damage. In fact, good intentions are destroying this culture and many others like it. But they don’t have to.

Guatemala does not need more or better church buildings. We need more and better churches that are equipped to be the hands and feet of God in the midst of a desperate culture. And your church can help.

Blessings from Guatemala!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

Facing Death…and Life

Death has visited and touched us again in the last week…twice.

On Monday I was in Antigua for a meeting when I received a call telling me that Phil Bergen was being transferred via ambulance to a private Antigua hospital with a suspected heart attack. I immediately headed there and arrived to find that he had been pronounced dead in the very same room where we lost Thania last July.

I would not call Phil a close friend, as we never spent much time together. We were both busy with our respective ministries, so we didn’t really have an opportunity to hang out much. But I did consider him an incredible co-laborer for Christ. He and his wife, Judy, established Amor Guate, a ministry in Jocotenango that runs a soup kitchen and after-school program and works with families. We often take our teams over to work in their program, and we have helped families with children who have special needs that they have encountered through their work. Phil and Judy have impacted thousands of lives through their ministry, both here in Guatemala as well as Canada and the United States. Phil was a man of God who had a way of helping people to see their identity in Jesus. He was quick to laugh and cause others to laugh. And the world is a little dimmer without him.

This is had an impact on us, mainly because Manuel Moran, our Group Home Coordinator, and his wife, Cristina, are very close to the Bergens. They have both worked closely with Phil and Judy, and Phil was a mentor and father-figure to them both. When I arrived at the hospital, I wept with Judy and their staff and with Cristina. Manuel was in the city getting medical treatment for one of the children from our rural village ministry, so I waited for him to arrive. I met him outside and broke the news and hugged him as he wept.

Phil and Judy were expecting a team of 19 to arrive the next evening, so we have stepped up to help with this team so Judy and her family can make funeral arrangements and have time to grieve. Today they spent time in our home, and we will be taking them to Hermano Pedro tomorrow morning.

Please pray for Judy, her children and their entire team of employees and volunteers here in Guatemala. The future is uncertain now, so they need God’s comfort and guidance in the days ahead.

Then this morning I received word that little Elizabeth (Lizzy) had slipped into the arms of Jesus last night. I wrote about Lizzy in my last blog and explained how we had been asked to take a 10 day old baby with hydrocephalus. We had said “No” due to a lack of manpower and overcrowding, but had referred the courts to Village of Hope, which is run by our friends, Todd and Amy Block. Over the last few weeks they have done a fantastic job of loving Lizzy and getting her the best medical care available. Their daughter, Addisyn, was her primary caregiver, and no little girl has every been loved more.

But God chose to permanently heal Lizzy last night, and she is without pain and illness now. But I must admit something that makes me feel very ashamed. When I found out she had passed away, my first thought was an overwhelming feeling of grief for the Blocks, but my second was, “Thank you, God, that she was not with us! I could not have handled losing another one!”

And as my own words rang in my ears I realized how horribly selfish that was. I don’t believe that we were wrong to say “No” to receiving another child. I believe God had planned all along for her to go to Village of Hope. We could not have loved her or cared for her better than the Block family did. But I also realize that my goal should never be to spare myself from pain. Here my friends were hurting at the loss of a little one that was one of their own, and I was breathing a sigh of relief that I was spared from their level of grief. I hate it when I see that ugly, selfish, old Daryl come out, and want him to be dead forever.

So death has visited us twice in the last week, and four times in the last three weeks. Three weeks ago a friend of Manuel was gunned down in the street. Last week we lost Don Jorge, who passed away suddenly. I had just given him a wheelchair the month before, and we are grieving for his widow who now lives alone.

Death seems to somehow be closer here in Guatemala. In the U.S. death appears as a more distant idea. Stateside, even when we lose someone we love, we are usually distanced from death. The body is removed quickly by professionals and you don’t see it again until it has been prepared for viewing. It is kept in a funeral home or church and we bump into it briefly for viewing and funeral.

Here you are involved in the process. When Esperanza died, she stayed with us. We prepared her little body, changed her clothes, placed her in the tiny coffin and kept her in our home until it was time to carry her to the graveyard. When Thania died, I claimed her body (wrapped in a garbage bag) from the morgue. We transported her to the funeral preparation guys who cleaned her, dressed her and placed her in the coffin. We then received the coffin and transported her back to our home for a service and then to her family in Jutiapa. The entire process of dealing with death is very up close and personal.

But that is not all. Death is a very real part of every day here. During my first 43 years of life I lived in the United States and saw death as something that happens to others. Not that I never lost people that I loved. I did. But it was almost always natural death and seemed distant. There always seemed to be the illusion of protection. If I got sick or injured, someone would make it better. America is safety-conscious, so we lived in an airbag-filled world. It just felt as if we were sheltered from death.

That is not the case here. There are violent crimes that fill the headlines. (Two days ago I read that Guatemala has averaged 15 murders a day over the first 100 days of 2015. This, in a country about the size of Ohio.) There are horrible accidents taking lives, and blood filled photographs on the front page of the newspapers to prove it. Many people get sick with treatable illnesses, but are turned away to die by the hospitals because they cannot afford treatment. Or, in some cases, they die because the hospitals don’t have the basic medicines to treat them. People die regularly here because medical personnel don’t have basic training such as CPR. And almost every day children die here of starvation. Death is real and personal here, and very few live with the illusion of protection and safety.

And, as an American, I sometime find myself wanting to run and hide from those realities. I just get sick of seeing death so up-close and personal, and I want to spare myself. And this desire for self-protection increased exponentially after losing two of my children in 2014.

And yet God has called me to this place, not to run from reality, but to show people how to face it…with grace, strength and Jesus Christ. Sometimes we have the privilege of saving lives, but other times our role is to just walk with people through the valley of the shadow of death, helping them not be afraid. And, many days, that is difficult and overwhelming, and I can be quite the coward. It is much easier to face the shadow of my own death than to see the deaths of so many precious children and grieve with the lonely widow.

I have much to share with you regarding our ministry and growth, but that will save for the next post. For today, please join me in praying for Judy Bergen, her children and all who loved Phil. Pray for the Block family as they grieve little Lizzy. And pray that Jesus will be glorified in the midst of this season of loss.

Blessings!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew