December without snow

Life continues here in Guatemala! We celebrated Humebrto's 7^th birthday, and many more smaller moments in their lives. We have been battling some bad diarrhea for a few weeks now, and a few of the kids have parasites which makes them feel pretty rough. Please pray for our sick kiddos.

Here in the homes we had a lovely thanksgiving time, or to differentiate, a lovely American thanksgiving as our Canadian thanksgiving was sadly under-celebrated! It takes the whole family together to pull off somehting so huge! We borroed oven space from nearby family, and even brought an entire oven over. Nearly 50 family gathered to celebrate and give thanks to God for all he has done for us.

The next day the family gathered again to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season, and decorate the home. The kids enjoyed special snacks, and all dressed in red or green. Lots of chaos and smiles, and laughs.

In Guatemala, death is a near companion. A few weeks ago, friends lost their first baby at a day old.
Last week our friend and and another who chooses to call broken children her precious jewels lost a daughter. Our group of hard working nannies and interns helped watch our children so some of us could go to the funerals. Since returning in August, I have been to three funerals for babies. And yet God is good. In this life I have known loss and brokenness I had never comprehended before. And even here God is good. He is faithful. He is so so near to the brokenhearted.

At the birthing center, RN 14 has been open more than it is closed lately. They continue to do repairs over 6 months after Fuego's eruption killed thousands and swept away the road. Women continue to come, and we are blessed to continue to encourage them and provide medical care. More so, this is an opportunity to show the worth their child has, and that they themselves have. What a blessing to serve in this setting. God is so good!

Fianlly, today one of our interns, my friend Susan left and will be returning to her family in New Zealand for a time, then traveling to Liberia in Africa to work with our friends and partners in ministry, the Riley Family. Please pray for her travels, and what God will do in her life. Also traveling this month to return soon are Stephanie our midwife, Kelsie a friend and intern, and the Brubaker family who are family and work with children in our town. We covet prayers for safe travels.

Thank you for your support and prayers. Praise God who cares and provides for all, great and small near and far. May God show His glory this Christmas season as hearts are open to hearing his name.

After His heart

Katie Riley

October happenings

This has been a very busy month in the homes and in the ministry!

Earlier in the month, we hosted a medical teamcome from the states and held three medical clinics in remote villages. All three were in the department of Esquintla, and one was at one of the villages which had been cut off by lava flows in Fuego's eruption back in June. Many people here had similar health concerns related to contaminated drinking water and complications from the ash. Rout 14 has been open now for a few hours each day as they are still repairing the damage from the pyroclastic flows. But even with this open, El Celan can only be reached by driving through a few rivers. There was some concern that we could be trapped up there after the day's rain, but we were able to get out in the evening to return home. Between the three clinics, we were able to see a few hundred people in El Celan, Las Palmas, and the dump in Esquintla.

Medical clinic in El Celan

I always have mixed feelings about medical clinics because for as many people as we can help, there are so many more whose health problems stem from lack or resources or malnutrition. Really, on a scale as large as malnutrition is in Guatemala, there is little we can do to help. We can give vitamins and teach families that their children to eat healthier and more, but if they cannot afford the food, in a while the vitamins will run out and they will still have no food.

The gravity of this was driven home for me by one family in particular. A mother brought her 3 boys in, and one by one it was clear that they were each malnourished, mom included, and their health concerns were all directly related to poor nutrition over time. While talking with them, we learned that their situation was very serious and they had no food in the house. A team member gave the mom some money and we walked her to her home so the next time our ministry visited families in the community, we could visit them as well. The mom broke down and shared that that morning she had woken up and none had eaten. She had the equivalent to 1 us dollar to feed the entire family of 5 that day. She herself was malnourished, and described symptoms of major anxiety attacks. She felt like a failure of a mother being unable to provide for her children. Her husband also could not look up as they shared further into their situation and more personal details. We spent time with them, and prayed with them to encourage them. But the reality is, I was talking about the hope we have in Christ in the most hopeless of situations. On some level those words felt empty against the magnitude of their fears. Their children were starving as they watched. But as we prayed, this mother showed us their family bible and shared that they read it together every day.

Medical clinic in Las Palmas

My heart breaks for this family. I have cried many tears for them in the last few weeks. But there are so many more like them. Guatemala has been in a drought and many families that lived in poverty before are now dying. This nation needs our prayer. They are filled with desperately hard working, loving parents who are loosing their families and their lives through preventable deaths related to poverty and now the drought. 2.2 million people in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras are starving. I can't even comprehend this number so my mind goes numb to it. But this family, I have sat with them and cried with them and they are real to me. For them, my heart breaks and I can begin to understand this crisis.

Also this month, the directors of the ministry, along with their 4 youngest returned to the U.S. For a short visit with family, and speaking engagements in PA and NY. For the youngest 3, this was their first return visit in 7 years. Wanda and the kids visited for a week and a half in which time the interns in the main grouphome looked after the kids here. Many people throughout the ministry stepped up during this time to help keep things across the ministry running smoothly. In the main home, our family felt small with only 20 people in the house. We had smaller suppers, and all fit at one table a few nights. Our kids and ourselves greatly missed the other part of our family however, and not a day passed when several of the kids asked dozens of times when they were coming back! Some of our boys struggled the most however without an adult male in the house, and the remnants of an early life of abuse and abandonment started to show their face in behaviors surfacing. Their minds are set at ease however as all are now home again! 

We are facing the repercussions of a law passed in Guatemala to try and return all children possible who were removed from their homes and are living in the system back to their families. The clear issue here being that they were removed for important reasons! As our kids have hearings, we now realize some could leave for a hearing and not return to our home. We love these kids, so to hear the situations they came out of, and to know they may be sent right back is terrifying. One of our boys will however likely be returning to his mother in a month. We disagree, and our hearts hurt that he will no longer be in our home, but also at the situation he will be returning to. It is challenging to welcome his mother into this home to teach her how to care for her son knowing his story and history with her, and seeing his responses in all of it.

Finally, many kids and a few adults in both homes are sick with respiratory issues, diarrhea, and lowgrade fevers.  Some are spiking high fevers as well and a few have vomited.  This is a struggle for many reasons, and some of our kids are very fragile.  Please pray for the health of our kiddos!  

Independence day, and Yasmin is free

September 15 is Guatemalan independence day, so for the days leading up to it, our incredible nannyswent all out in preparing a celebration for the kids. They had a pagent, which is traditional in the schools here, and a full program with a marimba band, and snacks and cake for the kdis. The following day, our kids were able to participate in their own torch run, and even the bomberos (ambulance drivers) were involved by leading the procession. A local ice cream shop gave each of the kids ice cream, and the town cheered for the kids as they passed. This was an increadible few days for the kids.

On September 18, baby Yasmin went home to Jesus to be healed completely. She had lived in Hogar de la Esperanza II, and been loved by so many. Although it was not a surprise, her death was and is still hard. But we do not grieve without hope. Her funeral was held the next day, and though many tears fell, her short life was celebrated, and God was glorified. He is our comforter in all these things. We now have 5 little ones buried in our town's small cemetery, and they have asked us to build a crypt which can be build upward rather than dig more graves because there is not much space.

Last night I shared a post on facebook that I think would be appropriate to share here. “There are anniversaries this week. Angelita would have been 12 today. I can't imagine how much prettier she could have gotten. Gavin, showing the strong young man he would have been. And Yasmin, now a week with Jesus. And the other 4 tiny graves in our town along with 3 little girls buried in their families' towns. Or friends like Cody or Sarah and other peers now beyond my grasp.

About a week ago I shared an incredible song which puts all this back into perspective, but it wasn't until tonight that I found the later added verse which brought this song to mind and planted it there for this week.

"I've walked the valley of death's shadow

So deep and dark that I could barely breathe

I've had to let go of more than I could bear

And I questioned everything that I believe

But still even here

in this great darkness

A comfort and hope come breaking through

As I can say in life or death

God we belong to you.

And we are Yours God, Yours God, everything is Yours

From the stars in the sky to the depths of the ocean floor

and it's all Yours God, Yours God, everything is Yours

All the greatness and power, the glory and splendor and majesty

Everything is Yours"

--Yours (new verse version)--

Stephen Curtis Chapmin"

At the birthing center, the women keep coming. Although the women from the health center were very impressed with the birthing center, their higher authorities declined our center to deliver first births. This is sad for the many first time expectant mothers without complications who may now have to deliver in overcrowded and unsanitary national hospitals. Now steps are being taken to change the lisensure type to allow first births. Please keep praying for the center. There are many barriers in setting up this safe place for mothers, and it is challenging when most do not seem to make any sense.

Testing the blood typing test kits

Waiting outside the health center for a few hours for
health cards to work toward re licensing the birthing center.  

On Monday, two of our boys' feeding tubes had come out. For Edy, this means reinserting an NG tube, which is uncomfortable to mildly painful, and very sad for such a little boy and whoever has to put it back in! For Ruavis on the other hand, it could have been much worse. Ruavis has a surgically placed G tube, and his entry site had nearly closed in just the few hours that night he had been without. Both boys had their tubes replaced shortly, praise God!

Here are late night moments with the babies

Please keep our homes in prayer as illness is passing through and many kids and adults have been down with diarrhea and vomiting.  Which is always just a blast!!

Thank you for all your prayers!

Katie Riley

--after His heart--

Birthing center and rout 14

Hi all,

I hope to keep my words briefer, and my photos more plentiful!

It has been a busy three weeks back in Guatemala. I had the privilege to head to Esquintla, where the new birthing center is now receiving expectant mothers. So far, there are only a few dozen women, but in this community, there will soon be many, many more. On Thursday, our ministry met with three ladies from the health center in Esquintla. This meeting was to evaluate the center, and determine if we will be allowed to deliver first births. This is a big deal because the hospitals are overrun, and in some cases they have two women sharing the same hospital bed. Further, the hospitals push for c-sections very early, and frequently say they are necessary when they just don't want to wait for a slow labor to progress. C-sections are more dangerous to the mother with a longer recovery in a dirty environment. The challenge is that after a c-section, it is much harder to have a natural birth, so it may be that few women are able to deliver at the birthing center.

The meeting went well, and a lot of respect was shown. These women had a heart for the women in their community, and God was glorified how he is moving in Esquintla.

Pray for these women. All of them has a story, and a history. And each of them need to know Christ's love for them. Some are mothers of many, while others are first time mothers. Some are older, and some are very, very young. We don't know all the specifics of their lives, but we can pray for them. We can pray that this birthing center would be known for showing God's love, and a safe place to come, as well as a healthy environment to have a baby.

On the way to and from the birthing center, we were able to take rout 14, one of the roads that was destroyed during fuego's eruptions in June. This was my first time seeing the devastation first hand. Please pray for the families affected. There is so much hurt. And now as the road opens, people fear that their still buried loved ones may never be recovered. This is hard especially for the catholic families as last rights are very important. There is also a lot of unrest toward the government who many feel are greatly downplaying this tragedy. Official counts are far less than those who are still missing, buried underground. Statements such as “my family is still buried under ground and now the government wants to bury me too” show how abandoned many families feel as life in Guatemala continues and their families are still unrecovered.

For me this drive was haunting. We drive this rout so, so often, and have passed these houses hundreds of times which are now buried to their roves. And the massive ravine which now exists shows the power of this, which nobody was prepared for. And yet hope lives in a yet more powerful God.

And finally, in our home, kids grow while laughs and love are shared. Here are some moments caught on camera.

Fun with kids and wheelchairs -- and peals of laughter!

Alison, Jared, and Olimpia found a new spot for storytime

The lunch lineup

Please keep in prayer the families affected by Fuego, as their struggle continues daily. Pray also for the birthing center, and the women who pass through. Pray that they may have safe pregnancies, but much more, that they may know the love of Christ, and how precious they, and their babies are to God.

Once again, thank you for your prayers and support. God bless!

~Katie Riley~

--after His heart--

9 days back

I have now been back in Guatemala for 9 days, but it feels like I never left. I love being home again. There are challenges especially as I have been gone long enough that everything I do takes so much linger than it did before. But I love our new kids that I had not yet met, and I have greatly missed this culture and people.

This week our team went again to visit one of the villages on the side of the volcano to help with continued support of the community. I was working in the home, but when they returned my heart broke again at the description and pictures from the road through which just reopened this week. I had followed every news story, and every update about the eruptions, but I still can hardly grasp the devastation. There is still so much heartache, and loss. Many people are upset that the road is open again because they still have family members buried in the villages the road passes, and efforts are now on the road and rebuilding more than on recovering the bodies. This is hard, because the road is essential and must reopen, but these people feel their loved ones are not valued and respected. I had not realized the geography of where the pyroclastic flows had gone, and I didn't realize that this was a road we have taken for years. It was hard to grasp that the houses I used to pass are those that are so buried in the pictures.  

Please keep praying for the families here. The world news had moved on, but their needs have not. Pray for their physical needs, but also their emotional and spiritual well being as they have to resort their entire lives.

I had the opportunity Monday to travel out to see one of our children in a remote area in Tecpan with Joel. She has been sick, and we went to check on her. While there God reminded me how vast His world is, and that He loves His children in every tiny corner of it. When we prayed with the family, God showed me how much he loves this little girl, and her mother although I hardly know their lives and their struggles. He knows every detail, and they are most precious to Him. What a blessing to be able to talk about our powerful God with this family.

In the home I am relearning things that used to be second nature. But I praise God for moments to speak into the lives of our kids, and our staff. Sometimes it seems to get through, and other times no. Two of our kids, Cesar, and Olimpia, have been getting into a lot of trouble this week. I spoke to Cesar about hitting other kids, and that this was not showing love like we have been shown. We prayed and for a little while, he was calmer with the others. And over lunch, I learned that Any, our children's teacher and friend, had had a similar conversation with Olimpia, and they too prayed together. These conversations may not seem to make a difference, but over time their impact can be incredible.

Alison and Jared on our walk this afternoon

Humberto loves being a big brother and holding David

Ready to cook (Nobody died from food I helped with!)

Mayra teaching Taryn and I to make chuchitos for supper

There is still much happening in all areas of the ministry, and I hope to keep you posted!

--after His heart--

~Katie~