Announcing the Malnutrition Training Center

When God moves...

God is faithful, and He is good. When I moved to Guatemala January of 2015, I knew two things; God wanted me to use nursing to care for and share love for people through caring, and also, that Guatemala is where He is leading me for ministry. When I started making plans, I was going to be full time traveling out in the remote villages. But God opened another option, and I moved into the grouphome to live and work part time, while still traveling out part time. I fell in love with daily life and close intimate care of our kids, and God began growing a desire to open another home for children with special needs. Late 2017 I began praying about opening a home, specifically for palliative care special needs children. In November 2018 I spoke with our directors of ministry and home, Daryl and Wanda, and began to pray about finances and a long term partner in this. After months of praying neither of these seemed to be moving forward at all.

A few weeks ago, one of our rural village ministry team members, Don Cesar, brought an idea to Daryl after seeing some of our remote families struggling with their malnourished child month after month with little improvement. The idea was to bring these kids with their mother to a home nearby where they could have access to our doctor, a lab, and have a medical professional live on site to help train and monitor their child's progress. This wouldn't be a malnutrition center where a child comes alone, separated from family, gets fattened up and sent right back to a situation where they will only loose the weight and get sick again. Moms would be empowered to take their child's care in their own hands and return home a few months later with the knowledge and ability to care for their child and keep them healthy at home!

This idea could save lives.  It could have helped Rosalinda, a little girl who came into our home with severe malnutrition. Her family desperately loved her, but they didn't understand her unique nutritional needs and allergies, so they would feed her something that would make her very sick, because she looked hungry. The hospital would scold them for giving her the food, but did little to teach or encourage them how they could properly help her. She was removed after another hospitalization after she nearly died again. Rosalinda lived with us for a long time and did gain a few hard earned pounds. It was hard for her family, and mother to be so far and only visit once a month. Ultimately we felt she may gain faster at a malnutrition center, although she actually lost the pounds she had gained with us, and took even longer to gain the weight back. The malnutrition center was VERY hard to work with. Every visit was a fight to get in to see her, and this was not an environment friendly to family. She did gain, although she lived formative months in a crib surrounded by staff not family, coming and going. Eventually, they sent her home, with a few more pounds, but little to no training for her mother. Her family had been scared away from taking her to get medical help after she was separated them for so long. We learned weeks later that she had contracted a respiratory infection (common with malnutrition) and died. We had loved her deeply. And it hurt that we didn't know she had been discharged, or even that she had died until long after. Rosalinda is a child who could have lived a long life and she was very smart. Her family loved her dearly. If her mother had been taught why she could not eat some things, and what things she could eat, and if she had learned how to help her daughters needs, I truly believe Rosalinda could have safely lived with her loving family. 

This training center is a great idea, but there was neither money not personnel for this. I was asked if this is something I would consider running. And I loved the idea imediately. I remember visiting these families, our friends, and feeling their frustration at never seeing improvement in their child's weight and health. But I still wanted to open a home for children who don't have a family, so I began to pray about the two. And I was confused at first because neither desire grew less as I prayed. In my devotional life I have been walking through the life of David, the man who waited 17 years for the kingship promised him. In those years he did not neglect the ministry at hand, not did he seek to soon to take kingship even when it seemed the opportune time by mans eyes. I still pray that one day God may provide and allow for a home for palliative care children who have no families, but as I began to pray about timing, God gave a peace about waiting for this, and pursuing the other, the ministry at hand.

Kitchen with lots of prep
and training space

Outside the kitchen,
facing the hall of rooms

I decided to proceed, and again spoke with Daryl, this time to pursue opening a malnutrition training center. We began praying about finances as this was not even an official ministry of Hope for Home yet, and nobody had heard about it yet. Daryl's specific prayer was for a confirmation througha donation enough to start working on this project, say maybe $10,000. Within one week, I got word that my residency was moving forward and would be accepted. This had been months of no movement. Also, we got a call that someone had donated $10,000 to a malnutrition ministry. Our U.S. Secretary was confused because we didn't have a malnutrition ministry-- yet. Later this same week someone else donated $10,000 for the project. Talk about confirmation! God made so clear so fast that this was in his heart. We began looking at houses and the first place we looked at is about as perfect as you can find here! It is close to our medical resources and the rest of our ministry. For me this means continued close community with my family here. For our families this means easy access to medical care, and a safe bus ride to Antigua where they can find a bus to anywhere and visit family on the weekends.

Looking toward the future bathroom

The house needs only a little work and an additional bathroom. So likely in August we can begin receiving mothers and their children. We can help them with medical care, and close monitoring of their progress. But it won't be strangers who 'fix' their children, but the mothers themselves who will be equipped to care for them lifelong. They will be the ones learning to help their child the best. I am excited about helping to training medically, but also in cheap and healthy eating options on low budgets. I want to grow some foods that families can learn to grow and use at home. I also want to work on creating meals that have the most health benefits with the least cost, and easy accessibility in remote areas. Most important however will be the opportunities for building relationships and discipleship.

God is good, and He provides! Please join me in praying for all the families that God will bring though this home.