Gaining momentum

Hogar Rosalinda

Today marks one month of Hogar Rosalinda being open.  This has been so challenging, so painful, so beautiful, and so growthful.  There has been a lot to figure out in running the home, living biculturally in my daily life, and application of nutritional concepts.  Communication is hard beyond the obvious language barrier. How we communicate daily challenges is also far different so that even when we use the right words, we misunderstand each other's meaning.

By far the hardest part has been the realization that by design, this program means I don’t get to care for the children here, I have to encourage, motivate, and at times push my mothers here to do the care themselves.  This is hard because I am also teaching a method foreign to them. It is hard to get someone motivated about something that seems useless to them. Once results are seen, then things are much easier because trust is being established.  The results however are only part of the real idea in this home. Really, this is day to day discipleship. That sounds great until I’m exhausted and life with those I’m trying to influence. If I say something, and don’t demonstrate it in my life, even in the middle of the night when I am woken for something, what does that show?  One way I'm learning is how I talk to myself- If I get irritated about not being able to make tortillas and give up trying, how can I then ask a mom to learn new concepts in health?

You can always find the gringa's tortillas! 
My moms are good and patient teachers!

Smiles and laughter in supper prep.

I'm learning new foods while my mothers
are learning what's in these foods.

Hogar de la esperanza homes

The group homes are overflowing with love as always!  Casa Alvarez is still awaiting that final signature. In the mean time they are loving little Anali as well as various other areas of the ministry.  In Casa Chapin, life adjustments to two fewer children and anniversaries of little ones now with Jesus show what a love God is working through them. In Casa Fulp, little Jarred has been placed back with his mother.  This is always a challenging and complicated situation for everyone involved. We pray that his mother continues to show progress in his care, while hearts at the home are missing a little boy they held for the time they had him.  For more, check out https://www.hislove4us.com/, https://www.facebook.com/light2guate, http://carissachapin.blogspot.com/2012/05/everything.html 

Jarred has now returned to his mother. 
We have loved the time we had with him.  

Danilo full of smiles in Casa Chapin.

Our kids

Mirko

Mirko is the first child in Hogar Rosalinda.  He came with his mom Esther, who loves him so much she would move into the gringas house an hour from anything familiar!  A lot is different here, and the schedule for feedings is a lot of work. Esther has stepped up for her son however and is learning a lot.  Mirko is a joy and smiles a lot. He has gained a lot, and has new energy and strength. He eats well and wants to walk. It is exciting to see his growth, but so much more so to know that his mom has been the one empowered to help him get here.  

At first, smiles were hard to catch

Weight bearing and wanting to walk!

Too cute for words.

Ruavis

Ruavis has lived in the first grouphome, casa fulp, for years.  When he first came to the home he was in active crisis and seized nearly nonstop.  With proper medication and lots of love he improved greatly. His muscles settled down and he because quite snuggly.  Over the years he has had some ups and downs. Overall he has slowly declined a little at a time. In recent months he has declined still further and this poor little guy now hurts most days.  His muscles are tight, and he has days of very pore color or circulation. Please pray for comfort for Ruavis. On these bad days it seems his time with us is limited.  

Holding Ruavis is getting hard with all the spasms.  

El centro de partos el pozo

Stephanie Konrad and her team continue at the birthing center, and reach women with pre and postnatal care.  More importantly they are building relationships with the mothers who come. Last week, the centers first baby delivered on site returned for a check up.  Carlos is now 6 months old and looking good! What a blessing it was to work with Stephanie at the birthing center for a year! Now I have to be content to see all that God is doing from a short distance!  To learn more what that looks like, check out Stephanies blog at https://stephaniedkonrad.wordpress.com/ 

Stephanie with baby Carlos, the center's first delivery on site. 

Aliento Feeding program

Taryn Fulp has been heading up for a few months now a feeding program in Aceituno Escuintla.  Her team includes many short and long term volunteers who love the kids. This program has been helping feed many children who are not getting nearly enough and struggle with malnutrition.  So much more important however is the stories that are heard here. Taryn and her team are building relationships and giving an hear to many children who have never been ehrad. I encourage you to check our Her blog at https://tarynfulp.blogspot.com/ to learn how God gave the program its name.  Also invest a few minutes to see the video TJ alvarez made to show the heart of the ministry there.  https://youtu.be/lt7PorZmJxw

Going for tortillas.

Tary's passion for her kids.

Rural village

Our team continues to travel out and continues to minister to families in remote areas who care for their children with special needs.  This is a beautiful, hot, sweaty, long day much of which is spent in a car. The team continually shows love and compassion in some hard situations that confront them on a far too frequent basis.  They love with the love of Christ which goes beyond compassion fatigue. Here are a few blogs by team members who travel out. http://hopeforhome.blogspot.com/,  http://blog.dickrutgers.com/.  

Osman is in need of prayers for
his aggressive seizures.  

Samuel is one happy guy in his new chair.

Personal

This month has stretched me so far.  What I have found is that wherever I have lacked, God brought together what was needed.  When I was emotionally drained, He would bring someone to visit with my mothers or myself.  When I lacked the nutritional knowledge, he provided an expert specifically interested in continued support forma far.  When I felt alone, he sent time and time again more and more faces and hugs than I can count. So very many people have visited, encouraged, prayed, and messaged words of comfort. God showed his community at work.  More than this, he continues to teach me that in all things, to give glory to Him.

This leads to something I hate to admit.  Not all stories in this home will be a success.  Can I give that to God? Can I pour out all I have into someone, emotionally go all out and not build barriers to protect myself, and know that if a choice beyond my control is made, that I can only cary the weight of the choices I can make?  Can I give to God the hearts I can no longer affect, and emotionally continue to openly pour out into others who come? Can I continue to serve God with my everything even when I perceive failure as a result?  

Mirko getting a haircut.

Therapy with Lindsey.

Prayer

I would ask for prayer for so many areas of the ministry, so many kids, so many desperate situations, and so many workers. Specifically I would like to lift up in prayer my second mom and child to come.  They decided not to continue at the training center. This breaks my heart. I want to keep sharing the victories as B gains weight and as I gains confidence.  I want also to see them grow in Christ. Both were precious in this home, and have a hold on my heart. I don’t know how God will continue their story, but I pray that He is glorified in it.  

An empty room is a daily reminder of needed prayer