Growth and Blessings in the Midst of Trials
General happenings
We are so happy to welcome 2 new families to the ministry. Kevin and Katie Harms with their son Peter, and Daughter Analia have arrived to take a few months intensive spanish and culture training in Antigua. They will eventually head up a ministry headquarters in Peten, in northern Guatemala. Trentona and Cassidy Griffith are newlyweds who have come to work with agriculture to help us become more self sustainable. They too are receiving intensive Spanish and culture training. Both of these families are dear to us and have been loved parts of the team, so we are especially excited to welcome them back.
The Tucker family has been working hard at the field in experimenting in what is best to grow, and how. They have had some excitement recently through digging the well deeper, installing an irrigation system, and building relationships with the local farmers who are fascinated by this gringo family farming.
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| Trenton and Cassidy Griffith |
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| Kevin, Katie, Peter, and Analia Harms |
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| Both families are in the same language school, which allows for worship sessions |
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| Brand new irrigation lines promise to help the Tuckers water such a large area more efficiently. |
You can find and follow both on facebook. The griffiths have a blog at: tcgriffith.WordPress.com
Nutrition (Hogar Rosalinda and Formula Programs)
During 2021, no new participants have entered the nutrition center and focus has shifted more to education during this time. This includes some individual families, coordination with the formula program directors en Escuintla, Chiquimula, and Canilla, and individual consults with local families. Peniel and Stephanie Tix recently finished construction and opened Zion Maternity and Childhood nutrition in San Andres, Canilla. We have been working with local nurses in El Selan on the side of Volcano Fuego to distribute formula to their high risk kids. Taryn, as part of Aliento Feeding program has also been running a formula program for over a year, and seen many kids climb into healthy weight ranges. Ministry partners Larry and Marla Johnson are working in Chiquimula also use formula to help target malnutrition in their local areas, and track weights to watch for improvement. It is a blessing to be part of a team with so many partners, and to see the body of Christ working together across different organizations.
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| Peniel working with a child in the local community |
To learn more about Peniel and Stephanie, and their work in Canilla, check out their blog at: https://stephaniedkonrad.wordpress.com/
Hogar de la Esperanza homes
Family Fulp, Family Chapin, Family Alvarez and Nueva Esperanza have been blessed to receive some of Guatemala’s first vaccines for our staff! I recognise this can be a sensitive topic, and I truly understand- please know that I’m not trying to rock the boat, and I respect other opinions. We are excited because we believe that this help will protect our high risk kids. Please remember that Guatemala is a developing nation with poor medical resources. Many, many people die each year when they lack simple fever control medications to treat what would otherwise be mild or moderate illness. Covid is scarier for families with no access to help. Here, we saw the hospital system collapse and individuals told they had nowhere to go if they were injured or sick. The vaccine also means that those who work in the home as well as ministries outside of the homes can begin to have more contact such as Taryn’s team being able to hug the kids in her feeding program for the first time in a year!
Please keep the Alvarez family in your prayers. After loving her for 2 years, their little Anali passed away Saturday morning. She was so precious, and so loved. Please pray for comfort for those she left behind. Meanwhile, just last week, the alvarez family accepted a new little girl. She is a month old, and only weighs 5 lbs.
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| Beautiful Anali has been loved into the arms of Christ |
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| New little blessing, Victoria |
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| Painting Easter eggs |
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| Most of the crew is very excited |
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| Humberto is sharing his fantastic smile this mealtime. |
Read more about the different homes here:
Fulp home: Daryl Fulp: http://hopeforhome.blogspot.com/
Wanda Fulp: http://wandafulp.blogspot.com/
Blessing Angle, home intern:https://blessingjessica01.wixsite.com/website
Chapin home: Carissa Chapin: http://carissachapin.blogspot.com/
Alvarez home: on facebook at @light2guate
Our Kids
Jose
Jose is part of the Chapin family, and he is now a teenager! He is a kind young man with mild cerebral palsy that affects one side. Jose likes helping out with little jobs and helping with his younger siblings. He does have harder days where his teenage attitude or disrespectfulness comes out, but these are fewer and farther in between. He has been schooling from home with one of the nannies since he cannot go to school right now. Jose loves music and coloring. He also loves marvel and will talk anyones ear off about his favorite characters! He is a blessing.
Liza
Liza (Ana Elizabeth) is the newest little one in Casa Fulp. She joined the family in January, and although she was abandoned without name or birthdate, we believe she was about 2 weeks old. Liza has suspected down's syndrome, and is one of the most content babies! She loves to make eye contact and flash brilliant smiles. She is growing so fast, and is very loved by her siblings, family, and caregivers.
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El centro de partos el pozo
(Birthing Center)
El Centro de partos el pozo continues to impact the community near the dump in Escuintla. The center is growing by leaps and bounds, and now are looking for some more help! They are searching for another Christian Midwife to join the team and impact women in this area. If you or someone you know is a dedicated Christian woman who has a desire to serve God, has a passion for leading people to the Lord, and is a certified midwife, please email daryl@hopeforhome.org or stephanie@hopeforhome.org.
To learn more about el Centro de Partos el Pozo, follow Stephanie Konrad, at: https://stephaniedkonrad.wordpress.com/
Aliento feeding program
Taryn and her team continue to love the community of Aceituno. They have seen improvement in many of the kids on the formula program, and they have had to increase the soup made each day. Friendships and relationships grow. Taryn and her team have been building into people in this town long enough now that trust is growing. Many people, churches, or ministries will enter an area, make a lot of promises, and later fizzle out. The community is seeing now that Aliento is here to stay, and truly cares for them. And they truly do! This team prays for the community, and cries for them when heartbreaking situations come to light. This is a true love God has given them.
Learn more about Aliento by following the Director, Taryn, at https://tarynfulp.blogspot.com/
Rural village ministry
Our rural team never stops moving! They continue to visit families. Although they do try to be careful with the virus, families know they are loved when the team comes. Things may look different, but God is still good. Please join us in Prayer for Emanuel Alvarez, director of the rural village team as he has been diagnosed with cancer, and as their family walks through this process of tests and planning.
Sadly, donations to buy food and distribute them to people both local, and remote have dried up as there are millions in need. The huge thing to remember is that we can no longer distribute food like before, but God has not stopped seeing, and providing for his people.
Volcano Pakaya has been acting up, and its slow moving, but unstoppable lava flows have displaced hundreds. Thank you to the many people who felt moved to help these people, and sent to help from afar with the relief efforts. Working with another ministry, 4 pickups headed out, heavily loaded with food and water filters to help 320 of the families displaced by the volcanos activity.
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| Curiosity and excitement |
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| Pacaya's lava flows move slowly |
To learn more, you can check out Dick Rutgers at http://blog.dickrutgers.com/
Or follow Daryl Fulp, Dick Rutgers, or Emanuel Alvarez on facebook.
Personal
It is approaching 2 years since I visited friends and family in the States, so in June I’ll be coming to Ohio! I’m also hoping to visit a few other places. I’m very excited, and a little nervous about traveling, safety, and restrictions. I would love to see anyone who is interested, so feel free to send me a message on facebook, or email me at katie@hopeforhome.org to try to connect.
On the adoption front, things are progressing very slowly! Mostly this is an internet and timing problem at the moment.
Prayer
Please continue to pray for the health of our kids. Also pray for Wanda and Emanuel as they continue in treatments for their cancer.
Please pray also for our friend and handyman Don Alberto. He has pneumonia and possibly Tuburculosis. He has also lost a brother this year, his sister, and later his father last week, and his mother is in poor health. He is a kind, hardworking man who loves Jesus and our kids.
To learn about Hope for home in Liberia, follow:
Don Riley at http://www.liberiacalls.blogspot.com/
Susan Mclay at https://www.instagram.com/suzieinliberia/?hl=en
To learn more about the ministry as a whole, check out https://hopeforhome.org/
Director’s blog: http://hopeforhome.blogspot.com/
