Little late and a little long

A little late, a little long!

General Happenings

Bodega  

Trenton, Cassidy, Jeremiah, Stevie, Brian, and MANY others have been working hard to get our Bodega cleaned up and organized.  They have collectively put in hundreds of hours!!  They have also been putting in a lot of work on the ministry vehicles. 

Timing was just so that as they had emptied a log of open floor space, we were contacted about receiving a massive donation of wheelchairs and parts form long time ministry partners.  Hope Have Guatemala has sadly had to close their doors here in country.  They have faithfully served and loved this country for over 14 years, and have been trusted ministry partners.  Their love and work for this country will continue, but from a distance.  We were honored to be among the ministries receiving their stock of supplies, though it was a bittersweet day.  

Nutrition

(Hogar Rosalinda and Formula Programs)

In the last few months, more conversations have been happening to better connect our 5 different formula programs.  One of these programs is entirely through a partner ministry in Chiquimula, where they serve their area with love and respect.  We provide formula, and they have hands on relationships.  A second formula program is run by ladies at a remote health center up on Volcano Fuego in the town of El Celan.  These ladies work with nearly no resources.  They feel forgotten by the government and lack even basic medicines, basic equipment (as simple as a glucometer so local people must travel an hour to check their blood sugar).  We bring monthly formula, and other basic medicine or assessment tools, and they share how their community is doing.  

The next three formula programs have closer connections with Hope for Home members like Peniel and Stephanie who run the maternity and nutrition clinic in Canilla.  Taryn and her team at Aliento have been serving Aceituno for over 2 years now!  And relationships that last time show God moving.  Kevin and Katie Harms are setting up the foundations of another formula program and feeding program with local leaders they found in Peten.  

Coordinating between programs means sharing ideas about how to improve the programs, and passing along nutritional education.  It is a privilege to work with these other loving professionals.

One of Peniel and Stephanie's moms

Nutrition education- struggling to be
heard in an outdoor setting

 

To learn more about Peniel and Stephanie, and their nutrition and maternity ministry in Canilla, check out their blog at: https://stephaniedkonrad.wordpress.com/ 

To learn more about how Kevin and Katie are growing and gaining footing in Peten, check out their blog at: https://harmsinguatemala.wordpress.com/ 

Hogar de la Esperanza homes

The homes continue to be full of love and life!  Luisa has the adults- our kids who reached 18 years and over.  Daryl and Wanda have the Fulp home, while Carissa and Stevie have the Chapin home.  Manny and Shannon have the Alvarez home, and the Carl and Lisa Norton will soon finish the licensing process to open their home. 

Unfortunately as things with COVID have gotten much worse here, we have to restrict the kids from being out in the community.   By the grace of God, none of the children have gotten sick!  

Guatemalan Independence day!

Traditional cloths

Each home had to celebrate separately this year
with no activities outside of the homes

Shared staff and professionals in the
Fulp and Chapin homes

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
Norton Family: https://nortonsinguatemala.blogspot.com/ 

Our Kids

Victoria-- Alvarez family

Victoria has gone from a 4.8lb 6 week old preemie to a 10.5lb 6 month old. She’s going to be undergoing surgery in the next few weeks to correct her craniosynostosis. *You can use whatever medical terms here, but basically they will be opening her skull, removing some of the bone, and allowing the skull to grow back together hopefully at a normal rate, allowing her brain to grow (we hope). It’s a very high risk surgery but without it, she will die. 

She’s a happy girl and while she has some delays, she’s a typical baby girl. She is very much adored by all!

Christina --- Chapin family, now living with the adults in Luisa’s home

Christina has such a huge, beautiful personality!  She is joyful and fills up a room.  She has cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair, and she is nonverbal.  That can be deceiving because she may not speak sentences, but she is so very loud!  She loves mimicking people, and making her own fun vocalizations.  Christina still comes home for frequent weekend visits, and lights up the whole house!  

El centro de partos el pozo 

(Birthing Center)

Joy is quite busy at the birthing Center in Escuintla.  With COVID overflowing the hospitals, people with many ailments are trying the clinic to see if they can help.  In July, Joy reported:

“Please pray for us here in Guatemala! 

It has been really difficult for our ladies to go to the hospital to deliver their babies. We have had to fight for them to be seen, even with a written referral.  Many are receiving an injection of pain medicine and are then sent home (in labor). This is so very dangerous.

Also, we have patients of all kinds coming to us for any possible help since all healthcare agencies are turning all patients away. We definitely have been trying to help as many people as possible but often don’t have the medication or supplies they need.

Please help us pray for this country and “loaves and fish” supply of what we need to care for any who come to us for help.”

Overflowing National Hospital in Escuintla

Up north, Peniel and Stephanie have welcomed
their 100th maternity patient!

To learn more about el Centro de Partos el Pozo, follow Stephanie Konrad, at: https://stephaniedkonrad.wordpress.com/

Or Joy Woodie on Facebook

Aliento feeding program

While most of Guatemala is still unable to get the vaccine, our team was top priority because of the work we do with such fragile kids.  I know this is controversial, but for us it's a huge blessing and reopens ministry opportunities.  For the first time in ages, Taryn and her team have been able to set up tables and feed people in person at the feeding program!  More than that, we can hug the kids again!!!  This is so huge! 

Other big items are the purchase of a van for traveling to the program!  Once some repairs are finished, this will be a dedicated vehicle that can take more than the limited number of volunteers allowed by the truck.  Also, a roof has been added to a nearby unused room, ad we can begin using this space for nutrition education, and a more private space for weighing kids in the formula program!  This will dramatically affect our ability to get more accurate information, and provide higher quality nutritional training for moms!  

Seems safe!

Aliento had a donation of pizza
to celebrate independence day

New roof over the classroom!

Learn more about Aliento by following the Director, Taryn, at https://tarynfulp.blogspot.com/ 

You can also follow Aliento on instagram

Rural village ministry

COVID has been pretty devastating here, and many, many people are dying.  The hospitals are full and overflowing, so people are turned away at the door.  We personally know this loss as it has affected countless friends and neighbors.  We also know many who have died because they could not get basic medical care because the hospitals were too full.  Please pray for Guatemala, and all countries who do not have the medical structure to handle this crisis. 

One way we have tried to help is by purchasing oxygen generators that we can loan to families who can’t get into the hospital.  We teach the family how to titrate them off of the O2 as they get better.  Sadly, about a third of the machines we get back are because the person passed away.  5L O2 is the max of these generators, and most really need an ICU before they reach out for help.  We now have 12 oxygen generators, but there are rarely more than one not being used.  No sooner is one returned, than another family desperately asks for help.    Daryl and Jeremiah have taken the brunt of these calls.  Sometimes they go from one to the next, or have several calls in one day. 

Picture this situation:  A family loses their father because of COVID and then has to remain in isolation.  Less than 12 hours later, their mother, who was not ill earlier, is severely sick, and can hardly breath.  The hospital cannot take her, so her children watch her deteriorate like their father had a day earlier.  She is prescribed a medical regimen at home, and needs O2.  In no time, she needs more than our machine can provide.  Her family has already spent everything trying to save their father, and burying him (which they could not leave to watch).  The financial fear around care was not a focus for long because they lost their mother less than 48 hours after their father.  They could not have a traditional funeral for her either because her coffin had to be saran wrapped and removed while they remained in quarantine. 

This family lives in our town and has hosted our ministry teams for years.  We know them, and they are kind and generous.  But God is still good!  When Daryl and Jeremiah showed up with oxygen, the children said “look how God has provided oxygen!”  Theirs weren’t the only deaths that week though.  So very many are dying.  Please, please pray for Guatemala and similar countries. 

To learn more, you can check out Dick Rutgers at http://blog.dickrutgers.com/ 

Or follow Daryl Fulp, Jeremiah Fulp, Dick Rutgers, or Emanuel Alvarez on facebook.  

Personal

Adoption

In June I was able to visit the states for the first time in nearly 2 years.  It was awesome to see family, and friends.  More still, it was such a sweet reminder of all the seasons God has brought me through.  Seeing friends form such different and distinctive stages in life was an encouragement to say the least.  COVID has been hard, and living in a developing nation through it has been heavy.  But God reminded me how faithful he has always been, even in what felt like the worst trial at the time.  Visit after visit was a reminder of his steadfast love.  

Since September 2019, I have been working toward adopting here in Guatemala.  COVID and it’s restrictions really set me back.  I watched all my documents expired with no ability to renew them, or finish the remaining documents.  No lie, that was pretty devastating.  However, I was able to begin anew in January.  Finally, progress is being made, and I am approaching the final stages before I can officially file!  This has been so slow and challenging.  I am learning a lot though!!  

So close to filing!

Vehicle

One of the challenging factors was that I have never owned a care here in Guatemala.  I had always relied on the chicken busses, or catching a ride, but with COVID, these are no longer safe options for us.  I could borrow a vehicle, but this was complicated and challenging.  I would have to check with several people before I could schedule a simple appointment.

This month, I purchased a car!  It is small enough to navigate tight spaces in towns, but durable enough to handle less than finished roads out of town.  It has space for wheelchairs, and is a gamechanger since we can now get to stores where we can buy spreadable butter!!  (I know, 1st world problems!!)  This is super helpful now that I have more meetings with lawyers, and will soon also have medical appointments for littles.  

Guatemalan Sign Language

Throughout this year, Taryn and I have had the incredible opportunity to be a part of an online Guatemalan Sign Language course!  For those who do not know, Sign Language is not universal, and until just the last two years, Guatemala has not had their own official sign language.  Now, legislation has changed after years of fighting, and the deaf community here is gaining recognition!  I was greatly blessed to be welcomed into the deaf culture in the states, and not I get to learn the language and culture here as well!  

Prayer

We have so many prayer requests!! 
-As a nation, Guatemala’s COVID rates have skyrocketed while hospitals have collapsed.  Many people are dying in their homes from COVID and other illness because they cannot get help. 
-Emanuel Alvarez and Wanda Fulp are still working through Cancer treatments and recovery.  It’s a long road with lots of setbacks.  

-The ministry is growing and expanding during a challenging time.  

-I’m waiting on some final paperwork before ilind for adoption.  This has been quite a long time in coming!  

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/