July 2022 Update

Rainy Season and updates

General Happenings

This rainy season has been quite heavy as a few tropical storms have clobbered the country.  There have been many reported landslides and floods across the country affecting many departments.   Main roads have been buried then dug out and the government disaster response agency estimates a million and a half people have been affected- weather evacuated, at risk, or having lost or received damage to their homes.  

Our team from the 2 of the homes and professional staff (teachers, psychologists, therapists, ect.) took a trip to see the site I introduced in my last update, where we hope to build the group homes and create a village where the children will have the freedom to leave their houses, and more interaction with each other.  God has blessed us incredibly with such an incredible team who deeply love the kids.  

Nutrition

(Hogar Rosalinda and Formula Programs)

As I shared in the last update, Hogar Rosalinda has moved more into individual nutrition consults, and the space in the home has been transformed to receive refugees from Ukraine.  This is a long process as many logistics need to be addressed before anyone even sets foot in the country!  At this time, we have spoken with or interviewed 4 families who may come.  The first 2 met with unforeseen challenges, and are not coming.  The next 2 families are friends traveling together and hope to come as soon as they can work out documentation.  Please Pray for all involved as these families have seen so much, and are adapting their entire lives!  Also, the language barrier now will extend across multiple languages instead of just English and Spanish! 

Meanwhile, Peniel and Stephanie continue serving their area and meeting with kids who are at risk or malnourished.  I highly recommend following their short video series on their FB page which outlines some of their home visits.  (If I were more talented, I could give you the links directly, but as I am not, check out SION Maternidad y Nutricion Infantil).  Please please please check out all God is doing here!  

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

Also catch them on Facebook at SION Maternidad y Nutricion Infantil  https://www.facebook.com/groups/490664525315168/ 

Hogar de la Esperanza homes

As we learn more about the new property, we continue in daily love for the kids God has brought to us!  One of the hardest things about loving children with special needs in these homes is knowing just how many children need a home.  We are full!!  That’s an understatement as the Fulp home was full with 10 kids, and now has 14!!  The other homes are full as well.  No more space, resources, staff, volunteers– FULL!  Even so, we receive around 10-15 calls a week asking us to take more kids.  Allow me to share part of our director's words last week. 

“Today we were contacted about several children with special needs who need a home. We have no space for them, and we had to turn them all away. But one was particularly difficult to refuse. A little five year old who is terminal. As with so many others that we have loved into the arms of Jesus, he just needs someone to carry him home, for whatever time he has left in this life.

–But we can’t. Why? I could give you lots of reasons. A lack of space. A lack of staff. A lack of volunteers. A lack of resources. But we all know the reason at the root of it all. A lack of money.”  

Having personally received many calls such as this… Imagine saying no to a child with severe special needs!  It is gut wrenching.  But I also know that we are too full already.  Ruavis doesn't cry to express needs, and he NEEDS to be held and loved.  Receiving another child means Ruavis will be held even less.  

And a special prayer request for the Alvarez family- this week Dylan was returned to bio family.  To use Shannon Alvarezes words,
“The pain is real and it is deep but even though it hurts more than words can describe, it’s still worth doing. Fostering is not easy and it does not come without pain, but it’s still worth doing. Every child deserves to be so loved that it breaks someone’s heart when they leave.”

One on one therapy time 

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

Dylan

As mentioned above, Dylan left this week to return to his bio family.  Here are Shannon’s prayers for him, and for his families. 
“Please pray for Dylan as his whole life is about to change. It’s hard to explain to a 3 year old and our words really have no meaning and understanding. He will grieve and he will struggle, but we feel he will be ok once he gets past the initial hard days! 

Please pray for Dylan’s aunt and whole family as their worlds are also about to change. May they be filled with love and compassion and understanding as they learn to become a family. Please pray for our family as we grieve and learn to become a family without Dylan. Our older kids love him even though he drove them crazy. He and Analí were our first two babies but Dylan was able to interact in a way she wasn’t.”  

Keily

Keily is 10 months old. She is diagnosed with KIDD Syndrome which affects her development, eyes, and skin. She recently had cataract surgery in hopes that she will be able to see. She loves toys with music and light  and people talking to her! Please pray that the surgery will give this sweet baby her sight.

Aliento feeding program

This week a large team from Virginia came to run a program for the children in Taryn’s town.  Kids materialized out of nowhere, and had fun with games, face paintings, skits, and a bible lesson.  

Taryn has invested some years into Aliento, and now they have an exciting new development!!  Aceituno has limited opportunities for education.  Children who wish to receive highschool level education have to attend schools in the closest city, or another town.  Beginning in January, some of Taryn’s girls will be coming to our town to finish their education, and receive work training in a profession beyond what is typically found in their town.  Legal details are still being worked out, and Taryn is still looking for a house mom to live in with the girls, but both the girls and their parents are excited for the chance for opportunities outside of their hometown.  

I encourage you to find her on facebook to learn even more details!  She has created a private FB page to share more openly at https://www.facebook.com/groups/726340368423659 

Aliento also has a brief email listing a child/family, and a staff member to pray for each week.  

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

Also check out Taryn’s new endeavor at https://www.facebook.com/groups/726340368423659 Or by emailing her at tarynf@hopeforhome.org

Rural village ministry

I want to share the words of Diego Barr as he got to visit one of our monthly sponsored children (now and adult!).  I loved reading this because I remember visiting this family years ago, and feeling what a blessing it was to visit with them every month! 

“Although these situations took my breath away, they were not the best part. We visited 29-year-old Chabelita and her faithful father, Valdomero. I love visiting this family. He doesn’t see his daughter’s inability to speak or her need for a wheelchair negatively – but he not only sees God’s blessing in all of it, he shares his joy with all who will listen. Whether they speak Spanish or not. He got on a roll, speaking in an animated manner for over 15 minutes without a breath, making eye contact with all of us – including Jaret and Anna. I tried to jump in and interpret what I understood, but I couldn’t slow him down. He needed to make his point, and he did so powerfully.

During our visit, Valdomero explained how so many people in the world have it wrong. They think their life is about money. They are consumed by it. He emphasized how few understand that when you know the true God, money isn’t important at all. He said family is there to show us who God really is, and that’s a blessing we need to enjoy. He has been so blessed throughout his life (and most Americans would not understand that statement while viewing the dirt floors from which he was speaking), and He is passing along all of his blessing to his kids. He said that trusting Jesus needs to be passed down for generations because it’s the most important thing, and it doesn’t happen by accident. It takes sacrificial love. And when you show that kind of love to someone, you get to experience the blessing. I was in tears.”

It is a blessing beyond words to get to meet with these families month after months and develop real friendships with them.  Praying each visit often leads to such deep conversations about the love of God.  As often as not, a family will hit on something that touches one of us deeply like this.  I miss the visits, and my friends, so it warms my heart to hear stories like this from others on our team.  

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

To hear heartfelt ministry, see Diego Barr’s blog at https://ken-tina-barr.epistle.today/ 

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

Liberia 

I am continually blown away by all God is doing in Liberia!  In June we learned about so many things that have been happening, but I will just share about two– Esther and Sandra, who we have been learning about for months as their surgery approached.  This surgery straightened their heavily bowed legs so they can walk again!  But their family believes there is a curse on them, and will not take them back.  Their foster family loves them, and hopes to keep them, though financially they cannot without help.  They need a sponsor!  I encourage you to learn more about the massive battles and victories God is working in Liberia through the kinks below.  

Also, Country director Don Riley released a video giving a virtual tour of Jesus Loves Me Children’s clinic that is being built.  https://youtu.be/YTG_jMiWbKM 

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/

Personal

I am still pursuing adoption, and it is still a process!  There are too many unknowns which makes it hard to move forward, and there's always one more thing I need that wasn’t on the list!  THe great news is that last month I finally had everything together, confirmed it with my lawyer and the CNA representative, and turned it all in!  The not so great news is that even pre confirming my documents, a number needed to be redone, or weren’t on the list, so here we go again!  Tuesday I spent the day at immigration to get a paper- but I did get it!  I hope to submit in the next week and see what comes next.  Among the uncertainty, I may have to move into a smaller house before inspections.  I don’t know this yet, so I am somewhat stuck for now!  

I hope to travel to Ohio in August to visit with family, and share with anyone interested to show all that God is doing in Guatemala!  

Prayer

Where to begin?? 
Please pray for the people of Guatemala as more heavy rain is hitting this week.  

Pray also for the refugees who are leaving everything for a dafer life.  

Pray for Dylan, and the Alvarezes as this move is so challenging.  

Pray for Taryn’s team and the girls that are coming in January.  

Please pray for every visit by the village team– That God’s name would be made great!  

Pray for continued work in Liberia where Gods heart shows value for kids deemed unworthy.  

And please pray also that doors would open to complete my adoption.  

April update, 2022

April 2022 

Highlights in this post: 

General: Property for the group homes

        Nutrition: Hogar Rosalinda and Ukrainian Refugee housing

        Homes: Alvarez family prayer for Cancer treatment

        Our kids: Roxana and Protected case updates

        Birthing Centers: Impacting hearts

        Big Aliento update: Hogar Aliento? 

        Rural village ministry: Expanding to new region

        Liberia: Jesus Loves Me Children’s Hospital work continues 

        Personal: Adoption and Illness  

General Happenings: BIG NEWS

A lot of big changes are coming our way.  

After years of praying for a property to purchase and use for a special needs community, God has opened the way for a piece of land with an already existing well, wall, and community center building.  Such a space will mean that the children’s omes will be closer, and better able to relieve one another.  Resources will be easier to share, and above all, the children will be able to leave their house and have freedom in a large outdoor space.  Each home constructed will be handicap accessible with wide doorways for wheelchairs.  The rent saved each month from all the homes will save an incredible amount of money lost each month.  We are sad to be leaving our communities, but the opportunities for the kids are great.  

Our director writes “It will be a beautiful campus for all of our group homes and will be a safe place for the children, teens, and adults for which we care. It is almost three acres with an existing building that will serve as offices, classrooms, therapy clinic, medical clinic, and commercial kitchen and laundry. And there is sufficient space to build six homes. We believe God wants us to purchase this land with no debt, and we are trusting Him to make that a reality”. 

Nutrition

(Hogar Rosalinda and Formula Programs)

In the last few months, we have had more than 10 kids graduating from the largest formula program; Aliento in Escuintla.  It is fun to celebrate these victories, even as continuous challenges keep us grounded to the ever present need in this, and so many communities.  I’ll share more news from this town below.  

Hogar Rosalinda Update: Hogar Rosalinda was originally intended to be used to house moms and their malnourished children so that the moms could learn their care. Moms would leave empowered, knowing that they had what it took to take control and care for their own child’s health.  This was challenging, and beautiful, although very brief.  COVID impacted Guatemala somewhat differently than the states, and included things like travel restrictions, curfews, and government shutdowns.  These, and our town being a red zone for much of this time, impacted the moms who came, and we have not had participants in quite some time.  

I was upset and prayed fervently that God would use this space as it does not sit well with me to live in a large house while many around me struggle to have enough food— even if the large house is very basic and not flashy.  God was faithful however and used this space time and time again ranging from emergency housing for a night during curfew when someone could not travel home in time,to long term housing as team members' housing situation changed and were unpredictable.  This also became the house for the single ladies working with the ministry without family nearby, and the space has been well used.  

*****  Now however I am very excited to share that this house will again be used for something I never anticipated!  Guatemala has opened its doors to refugees fleeing Ukraine, and needs temporary hosts for them.  Hogar Rosalinda will house a few families until January when another use will take up the space!  This is exciting, and terrifying.  I can think of a lot of reasons why I can’t take this on, but none of them hold up to families who have lost everything and just need a place to find their footing.  “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him”?  

That stated, there are a lot of needs.  The community here has already stepped up volunteering time and energy.  Please pray as these families are coming out of a lot of trauma. 

Hogar de la Esperanza homes

I wanted to share a few specific prayer needs for some of the homes.  First up, the coming move will involve a lot of change, and not a few growing pains as problems arise and are dealt with. 

The Alvarez family has been deeply impacted by Emanual Alvarez’s Cancer over the last several months, as we have all been in prayer for him, and the family.  Here is Manny’s latest update as of yesterday’s appointment.  “Radiologist strongly suspects that the cancer has spread beyond the gastric system. I am going to need 2-3 procedures in the next few months to assess the extend of how much the cancer has spread and come up with a plan for where we are now. First surgery is scheduled for as soon as we can control my blood pressure that is all over the place in a big part due to lack of sleep and stress related to these new developments. This major surgery will follow up on last year’s surgery and will biopsy lesions in the liver, pancreas, lymph nodes and examine the stomach since pain has been 9-10/10 at times and the radiology studies don’t show a reason for that. Surgeon estimates he will be poking around for 4-5 hours on the first surgery. Second and third will look at other lymph nodes and the current tumor on the esophagus. Current treatment plan continues with the possibility of chemotherapy in the horizon”. 

This family has been faithfully working and loving on children here across several spectrums of care.  Please pray for them as this is so impossibly hard.  

If you feel impacted to help financially, even by $1, please visit the following: https://hopeforhome.org/get-involved/donate.html   is the link for tax-deductible donations. And choose individual support (A-K): Alvarez, Emanuel & Shannon 

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

Protected case

I wanted to share about a beautiful girl who joined the Fulp home in recent months, but as her case is quite sensitive and protected by nature, I am not sharing her name or photo at this time.  All specific demographics will also be vague.  This little lady was removed from a dangerous home situation.  The Fulp home was already full, but this child- she is most precious, and some details lent the home to accept her.  She was malnourished, quite sick, and very weak.  We had quite the scary and frustrating experience with a national hospital as aspects of her health raised red flags and it was believed to be cancer in her abdomen and lungs.  She had surgery to biopsy the largest of the tumors, and it showed instead Tuberculosis originating in her stomach not lungs. After quite the confusing process, she is now receiving treatment for this noncontagious form of TB in our local health center.  Her first few days she was filled with fear whenever any man would come into the room– except Papi Daryl.  She would come to him and want to be hugged.  She has since warmed up, and as her body gains weight and heals, she has more energy to share her contagious personality.  She is so full, and she loves helping with the younger kids.  She is smiley, bubbly, and so very goofy.  I can’t imagine life without her dramatic mannerisms and gorgeous smile.  Please pray for her continued healing physically and emotionally.  

Sorry for no photo, but please imagine a little lady with mischievous eyes, a sweet smile, and dramatic mannerisms who wants nothing more than to sit in your arms like a much younger child would!  

Roxana 

I’ll borrow the words of Carissa, Roxnana’s mom, to share where she is at. 
“Roxana came to live with us back in 2018 with her biological brother. She came to us with clear signs of Autism. She also was malnourished and had some sort of reflux issues. Over the years the "reflux" got worse and while we got her to gain weight, it was still not quite where we felt was a comfortable weight for her. We took her to many different doctors, but no one really took her case seriously. They would recommend a diet or medicine, but were never concerned about follow through and were not committed to helping us. In the meantime, her "reflux" was officially diagnosed as "Rumination syndrome", but it was getting significantly worse meaning her weight was dropping very low again. In August of 2021 we finally found a doctor who was genuinely concerned and committed to working with us to find a solution. This doctor has walked along side of us since then, searching high and low for anything that will help Roxana, and we praise God for this. Right now Roxana just turned 7, and despite our best efforts, she is severely malnourished. We still don't have real answers for her, however, we have found a temporary way for her to gain weight and get healthier while we continue to work with this doctor to find a long term solution”. 
Roxana really needs prayer as this journey continues, as do her parents who love her deeply.  

Birthing Centers

(El centro de partos el pozo-escuintla and .  Sion-quiche)

Recently Stephanie Konrad shared a blog post that is well worth your time.  It talks about  “finally I am learning”.  Below is the link because I could not say this more beautifully.  

Let me quote just a small part of why this was so impactful– 

“I decided that it’s not good enough telling a woman that God loves her. What she needs to know is that there are two paths in life, one goes to heaven and the other to hell (Matthew 7:13-14). She needs to know that she needs to choose which path to be on because we are all sinners and the consequences of sin is death (Romans 10:13, Matthew 7:13, Romans 6:23). She needs to know that she’s not automatically on the road that goes to heaven (Romans 3:23). She needs to know that Jesus isn’t just another saint, but His death and resurrection is the only way to get onto the narrow road (John 14:6). She needs to know that when she prays to the saints, she is not praying to God. God loves her, yes. And that is precisely the reason that I, as an ambassador for Christ need to share these truths with her (2 Cor 5:20).”  https://stephaniedkonrad.wordpress.com/2022/03/24/finally-i-learned-finally-i-am-learning/?fbclid=IwAR1zOy7X-zUrFhVh5bBBTO_8c6vB9al5jNJKsOt0ghJT76FjsfW-WwDT454 

In the Escuintla center, car trouble is causing quite a few headaches.  Please pray for Joy as she navigates ministry with car troubles!  

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

The team has been working in Aceituno for years, but now we can share one awesome new development– 4 of the girls who have been sponsored to attend school in this town are pursuing continued education- roughly the equivalent of highschool.  Their town does not offer this level of education, and there are no good career options for women in this town.  So beginning in January, these 4 girls will come to our town an hour away to pursue higher education, life skills, and entry level jobs leading learned trades.  Their mothers are enthusiastic for this opportunity as they state that there is no future for them in this town– a reality we see time and time again in endless cycles of abuse and violence.  

They will live in the house and space originally acquired for Hogar Rosalinda as no moms have come since COVID.  We have been blessed by these resources and space on many occasions, but my heart is happy to see it used specifically for housing these girls beginning in January.  We have a lot of work to make arrangements before January, including the legal documentation necessary, and a house mom to step up into this role.  We will also need to update the space after temporary refugee hosing.  

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

Rural village ministry

ALthough I do not have many details yet, Jeremiah Fulp and Trenton Griffith are laying groundwork to expand the 4 wheel drive team into a new region of Guatemala.   I encourage you to follow Jeremiaha nd Kelsie at https://kgwester.wixsite.com/kelsiewester/blog 

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

Or follow Daryl Fulp, Dick Rutgers, Emanuel Alvarez on facebook, or Jeremiah and Kelsie at https://kgwester.wixsite.com/kelsiewester/blog 

Liberia 

Work continues to prepare ‘Jesus Loves Me Children’s Hospital’.  Interviews are underway for Physicians assistants, Registered Nurses, and Nursing Assistants.  As the director Don Riley states “We are aware that the hospital will literally give us influence in the lives of children and parents from every home in our city, many homes in our county and even influence in the lives of people from neighboring counties and countries.  Thank You Jesus for giving us this wonderful privilege”.  

View the following video to see all the progress!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_nw6GBtqKM 

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/

Personal

As with the rest of the ministry, I have much to report over the last few months. 

Adoption progress: As I shared in December, I have had to restart again.  The third time's the charm, right??   I continue seeking to adopt a sibling group of 2 who have special needs.  Repeating this again is getting pricey however.  Additionally, shifting Hogar Rosalinda’s resources into these other ministry functions changes some dynamics as I will not be living on site in January.  This means that I now need to furnish a house as well as finish the adoption!  So I am beginning to look into fun ideas to help with all these increasing expenses.  Adulting, am I right?  

Health update:  I also shared in December some health complications stemming from COVID in October.  Although I did not experience scary respiratory symptoms, the gastrointestinal symptoms have proven pretty intense and limiting including constant nausea, frequent vomiting, and dramatic weight loss.  I was quite shaky for a tiem, stopped driving, and had to dramatically restrict my diet.  It seems COVID pushed to the extreme an infection I had just begun to notice.

In January, while visiting the states, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue, Covid Longhaulers,  and told I was immune compromised.  And in March, after months of tests and treatments that lead nowhere for my digestive issues, we finally resorted to an endoscopy which showed a Helobactor Pylori infection.  H. Pilori is an elusive and nasty little fellow who has been in my system for a few years before getting so much attitude when Covid had weakened my defenses. 

All told, I’ve lost a good bit of weight and am now underweight.  I have lost much of my physical strength, and have very little energy for basic things.  This has been exhausting and discouraging.  I just finished treatment for H. Pylori, and I hope I can begin to finally heal.   

Prayer

– Vehicles– many ministry vehicles struggle with constantly being down.  Please join us in praying for these necessary tools to stay ont he road!  Attacks on these vehicles seem spiritual in nature to prevent access to areas in desperate need.  

– Property– Please pray for the property– both funding it, and getting everyone moved!  These things are huge, but our God is bigger!  

–Alvarez family and Manny’s cancer

– Refugees– Again, this is a huge change, so please pray for us as we house the families coming who will be leaving traumatic war for a culture they have no concept for.  

– Roxana– Pray for our sweet girl as she is begging a long road to recovery.  

– Protected case– Pray also for our sweet little lady as she recovers from emotional trauma and physical illness.  

– Aceituno girls– Join us now in praying for the girls who will come and begin learning life skills.  They have each suffered uncountable traumas from family, and the culture of their town.  Pray that they can escape their town, build a life, and maybe one day return to the town to impact it for Christ.   

– Adoption– Over 2 years in progress is discouraging, but God’s timing is best and has already shown to be perfect.  

Personal Illness– Please also pray for this illness that robs me of energy.  

To learn more about the ministry as a whole, check out https://hopeforhome.org/ 

Or the director’s blog: http://hopeforhome.blogspot.com/