May 2020

The new normal

Amidst frequent life altering changes from the coronavirus and it’s side effects, life is change.  The new normal here in Guatemala is unpredictable change, and unchanging desperation.  There are almost daily changes to what is allowed or restricted.  It is challenging to live through these as some greatly affect life and ministry, but we have to remember that what is inconvenient to us is devastating to so much of the world.  As christians let’s not be the ones pointing fingers and complaining, and start loving as the church ought to shine like stars in these dark times.  Let’s share the hope of Jesus that the world may hear.  

Tiny masks are pretty cute, and required by law whenever
out of your residence.  That doesn't keep away Alison's joy!

Hogar Rosalinda 

(Nutrition Training Center)

Painting

We have made it to our new house!  In the middle of curfews, social distancing, and lockdowns this was a bit of a challenge, but God is good, and we are home.  This first week at the new home we expected 2 mothers to come.  One mother came from a very remote area with her two children.  Her background was sad, and we looked forward to getting to know her better.  Unfortunately the changes of leaving her remote area, traveling 5 hours by car (a new experience), and arriving in a town that is busier than her old one, she decided to return to her hometown.  This was an emotional two days, but her children are actually quite healthy and not undernourished at all.  Please pray for God to continue to bring healing to her heart through the hands of the ministry in her local area. 

Moving day

The other mother we expected lives in the town where Taryn has her feeding program.  For about 2 months now he has been in limbo.  We would decide he should come, then he would do a little better, and his mom would decide to stay home and see.  Then he would drop weight or go to the hospital.  He would almost leave the hospital, then take a turn for the worse.  He lost a lot of weight in the hospital.  That is, until he was able to receive the ministry formula we had been providing while in the hospital.  Immediately he began to gain weight, and in just a few days, he was discharged and had gained enough weight that he did not even look like the same child!  Praise God!!  He is out of danger now, and they have chosen to remain in their community for the time being.    

Hogar de la Esperanza homes

Ready for school with Anny

The three group homes remain as isolated as possible under the circumstances.  There are now positive cases in our town, and this is a close community.  Restrictions are pretty severe.  As I type this, we are in the middle of a full weekend lock-in from 5pm Friday to 5am Monday.  This is in an effort to track cases during the week- no small feet in crowded communities.  Restrictions on what stores can open, when, and how many people are allowed inside make it extremely difficult to stock the homes and care for so many.  Despite papers stating that homes are exempt from some of these restrictions, at the store level, these exemptions are rarely honored.  For example, one store had a 3 of each item limit, and allowed the home to buy 5 items.  But 5 bags of spaghetti is not enough noodles for one full meal at the main home. 

Further challenges include getting our staff here and home with curfews inplace.  By law they can travel to and from work because care for the kids is essential, but in reality many local police may not know what to do with the paperwork presented at checkpoints. 

Ale's 18th birthday

On a positive note, in 2 months, Hope for Home will be opening our first adult home for our children who turn 18 and can no longer live on site with the children.  We are not willing to let them take their chances in the system and end up who knows where, so when our head nanny approached with the desire to take them in, but had no means to do so, we began praying.  Now we have a house in preparation, and are working to furnish it.  In a few months 5 of the Fulp home will be 18 or over and will be moving up the street.  We are praising God that he is providing for these who are our family to remain in our town.  

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

Checha

Checha is the oldest in the homes.  He celebrated his 18th birthday with us, and was mentally competent to choose for himself at the courts to remain in the Fulps home, but move out of the boy’s room.  He is now 20, and has grown into such a gentleman.  He is one of the kindest people I know, and a real friend.  Checha loves hanging out with the olders at night, and spends hours coloring intricate pages he sells for a few Q.  Checha loves Jesus, and he shows it in how much he loves and tries to care for the little ones despite his CP.  

Checha playing iwth the girls

Checha loves it when we ask
him to help sooth a fussy little one

Anali 

Anali is a beautiful little girl.  She lives in the Alvarez home and arrived almost  a year ago.  Anali is 3 years and has hydrocephalus.  She is a forever baby-what I like to call the precious little ones who will  forever need full care, and are forever cute and cuddly!  The Alvarez family love to snuggle with her and enjoy her pouty lips.  They also love her way of communicating without noises or words.  Anali is a treasured gift and brings joy to the Alvarezes as they love her with the love of Jesus.  

El centro de partos el pozo 

(Birthing Center)

With lockdowns and isolations, Stephany and Joy have continued to love and serve their expecting mothers, while taking strong steps in protecting themselves and their patients.  Hospitals are less predictable now, and have turned away some mothers in need of help, so closing such a necessary resource is not an option.  They now work in Escuintla’s heat under masks and face shields using social distancing.  There have been a few quarantine babies born after curfew, but thanks to the clinic, mothers had somewhere to go.  Another victory- The ladies have been training a local woman named Luki to work with them as a midwife.  She was an astute learner, and recently completed her training.  The ladies are doing great work in the name of Jesus.  

 Luki got to catch this little guy 

Celebrating Luki's competing her final exam

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 have continued to serve the Aceituno community even under the restrictions.  There have been many times when the rapidly changing restrictions altered their plans and they were unable obtain the vegetables or reach the town.  Sadly, the team must now operate under social distancing restrictions.  They can no longer hug the children that they love, and can only go for the minimum time it takes to fill each family's container for them to take home to eat.  It is hot work with masks, gloves, and extra layers of clothes to shed once leaving the town.  Taryn shared recently the encouragement of a few girls who have chosen to work on memorizing scripture since they could not go to school in this crisis.  

Jeff on April 3

Jeff on May 11

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

Rural village ministry

The rural village ministry team has been busier than ever.  In addition to continuing to drop off supplies for the families they already have been visiting, they are now working to try and help combat the hunger crisis caused by all the shut downs.  Malnutrition rates have tripled in this already struggling nation.  More than 25 tons of food have entered our bodega, been sorted into family sized portions, and distributed to families in need in communities near and far.  The hard part is, as many as receive food, thousands more are hungry.  As cases are found in healthcare workers, some hospitals have shut down, and sent home sick or injured patients.  White flags signal that a family is desperate for food- but the flags are inumerable.  It is hard not to be discouraged by all the need and hurt.  

  

The only hope is in Jesus Christ, and it is in his name that food is given.  So many churches or local governments here try to take credit for and resources given out, but with every bag of food given, we emphasize again and again that it is not from a ministry, or a specific church, but that God has seen their need, and provided food for them through his servants, in his name.  This should be a time of unity in the hope of Jesus.  In social media let the voice of the church across nations be hope in Jesus, not complaints about minor inconveniences or restrictions.  So much of the church has stepped up and given help to buy food.  Let that be the image that the world sees of the church-- hope, love and words of life.  '

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

I have gotten to bounce around various roles in the ministry to help where help is needed while Hogar Rosalinda is empty, and gathering for nutrition classes is prohibited.  Sometimes this is direct care for the kids in the homes, assisting Taryn with tracking kids in her formula program, helping with some of the food distributions, and so many food packing parties. It is an honor to get to help in this work.   Adoption paperwork is on hold since I can’t collect everything or get legal translations or copies.  Sadly I may have to start over when I pass the 6 month mark on the documents I do have. 

Prayer

In this crisis let christians not complain about the situation, but seek God in prayer.  Please join us in prayer! 

Pray for developing nations across the world. 
Pray for Liberia where it isn’t a request to wear a mask at costco, but mandatory at all times in public, and breaking this means a public beating. 
Pray for Guatemala where malnutrition rates have tripled during this crisis, and healthcare is horribly incapable of handling the situation.  

Pray for safety for our fragile children. 
Pray for the leaders of the world who have to make the most impossible decisions imaginable- losing thousands to the virus, or losing thousands to starvation in trying to prevent the virus. 
Pray for the church around the world to be the ones to step up in the name of Jesus and bring words of life. 
Pray for moments of rest for frontline workers in top of the line hospitals and hole in the wall clinics, out of unemployment offices or pickup trucks on mountainsides, and for those patrolling streets for safety.  They are tired and overwhelmed. 

God is still in control, and he will use even this.  He holds these things in his hands, and God is still good.  

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/ 

March 2020

Moving day -- again

Hogar Rosalinda 

(Nutrition Training Center)

In nutritional training, we have had more consults with mothers and their child’s care in their own homes.  These are moms who are concerned with their child’s growth and development and have sought out extra help. Some work full time during the day, others have multiple children, so to come live in the home would not be their best option unless the situation became more serious.  Some moms came only once for an evaluation and advice, and since have not returned. Others however have expressed interest and motivation to continue with long term monitoring and education.  

Community nutrition classes have taken off in Florido Aceituno, where the Aliento feeding program also has a formula distribution program.  On weigh day, when all moms come and spend some time waiting, We have the perfect class of moms who know their children are struggling. So far there is great interest.  Topics will address nutrition as well as health.  

The end of february brought some interesting developments culminating into finding a new location for Hogar Rosalinda and Aliento.  This was a bit of a surprise for us as we were intending to remain where we are for a few years. God had his hands on this too however, as the new location has move space for how rapidly Aliento is growing.  The new location includes office space for both ministries, a separate partial kitchen for the feeding program, and more space for both ministries. It is closer to the center of town and bus routs which is better for participants who come to Hogar Rosalinda, although it is farther from the group homes where Taryn and I both spend a lot of time.  In May we will be joined by Taryn’s right hand worker Elissa Crist. She currently serves in the Fulp home and Aliento.  

Hogar de la Esperanza homes

Currently with the outbreak of the Coronavirus here in Guatemala, the homes are on lockdown.  This means that only direct caregivers and family are allowed to interact with the kids. Family and caregivers who live off site are changing cloths upon arrival, and everyone is washing their hands very frequently.  It is a very hard decision to exclude visitors, but these kids are immunocompromised, and an outbreak would be devastating. Please pray for the kids and family living in the homes.  

A separate wave of  illness has hit the Alvarez home hitting adults and kids alike.  Again, prayer for healing would be greatly appreciated.  

A word from the Director:

"This morning we had a staff meeting to discuss precautions as we fight to keep this virus out of our homes. We prayed together for protection and then agreed to do everything possible to fight it back.

Here is a picture of the kids we are fighting for. Many of them have compromised immunity and health. There is a very real possibility that we will lose one or more children if this virus makes it into our home.

It makes me feel very much alone when I see fellow Christ-followers minimizing this crisis and pretending it is just a political conspiracy. Lives are at stake. Not just these children, but my many friends and family members who are in high-risk categories. Please, for the glory of Jesus Christ, lay aside politics and serve your fellow man. Please help us fight.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians‬ ‭2:3-4‬ "

Our Kids

Brayan

Brayan is 17 now, and almost as tall as me!!!  He has been in the home longer than I have, and has really grown a lot.  He is very delayed, and cannot count to 20, or seem to get his shoes on the right feet, but he absolutely loves to help out around the house.  He has learned to safely push a wheelchair with supervision, and he loves taking out the trash, loading the dishes, and setting the table. Brayan is a loved part of the family.  

Alison

Alison is a joyful, bubbly, affectionate little one.  She has downs syndrome, and is deaf. Alsion loves hugs and kisses.  She giggles wildly while playing with her counterpart Olimpia, and she squeals with delight when adults chase her or throw her in the air.  Alison is learning Guatemalan sign language (not the same as ASL), and loves using her new signs. Alison brings joy to everyone who meets her.  

El centro de partos el pozo 

(Birthing Center)

More babies and more love at el centro de partos el pozo.  They too are affected by the virus however and are trying to keep their distance while in public to protect their patients.  Please continue to pray that doors will open for Joy to be allowed to become a certified midwife in Guatemala. Despite her extensive experience, doors are slow to open for this.  The birthing center is also training a local young woman. She is learning much!  

Aliento feeding program

In addition to the move to a new headquarters in San Antonio where Aliento is based, they are now searching for land to purchase in Aceituno.  Initially the program was run on the health center’s land, and now a street is closed down each program day to set up the tent, and tables, benches.  As the program is growing, so are the needs! Down the road, a vehicle will also be necessary. These are large purchases, so Aliento needs lots of prayer as growth continues!  Lives are being changed in both the kids, and a number of the moms in this town.  

Please also pray for the program as they too much take precautions against the virus.  Most of the volunteers live and work in the group homes, so traveling includes a lot of new restrictions and precautions.  Further, gathering that many children from the community in one place puts them at risk. For now, they will continue to take the soup, but will not serve it on site.  Families will bring to go containers to take the soup home. This is emotionally upsetting when so many relationships thrive through this ministry. They community understands, and are grateful for continued soup and not a complete sut down, although they are sad to have less face to face time with their friends who come on the team.  

Rural village ministry

Pray for the families who live in remote areas.  There are so many rumors in Guatemala about the virus and what it means.  There is a lot of false, and some dangerous information going around about how to avoid it.  At this point, there are a handful of confirmed cases in the country, and one fatality in an older gentleman.  Most people here live in poverty, so loss of business for a few weeks can be life threatening. Many people live very close together, so containment would be nearly impossible.  There is no government assistance program for struggling families. Pray for the people of Guatemala.  

Personal

There are a lof of stressful things going on on a number of fronts for both myself and the ministry at large.  Many of us are facing physical, and emotional stresses that seem to have all hit at once. Please pray that we would keep our eyes on him who is above the problems we are facing.  

On a positive note, I had the privilege last week to serve alongside a large medical missions team from the US.  These included doctors, nurses, physical therapists, gynecologists, a pharmacist, a dentist, an ultrasound tech, and many, more.  They served a community near the dump in zone 3 of the city. While reading about each of their respective states struggling with the virus and panic, they continued to love and pray for the people they served.  It was such an encouragement to get to work with them, and show that our God is still in control. They flew out just on time yesterday, because today travel restrictions have increased.  

Sadly this means likely canceling trips to the US for us.  At this time, no one from the US or Canada allowed entry except permanent residents.  But future restrictions are not yet known.  

Prayer

Please pray for the nations of the world.  It is not just the US that is suffering from the virus, and for many countries, the illness and economic damage will be devastating.  Pray for those affected, and for protection of the young, old, and immunocompromised. Pray also that God may be glorified in this too.  Pray that His peace may be known when so many are panicking. God is still good.

February 2020 happenings

February Happenings

Hogar Rosalinda 

(Nutrition Training Center)

As busy as the last few months have been in the ministry as a whole, Hogar Rosaliknda has had a slower time of it.  It is a big step for mothers to leave their hometowns for the program. My prayer is that God would direct the right mothers at the right time. 

In the mean time, I am beginning community education classes over nutrition and health.  Starting up is slow however, and although a number of ladies have expressed interest, momentum is on the slow side.  God knows what he is doing however, because this slower time in the nutrition side of the ministry, has allowed me to jump in and help in some of the other areas of the ministry which have been swamped.  

Our first Graduate Mirko has continued to gain weight after leaving, and is now no longer malnourished.  He is sadly sick at the moment and his mother took him to the hospital with pneumonia and seizures. He could use prayer that his stay is not long enough to cause harm.  (Hospitals are not the same here and a long stay could really set him back).

Ready for some students!

Hogar de la Esperanza homes

Last week I got to accompany David to a hearing, and Humberto and Kevin to their dentist appointment.  This meant I got David snuggles for a few hours in a back room while his hearing moved in the direction of placing him up for adoption.  With Humberto and Kevin, it meant hugging and consoling little guys who had a lot of bad teeth pulled. When Kevin arrived in the home, his malnutrition was severe and most of his teeth were rotten beyond recovery.  Now that he has gained weight, it is time to pull the bad ones. He lost 7 in one trip! Humberto lost three, and was quite the brave big brother when he saw Kevin crying.  

The Alvarez family also has a house where a number of women have been able to take refuge with their children from dangerous situations.  These women have been through so much, but it seems that for some, health issues won’t relent. Right now one family has two very sick little ones. Specifically, a little girl, named Cindi, is fighting dangerously high fevers in the hospital and doctors are concerned about organ damage and seizures.  This family needs prayer!!

Kevin (Left) David (Middle) and Humberto (Right)
Excited to be the first ones up

Cindi could use some prayer

Our Kids

Arturo 

In Hogar 3, the Alvarez family accepted their third child, a little boy named Arturo.  To see more about him, and the Alvarez’s adventures, check out https://facebook.com/light2guate   

Kevin and Humberto

Here are our two toothless wonders!  

Arturo with a hand full of sweets

Humberto is a little mroe excited than Kevin about all this!

El centro de partos el pozo 

(Birthing Center)

Stephany and Joy have expanded hours at the birthing center in Escuintla and now hold three days of appointments each week.  They have also begun training a local woman to work with them and learn safe maternity care. In addition, they have been training to better use their new portable ultrasound machine.  Every woman who enters this clinic has the change to know the love God has for them.  

Aliento feeding program

Taryn and Elissa made a trip to Montana to make connections and share more about the feeding program.  Meanwhile, the rest of the team kept things running, and continued loving the kids in Aceituno. This love had built and encouraged relationships.  So many kids have opened up and shared how God has used the team to teach them. One girl has shared that she now has her smile back. Another family experienced a tragedy in the loss of a husband and father.  God is using the relationship the team has with this family to speak life and love to them.  

The kids were very excited to help Josh celebrate his bithday.  

Rural village ministry

The team continues to travel and ministry to families in their homes.  One new area has opened in Chiquimula through a formula program similar to the program Aliento holds in their community.  The idea is to find children and pregnant or nursing mothers who are at risk, and help provide a resource while checking in on them in weight checks and emotional support.  Currently Daryl and his sons are in some of the rural villages near the city there searching for children at risk.  

Iglesia Cristiana Nueva Esperanza

The Hayden family has been in Guatemala about 6 months now.  They came to work with Global year students by housing them and helping them plug into local ministries.  God also pulled their hearts to begin a new church in San Antonio, our town. This is a christian church whose focus is on Jesus and discipleship, and not on the expected traditions that so frequently takes precedence over Christ.  This past Sunday, the core group of families came together for the first time in the building. For the first time in years all of the Fulp home’s children and caregivers could go to church together. This was the first time the Chapin home could all come together to church.  

For the homes this means transporting a few of the kids who travel well by van, and walking up with those who cannot travel well.  Although a little exhausting, this meant that Rafel, Walter, Ruavis, and Paola could come to church without the pain of a car ride.  Christina and Esther could be in the service and nobody would be irritated at their vocal outbursts or yells. This experience was phenomenal!  Praise God for such a blessing to all be together worshiping God with squealing and smiling kids! 

First week all together

Three of these guys don't normally get to come to church!

 Personal

A slower time in Hogar Rosalinda has allowed me to begin the footwork of pursuing adopting a child here in Guatemala.  This has been a desire of mine for many years, but in the last year it has transitioned from something in the future, to a pressing need heavy on my heart.  I will be adopting a child with special needs because this too is so huge on my heart. Below is the announcement I shared:  

For years now I have been blessed beyond belief to love kids who are not mine biologically or legally. I have shared in tears and smiles; screams of pain and peals of laughter; last breaths and first steps; spasms and ticklish spots; trauma induced shut downs and healing. God has used these years to shape me, and grow in me a desire to love children who are called broken. Now I am bursting at the seems to announce that in 2020 (hopefully), I will be adopting a child with special needs here in Guatemala!!!

There are a lot of unknowns, and a long journey ahead. I could have waited to share this, but excitement aside, I wanted to share sooner to ask for prayers along every step of the way. I ask for prayers for the child I already love. That they would have someone who loves them right now, before I can know them. I ask for prayers for myself as I prepare my heart and home for the greatest challenge, and dearest delight. I want to trust God’s timing when doors open, or hold ups happen. Also, I would ask for prayers for all involved, whether the family who first held my future little one, or the judges and court officials, or the one who reads about this on facebook, that all of these would know Christ more through this adoption, and that it would honor God.

This will not decrease the function of Hogar Rosalinda.  As the education is bassed out of my own home, I can work from home while pursuing this adoption and working with my mothers as well.  It may help participants to work together in caring for their children while they see that I too am caring for mine.  

Prayer

As you can see, there are many areas in need of prayer across the ministry.  I would ask specifically for prayer for the medically fragile and sick little ones.  For little Cindi and for Mirko in the hospital, and continued prayers for Ruavis who has ok days, and bad days in the Fulp’s home.