Casa de Esperanza Update

With Fidel moving in permanently, a lot of things have changed, including an increased staff.  I never thought of myself as managing a staff, and I'm not sure I'm very good at it, but I'm trying.  We are all learning together.  Click here to meet our staff members.

Fernando and Cesar are working hard to finish up the school year.  It's been quite an adjustment and a bit of a struggle for them to adjust to going to school here in Antigua.

Fernando's grades have picked up greatly, in large part due to a kind "heart to heart" we had with the director of his school.  Carlos has had a bit impact on Fernando, and it's worth all the tuition it costs just to have him in Fernando's life.

Cesar is still struggling with math, but hanging in there, thanks to Profe. Julio.  Profe comes three afternoons a week to provide private tutoring in math, and so much more.  I love to listen in on their sessions (they work in the dining room while I am cooking dinner in the kitchen)--Profe has become more of a mentor than a tutor, and I'm grateful for his positive influence on Cesar's future.  Since Cesar hopes to teach one day, Profe has a lot of insights to share with him beyond academics.  Profe also is Fernando's computer teacher, so we are twice blessed with him.

I knew sooner or later it would happen.  With so many walls made out of glass, I knew sooner or later we'd break one.  I had expected it to be with a forbidden soccer ball, but Fidel took the honors.  His work table was in front of the window, and he accidentally pushed his chair forward and into the window.

Is it my imagination, or does he look just a little bit proud of himself?







People keep asking how Fidel has adjusted to living in the house.  Well, it seems like he's always been here.  It's a little different for him, though, to realize that he's part of the family now, and not an "honored guest."  He's learning the meaning of "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit."  Not that he would throw a fit when he doesn't get his way, but he can sure throw a pout.  He gets over it quickly.  He's learning what it means to be a PART of a family, not the center of the family.  It's hard, sometimes, but he still says he loves being here.

He's enjoying make some of his own decisions--like wanting to grow a goatee. He says he wants one like Brian (a volunteer serving at the house for two months).  Only thing is, I think Brian has more of a beard to work with.










Fidel is still taking computer classes, but right now they are on hold.  He has a flat tire on his wheelchair which Dick has not been able to get over to fix, so traveling on the street is pretty much out of the question.



There are no replacement tires in the shop, so we're praying Dick can fix this one.  Fidel does have a manual wheelchair, but refuses to use it. Please pray we get this fixed soon, before he ruins the tire. I have debated and debated with myself whether to take away the power chair until it's fixed, but, eventually we will be able to find a tire--even if I have to bring it back from the States.  I think this might be a good time to help him learn about natural consequences.  It will kill him (and the rest of us) if he has to go without his power chair, but he also needs to learn what a huge blessing it is to have one and how to better care for it.  And to take wise counsel.

It seems like we've had a whole bunch of birthdays recently.  We always are looking for a reason to have a party here--especially when it includes cake and ice cream.

Fidel's birthday was the end of June, and we celebrated in style.

Then, there were Sonya, Henry, and my birthdays the beginning of August.

Finally Fernando's the end of August.

When I get back in October, it will be time to celebrate Cesar and Miguel's birthdays.  They have asked for a "family" trip to the beach, and want to included the guys in the house and their mom.  Dick and I are trying to figure out how to make this happen.

A final, unexpected blessing of Casa de Esperanza is that we have been able to welcome visitors in wheelchairs, whether to watch a movie, work on the computer, or have lunch with us.  Again, God knew this would happen before we did, but it's really nice to be able to bring some of the kids from Hermano Pedro into a family environment, even if only for a few hours a week.

Cesar helping Henry use the computer

What I thought was a large living room sure
fills up fast when your guests use wheelchairs!

God also had plans to help a family with a child with Cerebral Palsy through our house.  Flor and her husband Henry have two sons, Carlos and Jose.  Carlos is 9 and has CP.  Jose is healthy.  Shortly before I began looking for a housekeeper, Henry lost his job.  Flor had been looking for work, but needed to work around when Carlos was in a day care program.  And when there was no daycare, she needed the flexibility to care for him.

Flor hanging out with Fidel

Though Nineth, the Bethel teacher at Hermano Pedro, I met Flor and immediately fell in love with her.  She only works mornings for us, when Carlos is in daycare, and when the need arises, we can give her the flexibility she needs to care for him.  When there is no daycare, she still comes to work, he just comes with her!  He has become the little brother of the family, and has, like the rest of the boys, developed an addiction to the computer.  She fits in with the boys like a big sister, and they give her as much grief as they do each other.

Carlitos, our hermanito (little brother)

This has been a win-win for both of us, but I think more of a blessing for me than for anyone else.  It's nice to have another woman in the house, and she keeps house better than I ever did.  I can be gone from the house and know that she will make sure things don't become a frat house while I'm gone.  I love how God had this all figured out!

And Too Little. . .

It is still the morning of Sept. 11, 2013, and it seems I am very reflective today.  (It could have something to do with having laryngitis, and being sequestered in my room to keep me from talking.  It's given me a lot of time to think things over with the Lord.)

While I bemoaned the "too much" Americans have in my last post, I am currently thinking about the other half of the coin.  Those things in which we have too little. . .

The first that comes to mind is patriotism.  Not blind loyalty to a government or those in office, but a real love for our homeland.  When was the last time that you said the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and meant it?  What about singing the National Anthem as anything more than something that needs to be gotten over with so we can get to the real entertainment, the baseball game?  Do you have a love for the land of your birth?  Do you recognize where it is comes from (history)?  Do you care where it is going (more than just how it just affects you personally)?

I have no idea how America should address all the concerns of the world today.  Should we go into war in Syria?  Who knows?  Surely not the American people with the filtered information we are receiving.  But God does.  Rather than arguing politics, why not pray that His will for America be carried out?  Do you think this is impossible?  Do you not believe that God is more powerful than the intellect and will of national leaders (whatever country)?  

This promise of God from 2Chron. 7:15  is as good today as it was in Biblical times.  We quote this often.  But do we really do it.  You see, God does not just say to pray. 

Too little humility. . .







He calls me to humble myself.  I don't know what that means to you, but to me it means to quit thinking of myself more highly than I deserve.  And to especially to quit thinking of myself more highly than anyone else (including the worlds worst sinner, or the most committed Islamic terrorist).  It means I must be willing to serve all--even those for whom I feel no love; even those who have harmed me and who threaten me.  How does this fit in with my political stance?  Do I harbor hatred for the opposite political party or its leaders?  Or do I pray regularly for government officials, even those I believe don't have a clue who Jesus is?  

Too little hunger for God. . .







I need to seek his face.  Not a perfunctory half-hour quiet time, but to really seek His face.  In every moment of my day.  To seek his face in every way. To seek his will in every situation, even when it goes against my will. Do I really want God's will for America, or do I want what I think God's will should be for America.  (Remember, the church is thriving in China, where it is under intense persecution.  Could it be God's will that American Christians suffer a bit of persecution to draw others to Him?  Just asking. . .

Too little repentance. . .







I need to turn from my wicked ways.  Me, wicked?  I'm a missionary for crying out loud.  But yes, there are still parts of my heart that cling to wickedness.  Not the overt murder, pornography, stealing kind of wickedness, but wickedness nonetheless.  Like the secret pleasure I feel when I hear someone has received what I consider their "just desserts."   Or my inclination to share a piece of juicy gossip with "just one person."  My wickedness. . . it is not the sinfulness of others that needs to be brought to repentance. . .it is MY wickedness.  (Click here to read an article by Mark Driscoll on counterfeit repentance.  Convicting and thought provoking.)

THEN, God will heal our land.  

While I support many other forms of patriotism, including service in the military (my son just completed serving 8 years in the Marines), I believe that our patriotism needs to begin in our hearts and minds, not in our actions.  If every believer (this was written to the people who are called by "His" name) who was at a Fourth of July parade would take up the challenges God gives us in this passage, I believe, based on His word, that we will see a change in America.  Let's do less criticizing and complaining, and more praying.

The Curse of Too Much. . .

Please know I write this not out of condemnation, but out of conviction at my own limited worldview, and my own complacency and sense of entitlement as an American.  Until I moved to Guatemala, I also thought I never had enough. Some days I still do. God reminds me daily of how blessed I am, and how I merit none of it.


It is the morning of September 11, 2013.  And my heart is heavy for the US today.  Trouble is brewing in Syria, we are still in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Yet I constantly see debate on the US new programs about whether we "should be" at war.  Wake up, America.  We are at war, whether we fight back or not.  We are at war for the survival not only of our country but of our souls. It is not a war to be fought by our military.  Each American who wants to preserve their freedom must take up the battle.

If you think I am writing about being anti-Islamic, you're wrong.  Paul tells us in Ephesians that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood."  He goes on to explain that the enemy is a spiritual enemy, THE enemy and those who follow him, knowingly or unwittingly or carelessly.  And I don't disagree a bit.

But, I am afraid that many of us who say we are Christians are also being influenced by this enemy of our souls.  American Christianity, from my perspective as an ex-patriot (that's the secular term for life-time missionaries) is suffering from the same malady as the rest of the country--too much.

I'm not talking about money here.  I'm talking about the way in which EVERYTHING in America seems to be overboard.  (I catch the irony of EVERYTHING being written in capitals!)  We are affluent beyond the comprehension of the rest of the world, yet I continually hear talk of how bad the economy is.  Really?  In comparison to what?  In comparison to where?  

I see families in which each driver has his or her own car--yet they are constantly complaining about the price of gas.  (It is interesting to me that studies are showing that when gas prices go up, people do NOT drive less.)  I see families who say they can't make it on what they earn, yet continue to spend on items such as the latest HD television systems.  I hear how people cannot afford to take a missions trip, yet read on Facebook about their fantastic family vacations.  And the hardest of all, I see luxurious churches with coffee shops which cannot afford to help their brothers who are meeting under tents (if that) and sitting in the mud to come to worship the Lord.

Please hear me.  I am NOT opposed to cars, TV's or vacations or nice churches and houses.  I struggle with the attitude of people who are able to do these things and yet feel, if not verbalize, that they don't have enough.  I am opposed to those who feel entitled to these good things and fail to thank the God who provides these things.  (Even if you work for it, who gives you the strength, knowledge and ability to work?)  I struggle with those who fail to recognize their responsibility to share these gifts with those who literally have nothing.

There is a sense of entitlement that Americans deserve the good life, and more of it.  Where does that come from?  Seems to me we are still living in the a revised sense of Manifest Destiny--somehow believing that God has specifically chosen the United States as his prize to lavishly bless.  I don't see how that holds up.  Where is the Biblical support for this?

Click on image to enlarge

Why does the US merit more blessings than other countries?  Because they are more moral?  Surely not.  Because the citizens work harder than those in other countries?  Only those who have not traveled to majority world countries could possibly believe that.  Because they are God's chosen people?  Where in the Bible does it indicate that?

Because we were a Christian country in the past?  By whose criteria?  I wonder if God ever considered us a Christian country.  Sure, we had prayer in schools, mangers in the city square, the Ten Commandments on our courthouses.  But is that what makes a country Christian?  

My mind goes to what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21: 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 

Has American ever really been concerned with doing the will of the Father?  Or have we been concerned with seeking comfort and doing what is right in our own eyes? (See Judges 17:6; 21:5)  We have charted our own course and dared to dignify it with God's name.  (See Manifest Destiny above for an example)

Do I grieve for a nation who is so far from Biblical truth? Of course.  But I don't grieve any more for the US than I do Syria--both nations need to acknowledge the one true God.  But, you see, countries do not merit salvation;  countries cannot come to Christ.  Only individual people can do this.  

And this is the battle--for individuals.  Do we fight this well by condemning and focusing on how bad non-believers are?  Of course they're bad--they're NON-believers.  Do you as a believer really think there would be anything good in you if it weren't for the Holy Spirit's presence in you?  I sure don't believe that about me!  Do you really think posting on Facebook about how terribly immoral "they" are will call them to repentance?  If not, why post it?  To feel superior?  I pray not. 

So how do we fight this?  I believe by loving each individual so well that they are drawn to the God who loves them more than we do.  Remember, it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.  (Romans 2:4)

We are at war.  But it is a war for our hearts.  Even as Christ-followers, while our salvation is sure, our sanctification is not.  Peter reminds the early church that we must be watchful, because the enemy seeks to devour us.  (1Peter 5:8)  We can never assume a posture of superiority over those who do not know Christ as we do.  We didn't earn this relationship, we don't deserve it, but we are gifted with it. We must cooperate daily with the Holy Spirit as He transforms us into who He would have us be.

We must fight for the hearts of those who do not yet know Jesus and all he has to offer.  Do those who don't know Jesus see anything in us, in our lives and in our hearts, that would make them want to know him?

How does all this tie in with having "too much?"  Well, I think we've had too much comfort and freedom in our ability to follow Jesus.  It's been easy to be a Christian in the US.  It still is. Our safety and security has never been threatened.

Even if we have to pay more taxes (as I see is the big concern on Facebook the past few days), so what?  WE HAVE JESUS.  We are not yet persecuted, but I have to wonder how American Christianity will fare when Christ followers are asked to suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness. (Matt. 5:10)  If we fear when we are threatening to lose money because of our faith, how will we stand when we could lose our very lives?  Is this a possibility?  Surely it is.  Jesus told us to take up our cross, not our couch.

I'll end with a Facebook posting from my dear friend, Tara Rye.  She is the one who started me on this meditation with her words, and I encourage you to contemplate them, too.

What if we were interviewed for an entire week for a reality tv show and nothing was hidden. The reality show title: ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN? What would they uncover in a week? Would our faith be evident? What might they observe? 

There IS a doctor in the house. . .

Mari’s son officially became DR. Juan Pablo Hernandez Hernandez on September 6.  Many of you who have been down here know him, or at least his mom and dad, Leo, and I thought you might like to see some of the pictures from his graduation.

Medical school graduation is very different here.  Students graduate individually, or in his case, with a co-author to his thesis.  The whole graduation takes about 30 minutes and is intensely personal.  Though I was fighting a bad cold, I managed to make it to the ceremony itself and was very glad I did.

 

 

Each new doctor enters with his/her madrina/padrino.  This is an individual who has greatly helped and encouraged the student through their education.

 

 

 

Pablo with this research partner

 

 

They are seated on the platform with a panel of professors who will publically review and approve their research. Here, in Guatemala, even medical doctorates have to write and publish a dissertation.   Each student presents his findings, and answers questions from the board, which then accepts their research. 

 

 

 

 

Each student then has a few minutes speech in which to thank God, his family and friends, his professors, and anyone else who has played an important role in helping him reach his goal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After swearing the oath taken by all medical doctors in Guatemala, he new doctor then signs the official registry of the doctors of Guatemala.  This is still a paper ledger, and there is something poignant about signing a document signed by every doctor who has graduated in your country.

The madrina/patrino then invests the doctor in the robes officially worn by medical doctors in this country.  The professors “cap” each person, and they are then presented to the audience for the first time as “Doctor.”

 

Quick, to the point, but very touching.  Pablo actually changed the date of his graduation so that I could be there with him (it was originally set for Sept. 21, two days after I will be in the US!).  I’m so glad he did.

The Lord your God has blessed the work of your hands. . .

This quote from Deut. 2:7a kind of sums up some of our recent trips to visit families with whom we work in some of the villages.

While we continue to deal with hardships and very difficult situations here, the past few visits to villages have been very encouraging.  Families with whom we have worked for a long time are becoming healthier.  Kids are making progress in school.  We are blessed by the friendships we have with these people.


Once of our families that is thriving is the family of Jessica, who we met in 2010 when Dick brought her into the malnutrition project at Hermano Pedro after meeting her at a wheelchair distribution.  After spending almost a year in the ward, she returned home and continues to do well.  She is growing and her family, who is receiving a monthly donation for food from Bethel Ministries, is taking wonderful care of her.

Jessica has become quite the little flirt!

She was pretty intrigued when Carlin taught her to use my iPad

Her nephews, who were visiting from Guatemala City loved it, too

This family has not been receiving any help with school expenses, and we would like to help Blanca, Jessica's 17 year old sister, to remain in school.  The whole family is working hard to help her finish her education, which is unusual, given her age and the fact that she is a girl.  She has two more years of school to complete what would be equivalent to someone finishing high school in the US.  She would then like to continue studying either in Antigua or Guatemala City.

It will cost about $35 a month to keep this young lady in school.  If you would like to help her accomplish her dream, email Pat for more information on becoming her sponsor.

Another of my favorite places to visit is a group of single women who are raising their children in an aldea outside of Tecpan.  Many of the children in this aldea are going to school with the help of Bethel Ministries, and Bethel has recently hired a teacher to tutor the children in the afternoon.  This has made a great impact on their grades, and this teacher has proven to be quite creative in her approach.

Yep, those are small stones she's using for counters!

I think, though, that our most encouraging visit was to Marvin's family, in Cerro Colorado.   We had been here just a few weeks ago, and were very concerned about not only Marvin's health, but that of his whole family.  Dr. Jose had visited them with us, and made recommendations for treatment for parasites.  Click here to see the blog on that visit.)

When we got to the house, it appeared that no one was home, but were delighted to see Mom walk around the side of the house carrying Marvin.  There was a spring in her step that I'd not seen before.  They were both obviously, while still painfully thin, much more "sturdy" than when we had seen them a few weeks earlier.

 His brothers are doing much better in school, too.

 Jose will wear the "bandera" (sash) in the Independence

Day parade, Sept. 15, indicating he is the top student 

in his class.                    

When we talked to them about how they were doing, we were overjoyed to hear that all the suggestions we had given were being followed and were working.  They had completed the parasite medication treatment, and were now only drinking purified water.  The kids were taking vitamins, and even had their nails trimmed as Dr. Jose had ordered.  Dad's persistence in looking for work daily had even paid off--he had a job even though it is not cane season. But what really has made a difference, I believe, is the nutritional support they are receiving thanks to our ministry partners at Hope for Home ministries.  We could hardly believe the change we saw in this family.

Dick and I had both thought that Marvin was pretty cognitively impaired.  We discovered, though, that we had been seeing the effects of his severe malnutrition.  Today, Marvin was alert, attentive and responsive.  When I asked mom what hand he used to eat, he put his right hand to his mouth before she had a chance to answer.  He loves to scribble and color when he's in his wheelchair, and we promised to bring him crayons and a coloring book.  He almost jumped off Mom's lap when he heard this!  We promised, too, to work on a simple communication book.

                      

 Grandma, who we thought was close to death at our last visit, was looking pretty spry.  She had been to town to buy vegetables, and you could see how special she is to Marvin when she walked into the yard.  

For a few years now she has been telling us she needs glasses and evidently went to a clinic held by a visiting team and also needs eye drops.  For about $200 we can help this dear lady enjoy the rest of her days with adequate sight.  If you'd like to sponsor her, please email me.