Hijas del Rey is getting even better!

 

After renting the current building housing Hijas del Rey women's home for a year, and living here 2 years under a purchase agreement, we finalized our purchase of this facility in February, 2024.  By the grace of God and through your generosity and commitment to our ministry, we were able to pay off this home completely in only 2 years.  God truly does exceedling more than we can ask or imagine!

I love how Shawn Johnson of Recycled Lives here in Guatemala  (from whom we purchase the home) describes our ministy. She describes our home, which she has visited often as "a space for adult women to live to their maximum independence with the help of loving caregivers in a home based environment." All I would add to that is our purpose is to help our women come to know and love God through Jesus and to serve him to whatever extent they are able. This is who we are and who we will continue to be through your support.

Another unexpected blessing is coming to us next week from Bethel Ministries which has a grant from Joni and Friends to make living in Guatemala more accessible for the disabled.

A mutual friend of both of our ministries mentioned to Nick from Bethel that we could really use an elevator since our home is two stories. Nick immediately reached out to us, and offered us an elevator if we thought we could use it! I can't tell you the emotions which overwhelmed me (Pat) when I received this call. We had dreamed that maybe, someday, we could put in an elevator and accept more women with physical challenges. But when, out of the blue, someone calls and offers you what you have only been dreaming of, your heart skips a beat and your eyes fill with tears.

God sees.  He hears, And He answers in the most unexpected, even unsolicited ways.  After coming out and assessing our home and getting a quote for the cost, Bethel has more than generously decided to put the lift type elevator all the way to our terrace on the third floor, so our women can enjoy the views of the volcanoes sorrounding us!  Again, exceedingly more that we could ask or imagine.

Would you please join our prayers of gratitude to God, and ask his continued blessings upon both Bethel and Joni and Friends?  They are making that which was only a wish become a reality.

Roberto Recovering and Resilient

Roberto has adjusted to the new normal of living with a permanent infection of his pelvis, and the daily necessity of caring for the permanent drain. He faces these challenges with perseverance and strength I have seen in few able bodied men.  But these are not the first life changing challenges he has faced.  

After being rejected by his family and sent to live with his grandfather at age 8, he never had a chance to attend school.  He was put to work at that young age in the rubber plantations near the coast of Guatemala.  When he fell from a tree, broke his spine and was paralyzed, he was put in a room by himself and his family would come once a week to bring him food and care for him.

When we found him in July of 2015 his entire backside was one big bedsore.  His appendix ruptured before we knew it was infected--when you have no feeling below the waste, the classic pain is absent.  The rods originally put in his back to support his spine poked through the skin on his back and had to be removed.  And now, a permanent infection.

This has not stopped him from living life to the fullest and being an important part of our family and community.  He currently sells used shoes in the doorway of Casa de Esperanza, and recycles trash to earn some spending money.  He washes the dished each evening, and helps our other residents with things that they cannot do for themselves.  If one of our goals it to empower our residents to contribute to their community, he has exceeded all expectations.

His sense of humor has not diminished and he takes great joy in pestering his brothers, the staff and especially me!  Teasing is one of his spiritual gifts!

This does not minimize his daily challenges,   He prays each day for you who support us, and we ask your continued prayer support for him as he moves forward.

The Marriage Was Never Supposed to Happen--Except God. . .

Nine years ago, when we moved Casa de Esperanza to San Pedro, one of our residents met a remarkable young woman who lived in the neighborhood.  This began a friendship which grew into love and has cuminated in marriage.  Theirs is not only the love story between two people, but a love story authored only by God.

When I met Osmi in 2013, he had been sent to Hermano Pedro to die.  (To learn more about Osmi's history click here)  He had been misdiagnosed, could only move his one arm a few inches and was on a feeding tube. 

After moving in with us we got what we believe is a correct diagnosis, but one which does not explain the extent to which he has recovered since 2013.  By the time he came to us, Osmi could sit up in his wheelchair, move his arms a limited amount to feed himself and do simple tasks.  He has continued to recover mobility and strength, completed not only elementary school but graduated junior high as the Guatemalan equivalent of valedictorian.  He since has gone on to complete high school.

The doctors cannot explain his recovery since his diagnosis is a progressive disease which does not improve with time.  Since moving in with us he has shared what we believe is the explanation.  While he was most critical, a  group of short term missionaries came through Hermano Pedro.  They prayed with him and prophesied that his "sickness was not unto death." From that point on he has gradually improved to where he is today. . .strong enough to marry the woman he loves.  I guess sometimes miracles happen slowly.

We never considered the possibility of one of our residents marrying.  Actually, it was controversial among some members of the mission community that I would allow him to "date" (he would spend Sundays with Alejandra and her family).  I realized, though, if I believed what I said about self-determination for our residents, I had to honor their wishes even in the area of girlfriends.

As their relatioship grew and Alejandra and her family became more and more part of our family. They began speaking of marriage but could not imagine how this would happen.  They spoke with me and we worked out a plan.  

We will continue to provide Osmi's medications, which cost far more than what a Guatemalan salary could cover.  Ale owns land, and we are working with various ministries to try to find one to build an accessible house for the new family. Osmi will remain with us most of the time until the house is built, but spend more time at Ale's which is only 2 blocks from the men's home. We will then provided whatever in home support is needed to help Ale care for him.

What was most touching about this was to speak with Ale's mother and father.  I was somewhat tearful when I thanked them for accepting not only Osmi but our other guys.  Our men have been repeatedly invited to family celebrations at their house.  Mom's comment to me was, "Don't ever worry about Osmi.  He is our son!"  Truly remarkable for a Guatemalan family, and again, a connection only God could engineer.

This is a new adventure for all of us, but we are convinced it has been God's leading and he will be faithful to help us going forward.  Please pray for our new family, and a new stage in our ministry.

Critical care for Roberto

The beginning of this month we admitted Roberto to the hospital.  The Friday before a small bump appeared on his back.  It didn’t seem like much, but we wanted it to get checked.  We decided to watch it over the weekend.  By Monday it had grown significantly, but here Monday was a holiday.  The clinics were closed.  It really didn’t seem like it needed an emergency room visit.

We were wrong, however, and by the time we could see our doctor on Tuesday, the bump, which proved to be an abscess, was huge.  Surgery was required.  First, however, IV antibiotics would be needed.  Roberto also was anemic and would need a blood transfusion prior to surgery to build up his red blood count.

The sad reality we face is that this abscess was caused by the same bone infection of his pelvis that required surgery almost two years ago. The usual treatment for such a bone infection would be to remove the bone, but that is impossible with a pelvis. So, for the rest of his life Roberto will be on a strong antibiotic, and will need daily nursing care to maintain a permanent drain in his back to all the infection to escape.

No one can know for sure when this infection started, but we believe it was when he first operated on years ago in a national hospital when he fell from a tree and broke his spine. Really, it doesn't matter, since this is what we face now.

Honestly, I was heartbroken.  This is the fourth surgery Roberto has needed since he came to us.

Seven years ago,  on the Fourth of July, we found him living is horrible conditions, and brought him to live with us the same day.  (Click here to read his story).  In those seven years, we have watched him heal physically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally.  But life has been hard for him and once again he is facing a challenge that would break many men.

2023 in Focus

 January

Two of our young men went back to school after a number of years of not studying.  We are grateful to the sponsor whose donation enabled us to send them to a Christ-centered adult education program.

Jose began working to complete his high school diploma.

Layo began Basico, the Guatemalan equivalent of junior high.

We also welcomed our first volunteer of the year, Vonnie Hepner, from Virginia.  A mutual friend in Iowa, Hank, had connected us. Vonnie's gardening, cooking and musical abilities were put to good use with our students as well as residents. She came planning to stay one month and stayed three.  She seemed to like it here.

February

We had a rather surprise visit from one of our ministry partners.  I invited a physician friend of ours to come visit us when he's next in Guatemala, and it just so happened he was in Antigua!  He had he had heard about our homes but never seen them.  He graciously treated our ladies to lunch at one of the fanciest restaurants in Antigua!

We began our school year with our English speaking students.  Our numbers had increased enough that we moved our classroom to the larger room on the second floor of Pat's house.

While most of our friends in Canada and the US were still struggling through the cold, the temperatures in Guatemala were warm enough for us to resume physical therapy using the pool in the condominium where the men live.

March

With the beginning of Lent, we started a new Bible study at our men's home.  One of our guys commented that he really didn't know much about what kind of person Jesus was, so it was hard to follow him.  We began studying the name Yahweh gave Moses--"I AM"  and have tied this into the "I AM" statements of Jesus in the book of John.  

"Yo soy is Spanish for 'I am.'''

I love how it can be made into a circle, 

without beginning or end.

We also worked with the Antigua Green School to help their students understand how difficult it is to get around in our area if you are in a wheelchair.  

They both spent time with our men walking around Antigua, as well as got to experience first hand the challenges of wheelchair travel.

April

In our study of the events leading up to Easter, we celebrated a simplified Christ-centered Sedar similar to what Jesus would have done with the disciples at the Last Supper.  A couple of our guys were surprised to realize that Jesus was Jewish and celebrated the Jewish festivals.

Of course we had a grand dinner to celebrate Resurrection Sunday.  Pat had planned on serving ham but the guys voted for fish!  It was a challenge to prepare fish for so many people, but we figured it out. 

In April we took on some Spanish speaking children in our education program.  The young man below lives in a children's home near here and struggled with attending a regular school.  Given our structure and the individual attention we provide, he is excelling.

May

Thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters, work on the interior damage from the last hurricane began in earnest.  We had a setback when Gustavo, our maintenance magician, suffered a broken arm and was out of commission for 2 months.  You may not be able to tell, but here he is scraping the plaster down to the cement foundation--USING ONE HAND!

Our friendship with the local police force continues, and we were honored to supply a snack for the wives of our local officers to celebrate Mother's Day.  Police here work ten days straight, usually a great distance from where their families live.  We appreciate the sacrifices these women make to enable their husbands to serve Guatemala.

May seems to kick-off the time when we have visitors to our ministry.  Kayla, a special education trained teacher from Houston has been with us before.  This time she came back to study Spanish and brought her family with her for a weekend.  The ladies love guests and enjoyed their visit.

June

We were blessed by a visit this month from a physician friend from Kansas who came to Guatemala on a medical mission but squeezed in time to visit us.  

A physical therapist who was with her team spent an afternoon at Casa de Esperanza  training our staff and even provided therapy to help Gustavo's arm heal correctly!

One afternoon may not seem like a lot, but when our staff is trained and can continue using what they learn it makes a huge difference.

July

Hank, our friend and advocate from Iowa, brought a team to Guatemala to work in Huehuetenango. This group was from River Church in Seattle, Washington. We were honored that they took a day to spend with our men and women.

They brought and played table games with our men, and worked with our ladies to make necklaces and bracelets.  This may not seem like much, but our residents love guests.  The time and energy this team took to be with our folks helps them feel loved, valued and included.  No small gift to our people who are so often ignored and rejected by their society.

Pastor Josh even got "schooled" in how to make lemonade Guatemala style.

The pleasure our guys took in teaching a visitor to do something they were good at was priceless.  The team did a marvelous job of recognizing and calling forth the gifts of our residents.

August

The beginning of the month we celebrated Pat's birthday.  This year she is 71 years young and God continues to bless her with the strength and energy to stay at the helm of Reason to Hope in Guatemala.

Chepa, one of the residents of Hijas del Rey, gave us quite a scare when she needed to be hospitalized in August.  She had a series of convulsions and began acting very strangely after them.  Four days in the hospital, and she was getting back to normal with her seizure medication readjusted.  We are so grateful to those of you who enable us to provide private medical care through your financial support.  

September

September 15th is Independence Day in Guatemala.  Torches, symbolizing freedom, are carried down major highways from the capital city to all parts of Guatemala.  Flags are everywhere and parades are a must.  Our ladies enjoyed this celebration.

 Front row seats waiting for the parade in Ciudad Vieja

October

This month found Pat visiting supporters in the Midwest.  While there is never enough time to see everyone we would like to thank, this year she was able to meet a couple of faithful supporters who we had not known personally.  This was a definite high point of her trip to the States.  As a perk, she got to see her family too!

October also saw some of the greatest political challenges since Reason to Hope has been in Guatemala.  The controlling politicians had been surprised that a long shot candidate had won the August presidential election.  The Attorney General was challenging the legitimacy of  the winner's political party, and the vote tallies were seized by her office, though the outcome had been validated.  In response, many in the Mayan community staged protests, closing major streets and highways throughout the country for days at a time.  Things had calmed by the end of the month, but the political climate continues to be precarious.

November

This month brought the long awaited completion of the interior repairs to Casa de Esperanza.  It took months of work by Gustavo, but the house has never looked this good.  It's better than new!

Work was finished just in time to host our annual Thanksgiving feast.  While Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Guatemala, our residents would never miss the chance to eat a US style dinner of turkey and all the fixings.  We invite the families of all of our team members to celebrate with us, to express our gratitude for the care our staff provides year round for our residents.  Each year the number seems to grow, and in 2023 we squeezed almost 50 guests into Casa de Esperanza!

We had another reason to celebrate the end of November.  José graduated with this high school diploma and we were invited to accompany him to the ceremony.  This is a privilege usually reserved for parents, and Dani and Pat were honored to fill this role for him.

December

Continuing with our recognition of the Jewish festivals, we participated in the celebration of the Festival of the Lights or Hanukkah.  While not one of the high holidays of Judaism, it was in the temple courtyard that Jesus proclaimed himself to be the Light of the World during his trip to Jerusalem to celebrate this festival.  We were gifted with this menorrah by a lovely Jewish woman living in Antigua.

We tied this celebration in with the more traditional Advent wreath practice of contemporary Christ-followers. 

Our yearly cookie decorating day is always a big hit!

A Christmas dinner combining both homes and their staff members was held at Casa de Esperanza on Christmas Day.  Here in Guatemala Chistmas Eve (Noche Buena) is actually a bigger deal than Christmas Day, but we never miss a chance to have what they term a "feast" of recipes from the US.  This year two of our friends from the police force as well as some neighbors who operate an organic farm joined our table.  (Do you notice how the on-going theme seems to be food?!?)

In return our friends from the police force brought members of an Antigua based church to spend time with the guys during the week between Christmas and New Years.

As we look back on 2023 we realize we did not do this on our own.  Those of you who support us in friendship, encouragement, prayer and finances are an important part of what we are able to do.  You partnership with us makes a difference in the lives of many with disabilities in Guatemala.  We are so grateful.

We are eagerly anticipating what 2024 will bring.  

We invite you to join us on this journey.