* GUATEMALA * * * * * * * * Dick Rutgers *

A Dream Come True

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:23:00 +0000

I am in the USA for a few weeks and I do not plan on doing a lot of journaling until I get back to Guatemala. I did put a short slide presentation together though so if you promise not to show it to anyone who will be some where that I will be speaking at, you can see it now. If you happen to show up where I use this slid show I guess you will have to watch it a second time or find something else to do for 5 minutes.

Goodnight:. . . . . . . . .

Yours in Christ, Dick

More Wheelchiars Given Out.

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:44:00 +0000

Click here or on photo above to see slide show.

Hanging Out With Mat.

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:54:00 +0000

My Friend Mat Smeltzer came for a week's visit. This is not Mat's first visit. He has been to several of the camps that we have for people with disabilities that live here in Guatemala. This time Mat did not come for camp though but among other things he got to spend a lot of time at one of his other favorite places, Hermano Pedro Orphanage.

On one of the days that Mat was here we were joined by some friends that work at the Hope Haven wheelchiar factory over on the other side of Antigua and took 5 of the teen age girls for the orphanage out to lunch. This was a real treat for both us and the girls from the orphanage. Mat was especially pleased since he got to take Christina his favorite out to lunch. I am going to let Mat tell you about a visit to another little girl named Estefani. Mat has been sponsoring her for several years now.

Then He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

Luke 9:48

Yours in Christ: Dick

Mat wrote the following.

I asked Dick if he would be willing to drive me to Tecpan to visit a young girl named, Estefani that I’ve been sponsoring for several years. I told him that it would be worth the trip, because her family is so special. He was very willing to do so, because he wanted to visit several other families in that area too. So that morning, I met him and Pat Duff at Hermano Pedro. Which by the way is an awesome way to start any morning. I love hanging out with those kids!

Before we drove to Tecpan we stopped to get Dick’s new hearing aide. Pat said, “Now we can’t talk about him as much.” However. It didn’t hinder our ability in that area one bit. We had snacks and drinks in the truck. And we were ready for a long day of visiting many different families.

When we arrived at Estefani’s village some neighbors were staring at us, because no one knew we where coming. We walked up to her house and greeted her mother. In the middle of introducing Dick and Pat, Estefani saw me from her house and came running out to give me a big hug. Momma invited us in, so that we could visit with the rest of the family. Dick hit it right on the head when he said to Estefani‘s father, “ When I met you all, I could tell there is a lot of love between you. But you have even more than that. This house is filled with the love of Jesus.”

We had such a wonderful time visiting with Estefani’s family and eating lunch with them, we never made it to the other stops on our to-do-list.

Mat

Marna gets a new wheelchair

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:17:00 +0000

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Written by Pat

(I know, but if you go to Pat's Blog you will see for yourself that turnabout is fair play. There is some stuff that she wrote that I didn't swipe so you may want to check it out. Dick)

Mirna with Amy DeYoung, from New Life School
and Amy’s dog, Boby

One of the things that I enjoy about being up at Santa Maria de Jesus is being able to serve as an “intermediary” between the needs in Santa Maria and some of the other ministries in the Antigua area. For a while now, Dick has been wanting to get a new, better fitting wheelchair up to Mirna, and with just a little prodding from me, (My back side still hurts. Dick) today we are doing just that.

My connection with Mirna actually started the day I met Dick in 2007. Deb Reeg, Dave Penner and I had just visited Hermano Pedro for the first time and had taken some kids to lunch with Dick. When we returned, Dick asked if we wanted to go with him to visit a “traditional Mayan village” not far from Antigua. We jumped at the chance, and he took us to visit Mirna, to measure her for her first power chair.

That day was very humbling for me. We visited the family an unpainted cement block bedroom where Mirna was watching TV. It was my first time entering a home, and I was more than a little uncertain of how to act. It was especially uncomfortable for me, too, since I was the only one of the four of us who spoke much Spanish, and believe me, my Spanish wasn’t that good. (Just good enough so people expected that I would understand what they said, not good enough that I did understand!)

I was almost brought to tears by their poverty, though I’ve come to realize now that I live here, that this family does better than many we work with. I was more moved, though, by their obvious love and affection for Mirna, and the great care she was given. That was no small task for her mother who had 9 children, including Mirna with Cerebral Palsy, and three older children who were deaf.

We visited Mirna, and while Dick measured her for a chair, her mom sent one of her sisters out to get us juice and cookies. It was so hard to accept this simple gift of hospitality, since I was pretty sure they had spent more than a meal’s worth of quetzales to buy us this treat. God spoke to me in that moment, teaching me that real humility was gratefully accepting a gift from someone who could not afford to give it to you. I ate every bite and drank every drop, praying all the time that I wouldn’t get sick from eating “local” food. (I didn’t, but I was sooooo careful then! The people who trained me on “hygiene practices in a Third World country” would cringe if they followed me around now! And I’ve not gotten sick from food given me in villages, praise God, but I have from food eaten in so called good restaurants!)

Mirna in her (obviously) too small wheelchair

Anyway, fast forward to the present. About a year ago (November, 2010) Mirna developed a very deep and serious bedsore which has had her confined to bed for most of 2011. With the excellent care given her by her mom, and a lot of people praying for her, the sore has now healed to the point where she can once again sit in a wheelchair. Hence, our trip today.

We aren’t bringing her a power chair yet. Her arms and hands have deteriorated to the point where she cannot drive a hand operated chair, and will need some kind of head controlled model. Before investing the time in rigging that up, though, Dick wants to make sure that sitting in a chair will be possible for her without causing the bedsore to erupt again.

This chair, though, will give her the ability to move around her house more, sit at the table to eat with her family, and hopefully even get out into the community sometimes. Our goal is for her to be able to attend the afternoon girls’ Bible Study Amy DeYoung teaches once a week at the school.

To say Mirna was excited with her chair is an understatement. She beamed like a teenager with a new car. And, placing her in the chair, we all realized how contorted her arms and legs have become without therapy. We discussed it and I will be returning a couple times of week to do stretching exercises with her to see if we can get her into a better sitting position.

And once again I realized, the chair and the therapy are important for Mirna. What is more important, though, is her knowing that we care, and more importantly that God sees her in her need and isolation and has sent us to her. What a privilege. . .

Pat

Watching God At Work in My Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:17:00 +0000

Pat writes-

A few days ago, while we were up visiting Norman and Vicki Sutton in San Andres, we received a call from the Hernandez family in Cerro Colorado. Herlindo, the oldest son, had fallen on his bike and severely broke his arm. Could we get them to the clinic in Santa Lucia where we had taken his sister Estrella when she had broken her arm last year.

Ordinarily we would drop what we were doing to help this family. Though Mom can be fairly difficult, both Dick and I have a strong tie to the family. Their oldest son, Rony, had died about a year ago from Muscular Dystrophy. We had promised at the time that we would not “abandon” them as the children had feared because we no longer needed to check on Rony’s chair.

This time it was different, though. We were hours away from Antigua, which is a couple of hours from their home near the coast. This time the family would have to handle things on their own. We did tell them that we would call Carlos, the office manager for Bethel Ministry, and ask him to deposit funds in her account so she should take Herlindo to the clinic.

After numerous confusing and sometimes frustrating phone calls, it was determined that Herlindo would need surgery on his arm and needed to go to the National Hospital in Esquintla. Mom had told Dick that he would be released from the hospital today, so we planned on heading out to take him home.

As things often go with the communication here, we found out just shortly before we were to leave that he would not be released today. When Dick called I heard in his voice his indecision about whether or not we should still head down or wait till he would be released. We decided to go, since we could still try to visit him, and both of us wanted to see Jorge, a young man with spina bifida who lives in La Gomera.

Soon, Dick, Marcos, Miguel, and Esbin picked me up. This turned out to be exactly what we believe God wanted us to do.

We had been wanting to see Jorge since a friend, Daryl Fulp, had told us the doctors from a Faith in Practice team at Hermano Pedro had recommended amputating part of his foot. (To read more about this, click here to read (“Prayers needed for Jorge.”) We hoped to get done in time to visit Herlindo during the hospitals “generous” visiting hour of 1-2pm.

We visited with Jorge’s mom for a while, and got her thoughts and opinions on the surgery. This whole decision was breaking her heart, and she seemed encouraged by our visit. We then went over to the school a few blocks away to see Jorge.

When we entered the gate of the school, we saw Jorge surrounded by his classmates, listening to music on his phone. This is such a blessing to see, as many children in wheelchairs are pretty ostracized in the schools here

We obtained permission for Jorge to go to lunch with us, and soon were off to a local “comedor” (diner). We had hoped to visit with Jorge some during lunch, but the boys immediately commandeered their own table. It was great fun watching them, though, as they were typical teenage boys wolfing down food. This isn’t an opportunity Jorge gets very often, so that made it extra special.

After lunch we went back to Jorge’s house and finally approached the topic of the surgery. He was dead set against this, and even has threatened to harm himself if forced to go through with the surgery. We assured him of our love for him, no matter what his decision, but that we needed to make sure he understood what would happen if he didn’t have the surgery.

We then gently confronted his threat to self-harm, asking him to make a verbal contract that he would not harm himself and call one of us if he felt like it. He listened pretty intently, but would not make the commitment. During this time, Marcos, Esbin and Miguel had been quietly listening. But now, Miguel began talking. . .doing a better job than either Dick or I (or probably any professional counselor) could, encouraging Jorge to face the facts, and move forward. This sounds harsh, but Miguel did it in such a compassionate way that he really seemed to get through to Jorge. When Miguel was finished talking, I asked Jorge if he would like Miguel to come with when he went to the hospital for the surgery, and he immediately shook his head yes.

During the time Miguel was talking, I had been watching Esbin as tears filled his eyes. When we were done, I asked Esbin if he would like to pray for Jorge, and he agreed without hesitation. Now this may seem like no big deal, but, as Dick commented, a few years ago this young man was one of the most foul mouth kids around, and is still somewhat shy about praying aloud. But he did, and it was beautiful as we felt the Holy Spirit fall upon us as he interceded for Jorge and his family. I was moved to tears.

When we got back into the car, I told the three boys that I had never been more proud to be their friend than I was at this very moment. (Marcos had earlier “translated” my Spanish into “good” Spanish as we explained to a lady how she could get an examination at Hermano Pedro. Marcos’ English is not that good, but he does an excellent job of understanding what I am trying to say and conveys it efficiently and compassionately. He’s been with us enough that he knows the routine as well as I do.) Dick affirmed everything I had said and added a few compliments of his own.

As I write this, I realized that God had taught Dick and me how we did not need to take care of everything ourselves—but that we were to be the conduit that brought the people together who need ministry and can do ministry. It has been our belief all along that we are here to support the Guatemalans, not do things for them, and, watching the boys take over today (and knowing how well Carlos had taken care of Herlindo) confirmed that this is the direction our ministry is going. While we could not have orchestrated these events, our Father certainly did, and it’s amazing to reflect on it. After all, as I often tell people in the villages, we are only God’s workers. . .

Pat

Dick writes-

I want to update you on 2 more of my boys. Any of you that have kept up with my journals over the past few years knows that Calin and Jason have been 2 of my biggest challenges. During the first few years Calin spent about as much time being kicked out of my house as he did in the house, and it was just a little over a year ago that we found Jason after he ran away from his home and disappeared for 2 months.

Calin and Jason are once again out of my house. I have not seen either of them in several days. Fact is they are no longer in the country. Am I worried about them? A little, but no more worried than the average parent who's son or daughter had gone to another country on a mission trip. This time they have gone with my blessing. That's right these 2 young men and several other Christian teens from Chimaltenango have gone to Nicaragua on a mission trip. They will be spending the next several days in Nicaragua sharing their faith in a number of churches and public schools. I will tell you all about their trip when they return in a few days. Better yet I will have them tell you about it!

I stand in awe of what I see God doing in the harts and lives of several of the teens that hang out at my house. To God be the glory!

Goodnight:
Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:03:00 +0000

Psalm 139:13-16

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.

This precious little girl stole my hart the minute that I met her at a Hopehaven wheelchair distribution a few weeks ago. Granted Gema was born without arms and with only one leg but I had a great aunt who made a bigger deal about the wart on the end of her nose. I guess we all have something to complain about if we try hard enough but Gema seems to be to busy living life to worry about small things like a few missing limbs. She seems to be one of the most well adjusted self confident young ladies that I have met in a long time.

Granted having only one leg does make it hard for her to get around but thanks to a new manual wheelchair that we fitted her into her father no longer has to carry her down the narrow trail that leads form their home to the public school that is in her village. The desk that one of the workers at the Hopehaven factory retrofitted to her foot rest also makes it easier for her to do her school work. (Gema does all of her writing with her foot)

I could not help but think though that this independent 6 year old would be thrilled if she could have a second wheelchair that she could control on her own. This is where my friend Jack Craigs comes into play. Or I guess I should say came into play. A few years ago Jack who is a wheelchair technician came Guatemala to work with Bethel Ministries for a few days. When Jack came down he brought along a small kid's size power wheelchair that was in near new condition. I am not sure weather the previous owner had outgrown it or had passed away but Jack told us that he felt that God had told him that there was some special person that needed it here in Guatemala. How this beautiful chair managed to stay in our shop for all these years without being given out remains a mystery to me but somehow it managed to stay tucked away in a corner waiting for that perfect little girl that it was meant for. Last week Rob Rich, another wheelchair technician who came down from Canada to work with Bethel for a week and myself went to work on converting this power wheelchair into a foot controlled power wheelchair, and adjusting it so that it would be the perfect size for Gema, and a few days ago Rob, 2 of my boys (Fernando a and Bryan) and myself drove to a small village that is located between Xela and Huehuetenango to deliver Gema's power wheelchair to her. We had a bit of a time finding the place but finally arrived at the school a few hours before dark. We quickly discovered that the trail from the school to there home was to narrow to accommodate a power wheelchair but the people in the village promised that they would widen it and even pave it if necessary. Gena lives in a rather large house by Guatemalan standards and her yard is perfect for a power wheelchair so we decided to some how get it from the school to her home. This was not all that easy especially considering that it was now raining but with the use of an old wheelbarrow and some strong backs we managed to get the wheelchiar to her house without damaging it or our backs.

Rob and I then went to work on doing some final adjustments. Fernando served as interpret and Bryan was the camera man. As well as the 4 of us and Gema there had to be at least a dozen family members crowded into the room that we were working in. Within a half hour Gema was ready for a final fit and a driving lesson. Gena was a natural and in no time at all she was on her way out of the door and into her yard exploring a whole new world.

The family thanked us over and over again but we explained that even thought there were many ministries and people involved it getting this chair to the perfect person that it was meant to go to. We were only the delivery boys and the thanks was to go to God. I must admit though that it was so neat see how God had used so many ministries and individuals in getting Gena the 2 wheelchairs that He had chosen for her long before we ever met her. To God be the Glory!

Good night:
Yours in Christ: Dick

Hermano Pedro Orphanage

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:24:00 +0000

On March 5 I posted a journal that was written by Destiny Christensen. Destiny was one of over 30 students that came to Guatemala from a Christian school in of Henderson, Nevada. I had the privilege of spending time with Destiny and the others from her school that came here on a short term mission trip. A few days ago I received the following journal entries that some of the other students wrote. I pray that you will be as blessed by reading them as I was.

Yours in Christ: Dick

Hermano Pedro Orphanage

Entries from Students Journals

Today was the last day at the orphanage, and again, it was AMAZING. My team did grate and loved on the kids. Overall, the day we had to say goodbye couldn’t have gone more perfectly. Dick, the man we met Tuesday came and spoke to us tonight at our hotel and it was amazing to hear his story. He talked about the love that he saw us give to the kids at Hermano Pedro. He told us his story and how he started his mission in Guatemala. It was remarkable to hear him talk about how these little children are no different then us. How everyone is disabled in some way, these kids just happen to be visibly, physically disabled, and that God allowed it for a reason, “God don’t make junk,” he said. He explained the perfectness of how God made them, they were exactly how they were meant to be. I experienced first hand the astounding fact that for some reason, these children who don’t say anything at all, can say so much. The kids there have blessed me more than I could have ever blessed them and have literally changed my life. And I believe that that is their purpose, little humans that are put on this earth to show others a glimpse of the pure unconditional love of God.

The one thing that scared me the most was when Dick started to explain that if going to the orphanage didn’t leave you in tears, if those kids didn’t break your heart, then you didn’t let them really touch your heart. I was scared that I had missed it, that I had gone all four days and left with nothing, but later that night we went up stairs to worship, and much to my surprise, the tears started rolling. The song Hosanna started playing and I couldn’t compose myself. The words talked about God breaking my heart for what breaks his and showing me how to love like he loves me. I felt like, for the first time in my life, I could sing that song from experience. My heart was broken for these beautiful children and I had learned to unconditionally love them in spite of their imperfections just like God unconditionally loves me in spite of my own. This feeling is indescribable and I pray that I never forget how impacted I was from the little miracles at Hermano Pedro.

Tessa McQuillan

While at the orphanage I spent all my time with one little boy. He didn’t look at me in the eye much, but he clung to my hands and refused to let go. Destiny un-belted him from the chair he lives in and placed him in my lap. He did not say one word to me but I was overwhelmed with emotion while he put his fingers between mine and refused to let go even to be put back in his seat. I prayed for him the whole time I was there. Lifting him up to his heavenly father only increased the love I had for him. A few days after I went to the orphanage, Dick came in and talked to us saying, “We are all disabled.” That hit me hard. Just because that little boy’s disabilities are more visible than mine doesn’t make him any less of a beautiful creation of God. I cant wait to see him in heaven one day, where there is no more disabilities.

Cheyenne Turulis

I went to the orphanage with the least amount of emotions I could possibly not contain and left it swimming in thoughts and feelings. I didn’t want to go in with expectations because I would only be horrified if they were worse or better than the expected. My emptiness turned into children that were normal except for their physical cages: there bodies. And all they wanted was love, and we could so easily give it if we only open ourselves to it. They taught me about humans, we are not bodies, we are what is on the inside. Outside circumstances can never diminish that inner value that we all possess. We are valuable; from those that where crowns to those that lie wasted and filthy on the street.

Allison O’Donnell

I had been praying for weeks to see a baby with a cleft pallet because I was born with one, but when my team was coming back they were talking about their time at Hermano Pedro and said that they were not allowed to see the babies. So I kept praying. I went on Friday and I was spending time with this little boy when we were asked to help throw a birthday party for everyone with birthdays in the month of February. We fed them cake. When I went back to the kids, my little boy was gone, so I went back and helped clean up the birthday party. While I was there my teacher asked me if I wanted to go see the babies and I almost cried. So we went in groups of 4 for 10 minutes and I was in the first group. Right off the bat I found a little girl named Rosalina that had the same exact cleft pallet that I had when I was born. This little girl held my finger so tight and smiled, I felt like we had such a connection. Her smile was beautiful even though she had a cleft pallet. I was singing to her and then I started crying so I had to leaver her there and step outside because I didn’t want her to see me cry. When I was done, my teacher introduced me to a mother and her baby, Lorenzo, who was having surgery on his cleft pallet on Sunday, so we prayed for him and the family. For a long time I had been wondering why; why me, why did I have to have a cleft pallet. Statistically I should not have one, but God had His own plan and I feel so relieved that that question is no longer in my mind. I know why.

Shannon Regan

I wasn’t nervous until we arrived. I heard loud moans and cries. My stomach dropped. I don’t usually think past my own life, familiar people, and the city I am in. Sometimes I trick myself into thinking that nothing else exists. I came to Hermano Pedro thinking I had experience. In reality I was as out of pace as anyone. People started praying with the kids, and the kids would laugh and smile. I looked around at all of the children sitting in their chairs who were not responding to me and it was frustrating in a way. I became angry. Why can’t they respond? This frustration soon changed to a sense of compassion. I felt a love for these children. I sat there holding a little girl’s hand playing music and singing to her. I looked to the sky. I was in a place of worship. We both sat there, glorifying God in two very different ways. I stared into her eyes knowing she was thinking and feeling something. She eventually squeezed my hand. I believe now that she was saying, “its OK. I am OK. Stay with me here.” Honestly, there is no way to articulate the affection in my heart. This feeling that hits me every time I think about this experience, if I try to tell people about it, they will never understand. I didn’t cry directly after I left. Later in the week I couldn’t hold in the tears as I reflected. All I can picture in my mind is beauty; God’s unique way of expressing His glory. I realize, there are so many people in this world; So many situations, so many stories, so many needs. Before my visit, these children would have never entered my mind. Now I think of them every day. God’s creation is so vast and unique, we can’t fathom. I am very appreciative to God that a barrier in my heart is now gone. I love the connection I was able to have. With no words, I felt the greatest love. A silent love, that speaks so loud in my heart.

Bridget Cockrell

Going into the orphanage, I didn’t really know what to expect. I was really nervous and I was just praying to connect with the people there. Once I got there I met a boy named Carlitos; he grabbed my hand and never let go. I spent my entire day with him and I fell in love with him. The craziest part is that he didn’t say one word to me the whole day, but I knew that when he smiled at me, he felt God’s love shining through me. The orphanage really made me appreciate my health but it also made my heart break. God really put it on my heart to do similar work back home. Hermano Pedro changed me, and I am so grateful.

Sierra Alvarez

The orphanage was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Seeing how much those kids just needed to be loved was heartbreaking, and just made me want to love them even more. I was extremely scared and did not know what to expect. I was afraid that I would not know what to do or how to love them, but I asked for God’s grace and He completely worked through me. Watching how Tessa and Destiny interacted with the kids helped show me what to do as well. I am incredibly grateful that I got to do that and I hope I impacted someone’s life whether they remember me or not.

Megan Watkins

Dear Tessa and Destiny, going into this trip I had a fear! It was a fear I didn’t think about much, but I was reminded of this fear before entering the orphanage. This fear was one day being the father of a disabled child. I didn’t know how I would be able to love a child like that and I didn’t think I could handle it. Going into the orphanage I did not know what to expect. Most of the children I tried to speak with or touch did not respond and my heart sunk wondering, “how do you share the love of God with someone who cannot speak, or have understanding of what you say?” But I know that God has a place for them in heaven. After a while, I got to sit with a child who could barely move and just laid in my lap. Every time I spoke or just touched him, he smiled with joy. My understanding of the disabled changed that day and my fears for my future child were left behind.

Dax Dable

My experience at the orphanage was absolutely amazing, and no amount of words can fully describe how I felt and how it affected me. It was difficult to put myself out there in the beginning, but God just pulled at my heart and showed me that all these kids want is love. For me, all it took was one smile to fall in love with these kids. Just a simple smile from one of them would rip your heart out. I was fortunate enough to really bond and connect with a boy named Edgar. Edgar was an alcohol and drug baby. He would bang his head, and often chew his hand to the point of bleeding, but all he wanted was love. I learned that Edgar loved music and the sound of a maraca. When he would bob his head, I would rather think of it as dancing than a “disability” or a “problem.” This boy smiled and danced with me and held my hand for all of 4 hours and that’s all it took for me to fall in love and come back the next day. I was able to bond with some other kids as well such as, Lito. This boy also stole my heart. The orphanage was definitely a life changing experience and one of the best things I’ve ever done. Deciding to attend the orphanage was the best decision I made that week. It really showed me God’s working hand. He showed me how to love on these kids. I went into the orphanage hoping to make an impact on someone’s life when in reality they impacted me.

Taylor Badua-Kono

My experience at the orphanage was completely life changing. I was very nervous about feeling uncomfortable wile I was there, but I know that if I hadn’t gone, it would have been one of my biggest regrets. I am so glad I did it because it opened my eyes to the thing I feared. Showing love to people who are looked down on by society gave me this fulfilling feeling. I got to spend my day playing with Elmer and talking to Arianna. They are just the best kids and I’m proud to say I got to love on them. I definitely have a new perspective on showing love to people.

Colleen Zumaran

My trip to the orphanage was amazing. Right when I got there, Erwin rolled up to me, grabbed my hand, and put it on his wheel chair, meaning he wanted me to push him around. I spent all five hours with him and had an inspiring time. When I had to leave, he grabbed my hand and put it around his shoulders so I could give hug him, and I did. Surprisingly, it was tough saying goodbye because I didn’t think I could connect with a kid so fast. Overall, I am SO glad I went and don’t regret a single bit of it.

Landon Sorenson

When I first heard that we were going to go to an orphanage in Guatemala I was so excited! As the day drew closer however, I was becoming more and more scared until the day arrived. Then I was terrified! I had never helped with special needs kids. I didn’t know what to expect or what I was getting into. As part of the drama, I went on the last day. People told me that the kids would break my heart. The night before I prayed that God would let me have the strength and know what to do. When we got there I was immediately heart broken for these kids. They were all sitting in the courtyard and immediately I saw Tessa and Destiny grab a child and start loving on them like crazy. Suddenly God totally took over and I played with a little boy named Denis. He wasn’t super responsive, but I sang to him and he moved like he was dancing. Then I went to celebrate the birthdays for the month of February, which was amazing. It was so cool to see so much joy on the faces of the people who were celebrating another year of life even with their condition. To finish off the day I had the privilege to go up and see the babies. I got to sing to them and pray for them, which was such an answered prayer. All in all, God showed me how to love unconditionally and answered all my prayers. I am so glad for what God did in this life.

Caitie McCombs

Wow!

Thanks gang.
Yours in Christ: Dick

A Not So Funny Thing Happened To Us On The Way To Cobon.

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:56:00 +0000

I know this picture at the top of this journal has nothing to do with what I am writing about, but who wants a picture of a bandit at the top of their journal?

I have had a few people write saying that they heard roomers that I got robbed last Tuesday. All I can say is that no one held us up with a gun like they did a little over a year ago but I am now shy one window of my car and one Computer. Thankfully not my new Mac though. Not even my old Mac. The poor thieves took the Windows lap top that my kids use for school work. Just shows that these thieves were not the brightest berries on the bush, taking a windows computer and leaving a Mac. Well actually they got away with Garey's computer as well. Fact is they took Garey's whole suitcase which not only contained his clothing but all of his Hart medication. They also got away with Alex's duffel bag which had all of his clothing in it.

We were on our way to Cobon to help out with a Bethel Ministries wheelchair distribution that was to take place the next day when all of this happened. This happened when we stopped of at a store to buy some snacks. Guess it serves us right for thinking that we needed more food less than 2 hours after eating breakfast. The store had a security guard but he and his shot gun were inside when the robbers pulled in along side of my car and broke out one of the side windows. By the time the guard ran out of the store they were on their marry way. Someone managed to get their license number but I doubt that the police will ever catch them.

The up side to all of this is that we had originally planned to go back to the car to eat our snacks and with my tinted windows I doubt that the thieves would have know if we had been in the car and most thieves here carry guns so the outcome could have been quite different. We also got to know several very courteous police men who did everything possible to help us out. After this incident my respect for the Guatemalan police has sky rocketed.

After filing the police report our next and biggest concern was how to replace all of Garry's medicines. Here in Guatemala you can buy almost anything without a prescription but all that Garry had was a list of their English names. The lady at first drug store that we went into looked over the list and even with the help of a large book that had both English and Spanish names of literately thousands of medicines in it she was only able to come up with 1 out of about 10 that Garry needed. Fact is she told us that it looked like the 2 that he needed the most were not sold only in the USA. We then explained to her that we had just been robbed and that the medicine was desperately needed. She seemed very sympathetic and told us that she would do everything possible to help us out. By the way since neither Garry nor I know much Spanish, Alex who told me earlier that day that he didn't feel that he could be of much help at the distribution because of his lack of English did a marvelous job of interpreting for us. After a few Phone calls the manager of the drug store showed up and between him and the lady making phone calls and looking through medical books we walked out of the drug store about a half hour later with all but 2 of the medicines that were on Garry's list, and Garry said that they were not important ones. By the way we later found them at a drugstore in Antigua.

Wow I published this and even sent it out to those that are on my e-mail list before realizing that I left out one of the funniest parts of this not so funny journal. The following 2 paragraphs that are written in red has been added since I originally posted this journal.

Only a few minutes after leaving the drug store we drove some policemen and soldures who were randomly pulling over cars to inspect the paper work. I love my new Land Cruiser but mus admit that it is a real target for these not so random inspections. Some of my friends tell me that it looks like a drug runners car. I am sure that it was no help that the shattered back passenger window was on their side of the car because the second that they saw it they pulled us over. When they looked into the car through the broken window they saw 2 gringos (Gary and Me) in the front seat and Alex who is Guatemalan in the back seat. Before Alex could explain to them that the window had been shattered by some robbers they had him out of the car with his hands in the air and were frisking him for weapons. They calmed down a bit when I showed them the police report and explained to them that we had indeed just been robbed but that the robbery had not been done by Alex.

Now for a not so funny part that I left out of the original journal.

Would you believe that it is 10:30 PM and I just got back from the hospital. No it was not a Stomach ache from eating too many snacks. Esbin came running into the house a few hours ago saying that some of the other kids had just taken Alex to the hospital in tuke tuke. The kids were playing soccer a few blocks from here and Alex had fallen and they thought that he may have broken his ankle. When we got to the emergency room we were told that they had just taken him in to ex-ray and that we would have to wait outside.That's right this hospital's waiting room is the parking lot and the inside of the hospital it does not look much different. After about a half hour I snuck back inside and was just in time to see then wheeling Alex out of the emergency room. They handed the ex-ray to a man that was sitting behind a desk reading a news paper. He laid down his newspaper and took a five second look at the ex-ray. Sprain he Said as he pointed to the door. We hope that he was right becasue he did not give us the ex-ray. Poor Alex this has not exactly been his day.

Now a few hours back in time.

Shortly before the episode at the road block. I had made a phone call to Chris who was already in Cobon with the teem and explained our predicament to him. I told him that we could still try to make it there but I hated to spend a night or 2 there with a car that had one window missing. Not that car windows completely protect your valuables but a missing window is a real invitation to thieves. He told me that he had just found out that there were only about half as many kids that needed specialty chairs coming to this distribution ad originally expected so he felt that they could do it without me. As much as I would have liked to be there I felt that we better work on getting the window replaced and cancel this trip. Besides that having to share a motel room for 3 days with 2 people that no longer had as much as a change of socks or under where did not appeal to me.
Chris made a phone call to Toyota for us and amazingly they had the window in stock. While we were there we contacted my insurance agent and he sent a man down to meet us and fill out the paper work for a new window.

My kids feel bad about the lost computer but are delighted that I am at home. Last night they had a football game that they thought I was going to miss and I think that my being there was worth it to them. I am not 100% sure that it was worth it to me but all of the people that we met with the exception of the robbers made the 3 of us realize that most of the people here in Guatemala are very friendly and will go out of their way to help you.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

Miriam

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Pat wrote this one.

Sometimes you have to break the rules--even when they're YOUR RULES. Today was one of those days. Last week when we were distributing food in Huehuetenango, we met Miriam. We were visiting her cousin, and she "just so happened" to be there when we came. And the whole team felt a strong conviction that God was calling us to help her.

She doesn't fit our usual "rules" or guidelines for people we help--she's not "handicapped" in the sense of most of the people we work with, she's not a widow, nor is she desperately poor (though she doesn't have much, to be sure). She does, however, have an extraordinary need, far beyond what she or her family can handle themselves. Two years ago, she was diagnosed with two brain tumors, and had surgery done in a local hospital. At the time, the doctor could not remove the entire tumor, due to hemorrhaging, and now one of the tumors has regrown to the point it is pushing her eye out of the socket. She is in constant pain, as you can imagine, and told us that the same doctor said he could operate again, but she did not have the money. She was not asking for our help, just stating the fact; acknowledging that without surgery she would eventually die from this. She is forty-eight years old, and has eight children. We knew we had not met her by accident--but "Godincident". But, we had no peace about pursuing surgery with a doctor who had not seemed to handle it correctly two years ago.

After talking with the team, we asked her if she would consider going to Guatemala City to see a neurosurgeon we knew and trust greatly. She instantly agreed, we made a quick phone call and we had an appointment set for her before we left the house. She and her cousin would take the bus to Chimaltenango on Tuesday, and we would take them into Guatemala City on Wednesday to see the doctor.

They arrived without problem--in fact, they were just stepping off the bus when Dick pulled up to meet them. Mari had room for them in her house, so they would be in Antigua with me so we could provide what support would be needed. From almost the first minute we entered the house, we knew this was the right decision. Mari welcomed them as if they were family, and the ladies fit right in. Hilda, Miriam's cousin, had brought her grandson Anderson, and he was soon the center of attention, not only from Mari but from many of the students living in the house. This was so much better than them spending a night alone in a hotel room.

We met with Dr. Jose Wednesday morning, and he sent us for an MRI. Through his contacts, we were able to get this done immediately in the same building, and were able to meet with him again this same afternoon to discuss treatment options.

We knew this would be a complicated surgery, but I have to admit both Dick and I were a bit overwhelmed when Dr. Jose explained just how complex this case was, requiring not only his services, but an ophthalmologist to remove her eye (which had stopped functioning long ago) and a plastic surgeon to repair the damage already done to her face, which would be made even worse by the surgery. He did say that he could do this in the military hospital to keep the cost down. When we asked how much he thought it would cost, both Dick and I lost our breath at the number--a minimum of 80,000 quetzales, or roughly $10,000.

We had the promise of help from the Nooksack team and others who have offered help, but none of us expected it to be this much. We had to admit to Dr. Jose that we didn't know if we could raise this much money for one surgery. We discussed the possibility of the surgery being done by a friend of Dr. Jose in the National Hospital, but we had no peace with this option. The facilities there are very lacking. In fact, towards the end of last year, they did not have access to medications even for their in-patients, due to lack of government funding. How could we trust that they could adequately care for Miriam.

So, here were our options: first, do nothing and allow her to die; second, use the National Hospital and hope for the best (while expecting the worst); third, step out in radical faith, more radical than we have probably ever done in the past, and trust God to provide the funding for the surgery to be done by Dr. Jose. With fear and trembling we took this to prayer--and both felt compelled to step out in faith. We don't know exactly where all of these funds will come from, though we have some offers of help. We do believe God has directed this decision, and are trusting He will find a way for this to be done. If you feel God inviting you to be part of Miriam's healing, please click here, to email Dick for more information.

Dr. Jose's recommendation was to do the surgery the week after Easter--so that gives us a little less than five weeks to receive these fund. While I have to admit, I still get a little sick to my stomach when I think of just how much is needed, and realize how tentative is my trust that when we obey the Father, He will provide. . .so I'm learning. And praying. And waiting. We're standing in faith and moving forward in obedience. I can't wait to see what God does with this one!

Pat

Why we love the orphanage kids.

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:59:00 +0000

Any one who reeds my journals knows how much I love spending time at Hermano Pedro orphanage. After 11 years one would think that I would have gotten tired of it. I can not say that there have not been the rough times when I have felt like leaving and never going back there. Especially when one of the children that I have cradled in my arms gets sick and dies but as hard as it is to see some of these thing happen and in spite of some discouraging times Hermano Pedro orphanage is still one of my favorite places. Perhaps the the following journals that were written by 2 friends of mine will help to explain why.

Yours in Christ: Dick

Destiny Christensen wrote the following.

I go to a local private Christian school in my hometown of Henderson, Nevada and as a senior in high school we are required to have 24 hours of work conducted of a charity of our choice to present as our senior project in hopes of winning a 1,000$ scholarship. Speaking for myself, I never chose my senior project for the money. Since I was a freshman, you could say, I dreamed of what my senior project would be. Working at Hermano Pedro really exceeded my dreams.

Before arriving to Hermano Pedro my friend, Tessa, and I thought Hermano Pedro was just an orphanage…little did we know that it was a disabled hospital where only a fourth or so of the kids were orphans. Everyday Tessa and I took a group of about ten people of our mission team (we had over 40 team members) and on the first day we awkwardly looked around not sure of what to do. The kids were in wheelchairs and could not walk and we did not receive any verbal communication on what we could do.

Before leaving Las Vegas for Guatemala Tessa prayed for a miracle, and Dick was our miracle. Our first day there Dick was volunteering and he told us everything we could do along with background on a few of the kids. I could see how much these children genuinely loved him and how much he loved them. Dick really eased the awkwardness for the team and after an hour of being there the first ten people of our mission team to go to Hermano Pedro were all holding a child.

Along with Dick being a miracle he was also a blessing, on Tuesday he and his friends took Tessa and I along with three of the healthier kids at the hospital to lunch at Pollo Camprero and he became such a positive influence in our lives as he explained his love for the children of Guatemala.
Every team member connected to at least on child in Hermano Pedro, and for me it was Lesly. She is so beautiful just the way she is. She has one leg that is shorter than another, I think she has autism, she is blind, she slaps and kicks you,and the first day I held her the diaper she was in seeped through her pants onto my jeans. Dick explained the she is a loved child but her family is misfortunate with funds and her mother has polio, which causes her to walk around the house on all fours. Having polio makes it a little difficult to take care of a blind child... Like Dick would say, "I would not have her any other way though because she is perfect the way she is. God created her that way." Hermano Pedro was such a blessing in my life; being able to do things these children cannot do for themselves. The funny thing though, is that these children who cannot do much for themselves changed the entire team who was fully capable to do anything. All of this is due to God's grace and I am extremely thankful for Hermano Pedro, Dick and his friends, and the ministry he is responsible for.

Destiny

Most of you already know that God had given me a special love for the kids that are in Hermano Pedro, but there is one little guy that I have bonded with over the years that I feel especially close to, and that is Lionel. He and I became best friends several years ago when I first met him at a wheelchiar distribution in Huehuetenanto.

How a starving child who at that time weighed just 14 pound at 10 year of age became one of my very best friends is hard for me to explain, but a good friend of mine Brittney Fulp has done an excellent job of explaining it.

You see Lionel is also Brittney's very best friends. Fact is Lionel is best friends with several people. Do any of us get jealous over the fact that we each consider Lionel our very best friend? Not at all. You see God has given Lionel enough love to go around to all of us with plenty left over for any one who has the privilege of knowing him.

Dick

Here then is what Brittney Wrote.

When I hold little Leonel in my arms, I care nothing about the fact that he cannot speak to me or wrap his arms around me. I care nothing about the fact that he cannot lift his bottle or a spoon to his mouth, wipe his drool, change his dirty diaper, or do anything to care for himself. On the contrary, I LOVE to sit by his side or cradle him in my arms and do everything that I can make him comfortable and happy and to help him understand how much I love him. And the joy that it brings me when his eyes light up or a smile crosses his lips is far more valuable to me than anything he could bring me through further "capabilities". And it is completely inexplicable!

Leonel has done nothing to "earn" my love. There is nothing that he has given me or offered me to produce this love for him in my heart. In fact, to even imagine such a thing being the cause for my love for him just cheapens it! I despise the thought. No THING or CAUSE could produce this love for him in me. My joy comes from the very act of loving him. The one and only thing that I desire from him...is his returned love. My favorite moments are the ones when I look in his eyes and can see that, although he cannot speak, he knows that I love him and he loves me, too. And cleaning him up, changing his diaper, feeding him mashed potatoes one slow, small bite at a time, cradling his frail body in my arms, re-positioning him for comfort, asking endless numbers of yes-no questions to find out what he wants and needs, and whispering words of love into his ears...are all my favorite uses of my time because they let me show my love to and spend my time with him...my little Leonel.

And one day it hit me. It is as if God is saying,

"You know that love that you have for Leonel?...That is just a small glimpse of the love that I have for you. You are weak, frail, and helpless. You are incapable of cleaning yourself up and meeting even the most simple of your needs. There is absolutely nothing that you can do or give me to earn my love. And yet you have it...in a quantity and magnitude so much greater than you could ever imagine.

I DELIGHT in you, and my greatest joy is found in seeing you smile and knowing that you are catching even a small glimpse of the love that I have for you. And there is absolutely nothing that you can offer me...except your love.

You don't know what love means yet. You have a distorted and entirely weak perception of love and what it means to give and receive it. And yet...I delight in your best efforts. You are my little child bringing your best piece of artwork (a wrinkled piece of paper covered with crayon scribbles), and I am your proud daddy hanging it on the fridge for all to see. I don't mind that you aren't a professional. That does not mean a thing to me. I just like to see you try because you know that I love you and you want to love me, too. One day, I will bring you HOME and then I will get to see you paint like an artist. But for now, this wrinkled, scribbled paper is the absolute best thing that you could give me. And I DELIGHT in it, because I DELIGHT in you. You are mine and my greatest joy is found in loving YOU."

Brittney

Thank you Destiny and Brittney.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:43:00 +0000

We have had a teem of 6 people here from the USA all week. Up until yesterday they have been building houses and giving out food to needy families and I have not been with them that much. However Yesterday I met up with them at at 5 AM and along with Chris and Donna, Some of their family and a few other members of the Bethel Ministries teem we all headed off to the coast.

Part of this trip was going to be for fun and relaxation, thanks to some of these generous friends who are here from the States but first we were going to do some thing that I like every bit as much as relaxing by the beech. Don't take me wrong. We are all having a great time hear at the ocean and it is a mini vacation that we have all been looking forward to, but some how in spite of the hard work involved and yesterday's extreme heat, wheelchiar distributions are still one of my favorite things. Perhaps the following which was written by Shannon Heath, who is a first timer to Guatemala and a first timer to wheelchair distributions will help explain why.

Dick
Shannon wrote the following.

Since arriving in Guatemala, I've experienced so many moments that I know I´ll never forget. This being my first time outside the United States, I was experiencing a bit of culture shock at first and the realization of how extremely blessed my life is was almost overwhelming. But of all the awesome things we as a team have done this week, I think the wheelchair distribution has had the strongest impact for me. We traveled about 2 hours from Chimaltenango to get to the town of Iztapa on Thursday, setting up our stations in a town center situated on the outskirts of a little village on the side of some farmland, which is also used as a sort of trash heap. With a team of about thirteen people, we were able to distribute over fifty wheelchairs and a few walkers that day to people who would otherwise never have access to this kind of medical equipment.
Most importantly, we were able to share the love of Christ with every person while meeting their tangible physical needs as well. Three people prayed the prayer of faith that day. God has provided an amazing voyeur through Bethel Ministries and Dick Rutgers.

They so compassionately meet the needs of these people while at the same time catering to an ever greater need. That is the need for God´s presence in their lives which can become so desolate at times.

One family told us they had traveled over seven hours with their fifteen year old daughter who desperately needed a new wheelchair, as she was outgrowing her current one. It is absolutely imperative that those who need wheelchairs are fitted properly because a chair that becomes too small can cause sores and rashes that are inevitably fatal for the people in the villages of Guatemala. It was later explained to me that this chair we had assembled for her essentially meant life or death.

For me, the most emotional part of the day was assembling a chair for an old woman who was äbuela¨ to about seven grandchildren who were closely circled around the station watching my brother and I put together her chair. The woman had unsightly sores on her feet from attempting to walk or be somewhat heaved and dragged by family. As we finished the chair, tears begun to stream down the woman´s face as she pulled me in for a tight hug and choked out the words ¨via con dios.¨ At that moment, I was the one who felt lucky for the blessing I had just received. That one woman´s gratitude spread contagiously through me and I know I´ll carry that blessing with me for a very long time.

Shannon Heath

Thank you Shannon.
Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

Wow 3 journals in 4 days!

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 05:38:00 +0000

I apologize for the fact that a good part of the following journal was written in Canadian instead of English but Pat was sick for a few days so other than writing it myself having Dave write it was the best that I could do.

Dick

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Written by Dave.

Dick invited me to join him and Pat in Huehuetenango for the rest of this week giving out some wheelchairs and water filters. This morning I was able to have "brekky" (I am not going to even try to translate Dave's Canadian words into English. You will have to try to figure them out yourself but I think that "brekky" is some kind of a dance though. Dick) with the folks from Dick,s home state of Washington.

Then we headed to Canabaj ("Canabaj" is more than likely pronounced "Can-of-Bah". It is not a Canadian word for "something gross that comes in a can". It is a place near Huehuetenango. Dick) along with Clara and Amanda, who knew where we had to go to deliver 2 chairs.

The first chair we gave to a young boy, Ramiro. He was quite shy, and Dick had to be very gentle while fitting him. Dick also got his brother (who is also very shy) to help adjust the chair by getting him to use some wrenches. By the time we were finished adjusting, he was quite happy to help us.

While all this was going on, Gordon and Pat were praying with mom, and Ramiro's sisters, so it turned out be good visit, all around. Praise God.

We then delivered a regular chair to Josefa, an older lady who lives pretty close to Ramiro. She is hard of hearing and cannot see very well, but still managed to thank us, and was quite happy doing so.

After that we went back to Huehue to pick up a specialty chair for Bartilito, who lives near Silsa in Cuculque, about an half an hour up the hills. Pat stayed at the hotel, as she was still recovering from not feeling well.

When we got to Bartilito, all the kids were there to greet us, plus dad and mom. What a neat family, who really love their brother, Bartilito. The chair works perfect for him, as he has to lay down all of the time, and this chair can recline.

We also visited Rocky, a waiter from our hotel , who has a 4 yr. old boy, Anthony, who is passing blood in his urine. Rocky showed us his meds, and is going to bring us the actual prescriptions, to see if Pat and Dick can get some cheaper ones in Guate , and if these are actually the ones he needs.

On the way back to Huehue, Amanda bought a small turkey to bring home. This was one of the first times I have seen Dick a little scared, as Amanda kept holding it up so it looked like it was riding a bike. I think Dick thought something else might happen!

Thanks for inviting me, Dick. Just some more meeting wonderful families, playing with kids, and watching God work in these peoples lives.

Thank you ,Lord. Dave

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Pat wrote this one.

After feeling very much under the weather yesterday, I was happy to awaken this morning feeling almost human. I’d prayed all night (at least when I’d wake up) that I’d be able to go to Silsa’s birthday party today, and, praise God, I was feeling well enough to do so.

I first met Silsa in February of 2009 (can it really be three years ago already?). We brought her down to Antigua to see a doctor at Hermano Pedro because she was having seizures lasting many hours, and had lost the ability to walk. To make a very long story short, her father had been involved with the local “witches” (yes, they exist here in Guatemala) and it seemed her condition was getting progressively worse. She was to return to Antigua in March of that year, but her family (at least her father) decided not to pursue medical treatment for her, but trust the treatment and counsel of the witches.

I was broken hearted when Dick had told me this, since I had fallen head over heals for this beautiful, shy young girl. Over time, Gordon, Donna Mooney’s father, and a number of local pastors from Huehuetenango would visit this young lady and her family to pray healing over her. This affliction, we all felt, was at least as much a spiritual battle as it was a medical concern. First, her seizures stopped. Next, she began to walk a little. When we were here last July, she could take a few steps, but still spent most of her time in a wheelchair. Four weeks ago she was walking on two crutches. Today, she walked holding only my arm for balance. All this is answered prayer, for she has received no further medical treatment.

She is, in fact, a walking miracle, and a living testimony to the healing power of our Mighty Savior. There is no doubt in our minds that her health today is a direct answer to the prayers of these men of God and many others throughout the world who have been praying for her healing.

When we visiting the family about a month ago, we were invited to Silsa’s quinciñera (fifteenth birthday party). The family is very poor, and could not afford guests beyond their own family, but wanted us to celebrate this special day with them. It just so happened the Bethel Ministries would be having a distribution here in Huehue a few days before her birthday, and we would already be in the area. We would just need to stay a few extra days.

So here we are, celebrating Silsa’s entrance into womanhood. Dick and I were accompanied by Dave and Gordon on this trip. In many areas, this celebration is more elaborate (and expensive) than a wedding, with a ball-gown type dress and a reception equal to that of a wedding. In poorer families, this is not so, but it is still a very special time in a girl’s life. This family would do what they could to make her day special.

Arriving, we found pine needles scattered in front of and throughout their tiny adobe house. We were warmly welcomed by the family, though dad still seemed a bit stand-off-ish. Sylvestra, Silsa’s mother, and the children and Sylvestra’s parents are Christ-followers, but dad remains at best skeptical. At least he’s not openly hostile to Christianity as he had been in the past.

When we were ready to eat, we were given places of honor, seated at the table, while most of the family sat on the bed around the room. Sylvestra had prepared a delicious meal of pepián, a spicy stew traditionally served at celebrations in Guatemala which she presented proudly to her guests. Her corn tortillas are the best I’ve ever eaten. Though my stomach was still a bit sensitive, I had to at least sample the food. We were honored to be able to buy the birthday cake for this party.

After dinner, Dick wanted to take some medicine up to Freddy, who lives further up the mountain, and invited the boys in the family to join him. Dad seemed a bit concerned, and decided to go with. To make room in the car, I stayed behind to visit with the women at the house.

Dick, why don’t you write something here about your trip to Freddy’s?

I hate to interrupt you Pat, so I will let Dave do it instead.

After we finished the birthday cake at Silsa's, Dick, Silsa's dad, 3 brothers and myself drove to Freddy's home to deliver some more meds to Freddy. Dick told Freddy's mom that he would personally deliver the meds every few months.

Pat and Gordon stayed with Silsa and her mom and had a good time chatting and visiting. Meanwhile Dick let all 3 boys take turns steering the Landcruiser. There were a few laughs to say the least, and it was especially good to see dad laugh and enjoy his boys having fun. The word I kept hearing from Dick was "DIRECTO, DIRECTO!" What a hoot!

After we got back to Silsa's we took Silsa and her mom to a doctor in Huehue (to check on some minor medical problems that she had). The female doctor (recommended to us by Gordon), did not charge us anything, and the 4 meds she prescribed ended up costing about Q150. Silsa is also scheduled for an ultrasound next Wed.

Dick and I then drove Silsa and her mom back home, and on the way mom showed us where she walks down to the highway to sell the cheese they make from their cows. It only takes her half an hour to descend (over 1000 ft. in elevation) down a winding, steep path.

On the way back to Huehue, Dick and I both were in awe of where we were the view is muy bonito as we were at approx. 7000 ft above sea level.

Seeing where these people live, and how they get to school and work, sure makes one thank God for all he has blessed me with.

Gracias a Dios. Dave

Back to you Pat

The car was not even off the land when Dora, Silsa’s 19 year old sister, asked me if I was a teacher. When I said I was, she shyly asked if I could help her learn, since she had never been able to attend school. I was somewhat surprised at this, since the other children all are receiving and education, but said I’d try. She shared with me that the local church was holding reading classes and she was learning a bit there.

She knew the vowel sounds and many of the consonant sounds, and I began giving her longer and longer words to read. She surprised me at how quickly she caught on, reading words such as trabajamos (we work) and hermana (sister) which required her to not only sound out the letters, but divide the word into syllables. Furthermore, she read simple sentences and immediately understood their meaning. She’s off to a good start.

Since she isn’t receiving any instruction in math, but knew how to count and the basic numbers, we began working on addition and subtraction facts. She quickly could complete most of the addition mentally, but had a bit more difficulty with the subtraction. Soon, however, she was off and running with simple problems.

So, I’ve promised her I will bring her some beginning reading and math books when we return in a couple months. Silsa and her brother have promised to help their sister with her work. Though she will not attend formal school, Dora is determined to learn basic reading, writing and math skills, and I have no doubt that by this time next year she will have a good foundation in both of these areas. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so grateful for my experience as a teacher as I was to be able to help this young lady, and see the glow of pride and accomplishment on her face when we finished her first lesson.

When the men returned, we headed down the mountain to Huehue, along with Sylvestra and Silsa. Silsa had been having some minor medical problems Mom wanted checked, and Gordon knew a good, Christian woman doctor in the city. This generous lady treated Silsa for free, and the five medications she prescribed came to a whopping 120 quetzales (about $15). Dick left 200Q with Sylvestra so Silsa could return next Wednesday to have a ultrasound done. This visit was, for us, an answer to prayer, also. We have been looking for good doctors in the Huehuetenango area (many are not so good), and finding this lady was another answered prayer.

Sharing these special times with the families we serve who have now become friends is my favorite part of living in Guatemala. These folks generously invite us to be part of their lives, and we are richly blessed by them.

Pat

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Pat writes,

This morning we started out at the home of Clara, a Guatemalan woman who is trying to run Agua Viva (Living Water) a “social center” here in Huehuetenango. She and her aunt, Amanda, have been helping us in our family visits in the area, and today we were at the center to give water filters to four families.

We have been looking for the most effective way to distribute water filters while at the same time making sure that they are being used effectively. In Huehue we came upon the idea of giving a filter to this center, and asking Clara to keep track of which families would come on a regular basis to get clean water. Now, we are giving filters to five of these families, asking them to share the water with their neighbors, and requesting they, too, keep track of who comes regularly. These families will, God willing, be our next candidates to receive water filters.

The people who came today were excited to have filters in their own homes and no longer have to travel to get pure water. Don Maximo rode his bicycle many miles over terrible roads to be able to take his filter home to Canabaj. Mildred, one of the women, wanted to know if it was okay for her to take her filter with her when she visits her mother every week in another part of the city. These folks are excited to share what they have with their families and neighbors. This seems to be the best process yet for distributing filters.

While Dick and Dave were assembling the filters, I had a chance to visit with the women. They have asked that I meet with them whenever I am in Huehuetenango to do Bible Study with them. None of them are very familiar with the Bible and are eager to learn. This will be a priority when we come back in a couple of months.

They also asked me to visit with two brothers, both of whom are blind had have never attended school. I don’t know what I was expecting, but these two guys blew me away. Darwin, the older brother, age 18, and Francisco, the younger, age 9, were bright, articulate, and hungry for learning. When I asked them if they would like to learn Braille, they both just about jumped out of their skin—and their mother was equally excited.

These two young men may not have been formally educated, but it was evident to all of us how much “teaching” the mother and other family members had done. Each was able to tell me exactly what they wanted to learn about, and their conversational skills were excellent. Francisco, the younger boy, is more outgoing, and can steel the show from his brother. Darwin, however, is extremely talented in his own right, riding a bicycle without being able to see where he is going. What courage! Darwin also caught on quickly to how to use a power drill, under Dick’s expert instruction.

While teaching those with vision disabilities is well out of my comfort range, or skill area for that matter, I am learning something about how to do this working with a center in Guatemala City, Fundal. This group educates deaf and/or blind children, and consults at New Life School in Santa Maria de Jesus where I have been working. So, what I know, I will bring to them, and their mother will be their teacher. I’m going to find out, too, if there is a chance that someone from Fundal could come and visit them and give their mother suggestions. I have to confess, I as captivated by Francisco, and heartily wish I could work with him directly. At one point I jokingly asked if he’d like to come home with me, and, without missing a beat, he answer, “Yes, if you’re going to teach me!” These kids deserve an education.

After wrapping up the water filter project, we headed out again, accompanied by Clara and Amanda, to visit Melanie, a 13 year old we had given a wheelchair to last July. We wanted to see how she was doing and how the chair was working out for her. It’s funny how my perspective has changed in the months since we first gave her a chair. She had had a plastic lawn chair on wheels which she had been using to get around, and when we put her in the yellow cloth child’s chair it looked perfect. Today, Dick (and even I) could see things we’d like to see changed with the chair to better support her. But, compared to the plastic chair she’d been in, the cloth chair was a 200% improvement. Now we’re hoping to make it 250% better for her.

We ate a quick lunch at McDonalds, and then the crew dropped me off at the hotel. They would be going to visit Ernesto, who lives at the top of a steep 15 minute climb up a mountainside. Dick was in no way going to let me try the trek with my heart, so I was “confined to quarters” for the afternoon while the rest of the group went out.

Pat

Dave wrote.

After Pat treated me, Dick, Amanda, and Clara to lunch at MacDonalds, we dropped her off at the hotel. Dick wanted to deliver some food to Ernesto and his dad, who live up in the hills about an hour north. Dick said it was only a 15 min. climb, but a little steep. Actually, it was not too bad (I only had to stop twice for a rest). Ernesto lives with his dad in a mud brick home, and has a wheelchair and a walker both of which he uses well. Dad cannot work, as he looks after Ernesto, so the food donation means a lot to them.

The neighborhood kids were very friendly, which Dick says was not the case a few years ago. Back then, they were leery of gringos. Today they kept waving and smiling at us, even when we were getting in the vehicle to leave.

There were a lot of Suv's on this back dirt road, and there were even water trucks spraying down the dust. We thought it was for us, but apparently the President was making a visit to a village up the way. That would also explain all the helicoptors flying around.

As Dick said on the way home, it was good to get Ernesto and his dad some food - it was worth the climb.

..................................
Back at the hotel, Pat had invited Dora (a teacher from Silsa's school) to bring her 18 yr. old daughter,who is autistic, to meet her. What a sweetheart! She showed us pics of her school while we had dinner together. You could sure tell she is well looked after by her mom, whose husband has left, and has also battled breast cancer. Dora is also taking classes on Saturdays to complete her teaching licence - quite a lady. She also travels 1 hour each way to the school where she teaches for 5 hours a day!

After meeting people like Dora, and the ladies and Maximo (who received the water filters), it was a good day to thank God.

Thank you Lord, for people like we met today.
Dave

Now more from Pat.

This evening, shortly before dinner, a teacher from Suculque (near Silsa’s home) brought her eighteen year old daughter to meet me. The young woman is mentally challenged and has some nervous mannerisms, but has wonderful social skills and a loving heart. Her mother, a breast cancer survivor, is very worried about what will become of Gleidy when she dies or can no longer care for her. She wanted to talk to me about what options I might know of.

Though Dora does not earn very much teaching and is the sole support of Gleidy, and her other son, age 16 who is also in school, she has found a private school for Gleidy to go to in the afternoons. This is a financial burden for her, however, and we would like to help her with this if at all possible. About $40 a month would go a long we towards easing Dora’s burden, If you or your small groups would like to help with this, please email me for more information at guatemelagrandma@gmail.com. This would be a huge blessing to this family.

Pat

Friday, February 17, 2012

Notice how Pat and Dave are not letting me get a word in edge wise. Oh well some day i will get a chance to journal again. Just kidding, I am very grateful to both of them. Now if I could only find some one to do all of thepictures for me I would really have it made.

Dick

Dave's turn Again

Pastor Orlando met Dick, Pat, and me at the hotel and then drove us to the home of Miriam, the mom of 8 children who has a tumor pushing her right eye out. After Dick had mentioned her in his journal a couple days ago, people who want to help out with the cost of the surgery started contacting him, so we went there to tell her the good news. While there Pat called a neurosurgeon in Guatemala City who Dick and Pat know, and set up an appointment on February 29. Dick told her that many people were praying for Miriam, and these prayers were answered today. We prayed for Miriam and her family, and thanked God for opening doors for her surgery. We do not know what the exact costs will be yet but this doctor is one of the best and we felt that it would be best to use him since it is such a delicate surgery, and he has always been very good to us price wise in the past.

We then drove to San Francisco Alto to deliver 2 wheelchairs to Miquel and Wilmer, 2 teenage boys who have M.D. Erica,s mom had identified these boys to us a few weeks ago. Dick was worried about one of the chairs fitting the boys, but after a few adjustments , and changing a few parts, (and Pat's prayers), the chair fit pretty good.

We could see mom and dad really loved and cared for their boys , and asked Dick and Pat if they could give them any kind of therapy or massages.

Dick made a couple of calls to physiotherapists he knows, and then showed mom and dad some gentle stretches they could do with the boys.

We prayed with the family, and as Dick and Pat said , it was a great way to end this week in Huehue.

Thank you Dick and Pat for inviting me to join you this week.

Thank you Lord for an awesome week.
Dave

Thank you Pat and Dave, not only for doing nearly all of the journaling but also for putting up with me. I also want to thank the Bethel Ministries gang and the group from Washington State that was with us up in Huehuetenango during the first part of our 8 day stay. Tonight Pat, Dave and I are in Xela and tomorrow we plan on heading for home. It has been a great trip and we have really seen God's hand in all of it. I will be glad to get back to Chimaltenango thought as I really miss my kids. Believe it or not I think that they even missed me. Today my phone kept ringing of the hook with kids that wanted to know when I would be back at home. I think that they miss me. Then again it could be that they missed not being able to get on the computer while I was gone. Either way I will be glad to see them.

Goodnight,

Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:46:00 +0000

On Wednesday February 8 Chris and I each took a van to the airport to pick up 15 people from Washington State. I was quite excited to see this group because many were old friends and former class mates. We got back to Chimaltenango quite late and I had other plans for Thursday so I did not see much of them the first few days but I had plans to be with them from Friday through Monday.

Friday, February 10, 2012.

This morning we all met at Camperos for breakfast and then John, Arlis, Pat and Myself headed out towards Huehuetenango. The other 13 people from Washington State plus Chris and about 5 others from the Bethel crew headed out a few hours later after loading up trucks and vans with food and clothing that would be given away to needy families, close to 100 wheelchairs and enough material to build 2 houses.

The 4 of us left early to get out of the work of having to load all of these supplies into the trucks and vans. :>) Actually the reason that we left earlier than the rest of the group was so that we could stop and visit several families on our way to Huehuetenango.

Our first stop was at the home of Erica and her family. Erica is the girl that has a serious skin disease that leaves much of her skin looking like that of an alligator. There is no cure for her condition but thanks to John and Arlis her condition is much improved due to the medicine that they have been providing for several years now. It was a real treat for the 2 of them to once again be able to spend time with Eric and her family.

Christopher lives not to far from Erica so while we were in the neighborhood John and I hiked up to his house to see how he was doing. Last time that I was there he said that he was having some problems with his power wheelchair. It seems though that the what ever problem he was having seemed to have cleared up on their own because now that I had the time and tools to fix it he claimed that there was no longer a problem. Christopher himself is also doing much better. For a while there he was having seizures at least every other day.

Next we drove to a village where 2 brothers lived that Pat, Dave and I had met a little over a month ago. Both have muscular dystrophy and neither of them have much hand use or any use of their legs and both need wheelchairs. They have both been invited to the wheelchiar distribution that we have planned for Sunday but that will be up in Huehuetenango and that is close to 2 hours from where they live. Erica's family had originally introduced us to this family and when we were there earlier today they told us that the boy's parents said that there was no way that they could get them to the wheelchair distribution. Today's visit was to tell them that we would bring the wheelchairs to them and fit them in about a week when we are on our way back from Huehuetenango.

Shortly after getting back on the road that leads to Huehuetenango we met up with the vans so everyone arrived at the hotel at about the same time.

The members of the teem are going to break into 3 groups this week. Several of them are planning on journaling so I am going to publish some of the things that they write.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Our group, Virgi, Kathy, Cindy, Pat, Tres, Arlis, Dick, Randi and John went to distribute food and clothing to six different families today. Again, the highways and roads were like roller coasters. There were many speed bumps called “tumulos” or “dead policemen,” as some people call them, as we were entering towns. Most often the sign, “tumulos” to warn you, did not exist so there was much jarring to the tail bone.

I will list in order the people we visited:

First, Tony. Tony lives way up on the top of a mountain in a village called Suculque. Tony has hydrocephalus and cannot walk. He lays on a low bed that has wheels all day. He is thirty years old and needs a wheelchair. He was so appreciative of Dick and Pat for all their help. He loves the Lord and his mom, and he tells her so. We prayed for him and his mother because life is hard for them. Virgi gave out little cars to all the boys, as well as Tony. Arlis passed out candy to all the kids.

Silsa will be 15 next week, and Dick and Pat are invited to the party and will bring the cake. Silsa was having seizures that would last 12 hours. She developed a demonic depression and was not able to walk so was given a wheelchair. Pastors came to pray with the family many times, and today she can walk using only one crutch. She looked very happy and is able to do schoolwork at home. We were invited inside and on the wall was a saying which I believe said, “Jesus is the best.” God is working here.

Freddie was next. He has seizures. He is ten years old, but looks like he is four. Mom was very worried about him because last night he had another seizure. Dick asked her when she last gave him his medicine and she said that it was about two weeks ago. She said she used the money to buy disposable diapers because he doesn’t like the rough cloth ones. So Dick and Pat are going to deliver a supply of medicine to her to give Freddie regularly.

Lionel. On the way to Leonel’s house, John pointed out to us a cell tower that looks like a tree. It truly looks like a very tall tree, and looks like its surroundings. What a great idea! Lionel was our next stop. He has cerebral palsy. He was not at home because he lives in the orphanage in Antigua. We went to his family to deliver shoes and clothing as well as food and hygiene kits that Stephanie Van Beck made for her brother Jeff and father Loren to take along. We were invited inside the house that John and others had built for them a few years back. Actually, it was an addition to the old house. Inside the house there were two beds, so the kids must mostly sleep on the floor or else all in one bed.

The Medicine Lady. She had a grandson that Dick used to visit but has now passed away. He died at 13 years old. Dick and Pat brought her a bag of food. We all stayed by the car as it was up a steep hill and also Dick didn’t know how receptive she would be to a bunch of gringos.

Jose. Jose has a congenital bone disease and he cannot use his legs to walk. He is a spunky and bright 18 year old boy and likes to fix his own wheelchair. He even rigged his electric wheelchair with lights. His electric wheelchair was not working, so Dick fixed it. Thank the Lord for Dick, who seems to be able to fix anything. Jose lives up one a hill, but he can get up and down the path and roll all the way to school every day. When is electric wheelchair was broken, his brothers helped push him up the hill, which was not a small task. Now that his electric chair is fixed, he can do it alone.

Jose has a very supportive and happy family. When we just at the house his little 2 ½ year old brother or cousin was hauling a black shoe shine box. The box was almost as big as he was! John was sitting on a bench and he promptly went about shining John’s shoes. John gave him 1 quetzal. I think he earned about 3 quetzales plus lots of kisses from all of us. We were given coffee with cookies and flowers while Dick repaired the power wheelchair. We really bonded with this wonderful family.

Pat was most helpful in interpreting our English into Spanish all day.

This has been a very full day and I feel very blessed that I could experience just a little bit of what it’s like to live here in Guatemala.

Tres

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Wheelchair Day

What an enjoyable day! A person wonders how they can make a difference in their lives, when you’re so small and insignificant.

But from the time you pull into the parking lot, you are treated like royalty.

After you’re all set up and the speeches are finished, you start seating people in wheelchairs. The reaction you get from the people after you have fitted them in a chair is priceless. The smiles you bring to their faces, the hugs you receive, the tears rolling down their faces. Only then can you realize that it doesn’t take much to make a huge difference in their lives. We have truly helped share their burden.

Written by, ????

What really made this a special day was the fact that nearly 2 dozen people that came for wheelchairs came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Dick

Monday, February, 13, 2012
Today our team once again split into 3 groups. Dick, Pat, and a local Pastor, Orlando, went with Ralph, Jeff, Don, Pete, DL and Gordon to visit 6 local homes in Huehue. They distributed food bags and some clothing. In any language you can see people’s attitudes about their lot in life.

The first lady we visited was very unhappy, and very vocal about it. We met families later that had life way worse that were more pleasant and appreciative.

Pat and I actually liked the first lady. She was a bit of a chatterbox but understandably so since she lived all alone and seldom had anyone to talk to. In spite of a few complaints she did say that she was thankful to God for what little she did have. Pat and I figure that if we drop in and visit her more often perhaps she will run out of things to talk about so that the conversation will not be as one sided. If not I can always pull the batteries out of my hearing aids. That way they make good ear plugs. Pat can vouch for that. Dick

Although we originally came out to visit the lady in this picture who is holding the baby, we could not help but feel sorry for the lady that is standing between the children . She has a tumor behind her eye that will soon push her eye out of it's socket. See can not afford the $900 to have it removed so she will likely die before long. Dick

It was a food distribution, but 2 of the people Dick and Pat are going to follow up with because they need medical care. After lunch a smaller crew delivered Freddy’s medication so he wouldn’t get seizures. Only 11 switchbacks, and in a 2 wheel drive van.

The other two teams built houses. One team consisted of Ben, Saul, Jorge, Kathy, Virgi, Cindy and Loren. They said it went well.The team I (Randi) worked with today was Chris, Juan, Dan, John, Arlis, Tres and me. I must say this is the most useful I’ve felt so far. We built a house for a lady--we called her LaLa-- and her children. She was a widow and she and her oldest son purchased a plot of land where we built the house. It was hard work but very fun and fulfilling. She was there most of the day to help us with our projects. When school got out and her children came home, they were very excited—mostly about their new beds—two sets of triple bunks. Pretty soon the neighbor kids were all over to see the new place and then later on some neighbor ladies. Arlis had brought along some bracelets and candies to give out to all the kids and that was a big hit. When the building was done, we all gathered in the new house to pray—our team, LaLa and her kids, and a lot of the neighbors. Pastor Juan started the prayer and then everyone started to pray at once. I couldn’t understand the words they spoke but I could feel the power of God in the room. I feel blessed by the day I had and got to experience. God is good! And to see LaLa and her family and friends were so thankful for what we had done was also a blessing,

Randi

Pat, David, who just joined us today, and myself will be staying in Huehuetinango for a few more days but tomorrow the Bethel crew and the teem from Washington State will be heading back to Chimaltenango and then bright and early Wednesday morning the Washington group will be heading back to the USA.

Thanks teem! I am sure that the Guatemalan people that you came to serve are grateful to you, but some how I feel that you are equally as grateful to the Guatemalan people and to God for what you are taking back home with you. I am not talking about the souvenirs that you bought in the markets that will likely end up in the attic if not the garbage. I am talking about the friendships that you have made and the lessons that God has taught you while you were here. I trust that God has shown you a lot in the week that you were here, and I pray that this trip helps to strengthen your walk with Him.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:51:00 +0000

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

This one is being written by Pat. The following took place over a week ago, but with Pat's help and the help of some friends that are here from Washington State. I may actually get caught up on my journaling this week. Who knows I may even find the time to write one of my own.

Dick

We had been promising Rony’s sisters that we would take them out to celebrate their good grades since school ended last October. Today, we finally made good on our promise. It was a bit difficult, since their brother, Herlindo, didn’t earn the reward and would not be able to go with us. Leaving him behind would be hard, especially for Dick, but we’re hoping it will be the incentive he needs to work harder. He’s a bright kid, who would rather sleep in school than work. . .and we have to get him going again!

We stopped on the way to visit the Marvin’s family, and take them to buy school supplies. (Marvin is a shy little guy who we had given a wheelchair to a few months back. At that time the family had been living in not more than a shack. Now the house they lived in was even worse.) Yesterday, as Dick had driven by their house, their mother had flagged him down, asking if he could help pay for the books and materials her three boys needed to go to school. We had picked up some materials on our way down this morning, but there were still a few things needed, and Carlos, the older boy, also had a list of more things that he needed for school. He directed us to the local “liberia” or bookstore, which was in a home which also doubled as a beauty parlor. Carlos managed the purchases like a pro, coming to Dick periodically, to check if the price of something was okay. It was as if he couldn’t believe he was really willing to buy the things that his family needed for school.

When we returned to the house, Momma and the boys were so excited and grateful for the help. Mom said the boys needed new uniforms, but Dick suggested that maybe the family could get them since we had help with the rest of what was needed. We will be back in a few weeks, though, to check that the boys have what they need. There is a working father in this family, though we have been told by neighbors that he drinks up most of what he earns. We don’t want the boys to not have what they need for school, but we also want to challenge papa to step up to his responsibilities. We’ll see when we return.

We headed on to Rony’s home and visited with the family a short time before we left with the girls to go to Pollo Campero in Santa Lucia. The girls were so excited, and quickly changed into their best clothes—their school uniforms—to go out to eat. All of them did, except Jessica who is not in school this year. She is staying home to watch the two youngest boys while Momma goes to town and sell lemons. We had tried our hardest to keep her in school, and it hurts to see her losing an opportunity to continue her education, but this really is a family decision. We continue to pray, though, that she will return next year. I was so proud, and frankly amazed, that while we were eating lunch she started to tell me about how each day, she works with the little ones on “school,” teaching them to count and write their name! She has said for years she’d like to be a teacher. . .and she is teaching where she can. I was proud of her, though it was hard to find enough words to tell her just how much so.

It was great fun watching the four girls, along with Mariana, who had come along with us from Antigua, run and play and just enjoy life. This is a rare treat for all of them, and I had forgotten how much fun it was to spend time with just girls. Most of the time I’m with Dick and the boys, and their outings have a different spirit than today’s excursion. I can’t remember when I’ve heard so much screaming and giggling! And I’m proud, too, of Dick, who managed to handle all the estrogen in is car with grace and perseverance. He enjoyed, too, driving in a way to make the girls scream in delight.

On our way back to Antigua, we stopped to see Angela and her family. Dick had driven the family home from Hermano Pedro yesterday, after the car of their driver had been stolen outside the hospital. They had come to town with 8 people, most of them little children, and Angela, who cannot walk. It would have been difficult for then to travel home on the bus, so Dick willingly made the four hour plus round trip just to take them home, even though he would be driving the same route again today. They were more than grateful, and even more so today when we brought some backpacks and school supplies for the children, and a new wheelchair for Angela. We love to visit this family, and once again today, they greeted us to Cokes to show their gratitude. What a great way to end our day.

Dick dropped Mariana and me off in Antigua on his way back to Chimal. After supper at Mari’s, Kara joined Mariana and me for another girls’ movie night. We were all tired, but content with the experiences of the day.

Pat

Thanks Pat.

Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:37:00 +0000

David wrote this one.

Dick had called me yesterday and said that Steven's chair which we had just delivered a few days ago was not charging properly, and that he had also found a reclining chair for Lucia, the little girl in San Pablo. So off to lake we go. We are joined by Nancy from Oregon, who comes to Guatemala every January ,and Joanne Mackay, Buffalo, who has lived here off and on for many years - even during the war.

On the way to the lake, we decide to stop at Jessica's near Patulul, to see how her brothers and sisters are doing at school. Mom is off selling bananas, and only Blanca, Danny, Jessica and Angel are home. Blanca Danny and Angel now go to 1st year Basico in the afternoons, and all are enjoying school very much. This is the family where we had stopped last week, and after talking to mom]and the kids Dick made a phone call to Bethel ministries and it was decided that Bethel would put them in school. They are trusting God for sponsors. Praise God. This will be hard for mom but she really wants her kids to have an education. The older kids will go to school in the afternoon and the younger ones in the morning so mom will at least have some help looking after Jessica.

While we were there Angel entertained us with his walking wheels home made toy, and also got Nancy and me fresh cacao beans to try. Nancy and Jo enjoy this visit very much, as this home is a little bit off the beaten path, let alone main road.

Next we head to Steven's home in Chukmuk. He was at school, but his power chair was at home, so we check it out. The batteries test okay, and we determine it is a loose connection problem. Dick decides to test drive the chair, so off to Steven's school he goes. We follow behind in Dick's Land Cruiser, trying to keep up. We follow his tracks on the dirt road, which are kind of like those made by a drunken sailor. Dick later said that it is because of the loose sand.

The ladies meet Steven and some of his teachers at his school, and get to see the beautiful wheelchair ramp there. After our visit at the school mom and sister Antonia, walk Steven's manual chair back home, where we meet them to give them some Kids Against Hunger dried food packets. I also get to play with the neighborhood kids again, much to their and my delight.
Next we drive to Alex's home in Santiago, to check on his power chair. It is not charging good either. Dick leaves Stephen a different charger, and says that we will stop off manana to check on it.

We then drive to San Pedro where we spend the night. It is here that the ladies teach Dick and me how to take out 100 Q split a Q123 dinner bill 3 ways and end up with 50 Q change. Something about one being on left, and one on the right, but I will let the ladies explain that one.

Next Morning

After brekky (Canadian word for Breakfast I think. Dick) {Then again it may mean using the bathroom. Dick} at our favorite place ( Lole's), we deliver the new chair to Lucia in San Pablo. We have heard there is a festival happening, and you cannot drive on the streets, so I call Pastor Efraim to check. He tells us no problem, it is only happening at night, he can take us to Lucia's home.

Dick fits Lucia into her new chair, and we all help in making side head rests from 2 towels and socks. My job was buying the socks and towels from a vendor in the street. I thought I did pretty good, especially on the 2nd pair of socks for Q5. Nancy then reminded me she had given me Q25, and where was her change! Rats, almost made Q20! Lucia seems very happy once seated and fitted in her chair, and after Dick shows mom and Lucia's uncle how to properly seat Lucia.

We then drive to San Juan to visit Albert at the Centro Maya school. Nancy and Jo are very impressed, and even get to witness a wheelchair race between Manuel and Domingo. The school is now teaching deaf and mute kids a well a the others.

We drive back to Alex,s place in Santiago, down near the lake, and find his batteries okay, so we exchange one charger. I get to watch the vehicle while the others help Alex with a computer problem, and I am not even bugged once by a street vendor!

We then drive back to Antigua, and before calling it a day Dick and I stop at Hermano Pedro to see Ervin, who has just returned from home. We had received word he had lost weight, and was pretty up set. Dick and I got him out of his crib, and talked to him, and held him. Hopefully tomorrow, we can visit him some more. Dick says Ervin's home life isn't too good.

I think Dick and I have visited the lake about 3 weeks in a row, now.

Hope God sends us again next week!
Thanks, Dick , Nancy, and Jo for the good time.
Thank you, Lord.

Dave

Thank you Dave. Dave's journal was actually written over a week and a half ago but up until today I had not taken the time to translate it from Canadian into English. Pat did a bit of traveling with me this past week so I am procrastinating in posting a new journal for a few more days. If she does not take this as a hint and write something soon I may have to take a stab at writing something on my own again but after writing about the experience that I had in getting my drivers licenses last week I think that my credibility in telling the truth has has plummeted. I only wish that story were not true. Oh! I do admit to doctoring up and improving some of the pictures of myself that I posted last week.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:24:00 +0000

A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way To Insanity

For those of you who think that some of my journal entries have been too serious lately, I think that this one will make up for it. I did not think that it was all that funny at the time but after looking back on it I decided that it would be best to laugh about it, so I will do that as soon as I stop crying. I apologize for not posting more of my own pictures in this journal entry but I left my camera at home. (Had I taken it with me I would have gladly loaned it to the photographer at the driving school.)

Last Week Dave wrote about my little episode with the police stopping me and wanting to take my expired drivers license away from me. Fortunately Calin came to the rescue by telling t the police that as well as getting old I was also getting forgetful and had forgotten that January 8 had been my birthday and that my License had expired. (Thanks Calin, I think.) Anyway the police allowed me to keep my old license making it much easier for me to obtain a new one, or so I thought.

Bright and early Monday morning Ben brought me in to the drivers license department to get my license renewed. I did not want to drive because the new president is trying to crack down on things and the police and army are stopping cars at random check points between here and the city. I think that they are looking for people that are driving on expired licenses. I wonder who would be foolish enough to do that? I figured that if we got there early we could get back home on time to do other things. I figured wrong.

I have always had a truck driving endorsement on my Washington State drivers license but the law here requires that you have a Guatemalan Drivers license at least 4 years before getting that endorsement. I was told that the test was quite easy so I figured that since I had driven truck most of my life I would take the test and add it to my Guatemalan license. Little did I know just how easy the test would be. Ben had to park his car several blocks away from the drivers license department and as we walked to their office we were approached by several people asking us if we needed any help. Ben asked one them if they knew where we had to go to take the truck driving test and one young man quickly offered to guide us to the government building where we could do that. Once we entered the building he motioned for us to follow him out of a side door and into another building that looked like it was anything but an official government building. We were directed into a room where 2 young men were sitting at a table playing video games on a computer. After finishing their game one of them got up and directed us into another room and asked me to stand in front of the cleanest part of a dirty wall. He then took out his cell phone and took my picture with the camera that was on it. We then followed him back to the room that had the computer so that he and his friend could continue playing video games. About 10 minutes later the young man that we first met came into the room with some paper work in his hand. He told me that the drivers test would be 900 Q (A little over $100)

We then followed him back out of this building and into the Government building that gives the drivers tests. We went directed to the lady who gives the eye exams and she asked me to read the smallest line of letters that I could see. I am not sure weather or not she was even listening to me when I read them but she smiled at me and told me that my eyes were excellent. She then looked at the paper work that the young man had given her and told me that I had gotten an 84 on both the written part of the test that I had never taken and the driving test that I had never taken. I didn't ask but I have a feeling that another $10 could have gotten me a 100% on both tests. I was then given a receipt for 700 Q. Where did the other 200 Q go? Perhaps to buy a real camera but more than likely for more video games. I know that this all seems a bit dishonest but this is the same procedure that people go through to get their regular licenses and it is my understanding that this is the only way that you can get your license in Guatemala. Was this all there was to it. I only wish that it was.

Now that I had my drivers test out of the way all that was left was the easy part, simply renewing the license. I had all of the necessary paper work. My depei, (Guatemalan ID) my Expired Guatemalan drivers license, the test results from the test that they told me that I had just taken and last but not least, more money.

Last time I got a drivers license here I had a problem getting into the building because the Person that filled out the paper work for the test that I never took forgot to write on the test results of the test that I did not take that I did not speak Spanish. Today however the Lady that gave me the eye test made sure that they were notified that I did not speak Spanish, she even told us to tell them that the person that did not give me the test that I scored 84% on, spoke English. (If this is getting a bit confusing to you? You should be the one writing it, or the one trying to understand it in a foreign language. Let me not fail to mention that my hearing aid batteries were going dead.)

Once we were inside of this building we walked up to the friendliest looking of the 3 people that were sitting behind a table and I gave her my paper work. She scanned over my paper work and congratulated me on the good grade that I got on the truck driving test that I never took. (I thought about asking her if I could get some money back if I was willing to accept a lower passing grade but I held my tong. After looking over the rest of the paper work she told me that most of the paper work looked good but said that I had one small problem. She held up my depei (Guatemalan ID) and pointed to my name. "Your name on the depei is not the same as it is on all of your other paper work." she exclaimed. I looked at it and then some of my other papers the depei read 'Dick C...... Rutgers' all of my other papers read 'Dick C...... Rutgers.' "It all looks the same to me," I said. "No it is different." "What is different about it?" "The name is Different." "No it isn't." "Yes it is!" "No it isn't!!" "Yes............!!! This highly intelligent conversation was getting us nowhere. Finally she was able to explain to us that my name was wrong on my depei because my middle name Cordell (There now the whole world knows the name that I have been trying to keep a secret for 65 years is Cordell) was printed on the wrong line. Evidently this mysteriously made it my last name instead of my middle name and I was not allowed to have 2 last names. Thus the depei that took me over a year to get was no good. I will not go into a lot more detail except to tell you that the next 6 hours were spend standing in line, sitting in line, and driving half way across Guatemala City attempting to get my things straightened out so that I would not have to wait a year or better while they attempted to get me a new depei so that I could get a drivers license. Half way across town I finally got written permission to get my License but have only started the process of getting a new depei. Is this where the story ends? No!

When Ben and I finally got back to the license department more men approached us asking if we needed any help. We both said "NO!" One of the people that we had seen on the other side of town had promised us that he would phone ahead and tell them that we were coming and had assured us that I would have no further problems getting my drivers license. He evidently had some clout because we were treated like royalty. We were escorted to the front of the line and soon our paper work was being taken care of. My old expired license was cut into small pieces and handed back to me. (I guess their garbage can was full.) I was then directed to a room where my picture was once again taken, this time not by a cell phone. I was soon handed a brand new license and then directed back to the window where I had originally started. The lady there told me that the license that I had just received was not endorsed for trucks but only for cars so she took it from me and cut it up and gave it to me. Now my pocket was nearly as full of garbage as their garbage can was. Oh well at least it felt good to have a legal license for a few minutes. A little more paper work and I was once again in line to get my photo taken. The man taking the picture looked at me a little oddly so I told him that this time I was applying for a 5 year license instead of a 5 minute one.

It has been a long day but I am once again legal to drive in Guatemala. Oh I failed to mention that my Washington State Drivers License also expired on January 8. I guess I will worry about that the next time I go back to the States. Meanwhile I have to work on getting a new depei. Oh well the last one only took 14 months to get.

Funny thing I didn't get much accomplished today but I feel strangely tired. I hope that I can sleep well tonight, because the last few nights I have been having this reoccurring dream that my doctor calls me and tells me that I am so old that they have canceled my blood type.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick Cordell
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,..,, Rutgers

...........Not: ...... ..Dick
........................Cordell Rutgers

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:04:00 +0000

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The first few days of my week were actually spent near home here in Chimaltenango. Pat's landlords, her sort of adoptive family, invited me over to their home for a (one week after my birthday) birthday party, after church on Sunday.

" Why are we dressed in Black? "

I first felt honored that there were so few candles on my birthday cake but later discovered that they were afraid of burning the house down if they put the proper number of candles on the cake.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Most of my day was spent at the orphanage loving on the kids. Most of the kids are still at their homes for Christmas holidays but in a week or 2 all 240+ residents should be back. Most of the kids that are there during the holidays have no family or family that never bothers to visit them, so they welcome any attention that they can get. Today Pat, and I showed 2 groups from World Race around the orphanage and introduced them to the kids. It only took a few minutes before they were holding and loving on the kids. What an awesome group!

Unfortunately they already had other plans for lunch but Dave, Pat and I took 3 of the kids out to Camperos.

Gloria has not been doing well at all. She does a lot of choking and spends much of her time crying. That is why the highlight of my day and I am quite sure Pat's day, was when Pat got her to smile.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

This morning Pat, Dave and I headed for the big city. All 3 of us had at least 1 reason or another to go to the immigration office. Not our favorite thing to do but misery loves company. Besides that I am the only one who has a car. It is more than 3 weeks after Christmas and this Guatemalan government building still has it's Nativity display up. It has been quite a few years since I have been in the USA for Christmas but it is my understanding that nativity display's are not allowed to stay up in government buildings 3 weeks after Christmas. The World Race teem is sharing Jesus in several of the Guatemalan public schools this week. Perhaps they can ask one of the students if they know if that is true. (Yes that was meant to be a little sarcastic, but it does leave one wondering who should be sending missionaries where.)

We got back from the City just in time to go to the opening ceremonies of the School that Cesar and Fernando are attending. Most of my kids started school this week. Calin and Miguel are the only one not going yet but they will start next week and now I will once again have to wait in line to use my computer.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Written by Dave,

(Dave has once again offered to do the Journaling while we are on the road. That may be part of the reason that I stretched this 1 day trip into 3 days.)

Dick received a couple of calls about Nery and Stephen's Power wheelchairs not working properly, so off to the lake we are headed. Albert from the school in San Juan also called, and needs a chair for a young girl.

Dick and Calin spend most of the morning getting things ready in Chimal. ( batteries, chargers, etc.), so I meet them at Hope Haven to pick up a chair for the girl in San Juan. While waiting for them to arrive, I get a chance to work on my espanol with Gustavo and the other guys working there. What a good bunch of workers.

It is almost noon by the time we leave, and we arrive at Nery's about 3 p.m. He is at school, so dad takes us to grandpa's home where they are keeping the chair because it is closer to Nery's school. Dad says when the chair was new, it would run for 2 days on a single charge, but now lasts just 1.5 hrs. Dick has brought a couple of other batteries, so we change the older one. Dad calls us later after charging the chair, and having Nery use it up and down the hill outside his home. Dad says the chair is working much better, so hopefully we have the problem fixed. It is quite a trip for Nery to get to school, so it is a blessing to get his chair working again.

Our next stop is at Stephen's in Chukmuk.

Stephen 2 years ago.

Stephen 2 years later

Stephen's muscular dystrophy
is taking it's tole.

Both Stephen and Nery depend on their chairs to get to school, and both of them have some pretty tough routes to take to and from school. Stephen's present chair does not handle the rough roads well and it is also having charging problems. We may have to buy new batteries tomorrow for a different power chair we have brought for Stephen as it requires a different size than the ones that we have with us. While at Stephen's home, we have a lot of fun with the neighborhood kids. The kids in this village used to be quite shy but most of them have gotten over that.

We then drive to San Pedro, only to find our favorite hotel full, so we are staying next door at the Casa Lola - a triple for Q150. ($20) The manager there graciously allows us to charge a chair and a battery overnight, after Calin rides back and forth on the main street to see how fast the batteries drain. Calin says he did not meet any novias (girlfriends), but knowing Calin I kinda doubt that.

While we are unloading our stuff, the manager notices 2 walkers we are bringing to Albert, and tells Calin his wife could use a walker, as she has a hard time walking now. Dick gives him one, and he is very thankful. Dick tells him it is not from us, but from Jesus. He is a very nice man, and it is a blessing to help him.

I take Calin and Dick to a restaurant up a back alley behind our hotel, and they start to wonder where I am taking them. We finally find the Clover restaurant, and it is well worth it. Chicken rolls with rice and fresh steamed veggies for Q39.

Off to San Juan manana to look for some proper sized batteries and deliver a chair to the girl in Albert and Ruth's school.

Can't wait to see what else God has in store for us.

Blessings, Dave

Thursday, January19 , 2012Today we hope to get Steven's chair working properly, and to deliver a Hope Haven chair to Lucia, a little girl who lives in San Pablo and attends Albert and Ruth's school in San Juan.

We spend most of the morning searching for batteries in San Pedro, as Dick is concerned about the ones we have brought. We jump in a tuk-tuk and the driver takes us to 2 or 3 places to look for batteries. We find some, but they are very expensive, so we return to our hotel and check on the ones we have been charging. They seem to be charging okay so we leave them on the charger while we head off to San Juan to deliver the Hope Haven chair to Lucia. At Albert's school we measure and fit Lucia to the new chair, and then take her, her mom, and Albert to their home in San Pablo to look at her old chair that is there. We find a Muholand chair, which Dick says is much to small for Lucia, so we take it and promise to bring Lucia another chair for home, as it will be very difficult to transport a chair back and forth to school everyday.

Albert takes us out for lunch in San Juan, and then to his home, and we then return to San Pedro to check on the batteries we have left charging. Low and behold, they are charged up fully, so Calin graciously offers to drive the chair back and forth on the main drag. I suspect he is just looking for girls, but he says no. He does surprise one necklace dealer by stopping and getting out of his chair to buy a necklace! Calin does this again later, as Dick wants to make sure the batteries are holding up. This time Calin, the ladies man, meets 2 girls and their adopted puppy at our hotel. Oh, Calin!

On our way to dinner last night I happened to stumble on a speed bump, and Calin and Dick rib me pretty good. On our way to the same place tonight, Dick stumbles on the same bump! I do not think that is the proper way to pray - but it worked!

(Actually I deliberately stumbled just to make my not so graceful and not so grateful friend feel better. Dick )

Sorry, Lord.
Dave

Friday, January 20, 2012

We head back to ChukMuk after delivering some food packages to Albert, and arrive at Steven's home.

After fitting Steven to his new chair, Dick suggests we walk with him to his school to check it out. It is perhaps .5 mile to his school, all dirt, with perhaps 100 yards of flat road. The chair seems to work well, and when we arrive at the school, we find a new wheelchair ramp all ready for Steven! What a blessing.

We have an entourage of a half a dozen kids there and back, 3 of which are cousins of Steven's, plus his 24 year old sister, Antonia, whom we can see loves and cares for him very much. This walk is the best part of the trip for me - Thanks Dick for suggesting it.
On our drive back to Chimaltenango, the police stop us along the way ( just a random check ). They find Dick's Drivers license expired on his birthday on Jan. 8th, and they want to keep his license. Dick pleads with them not to, as it will be much easier to renew with the old one. After Calin talks with the officers, they do return Dick's license. Later on Dick calls me to tell me what Calin had told them. Apparently he told them Dick had just turned 65, and his memory was failing and that was why he didn't renew his license! With my Spanish, I thought he had told them, Dick was Santa Claus, and was overly tired from Christmas. ( Come on, Dick, you know how many kids were calling you Father Noel! )

(If only Dave's Spanish were a little better he would realize how many people have asked me if he was my father. Dick)

Thanks for the great trip, Dick and Calin.
p.s. I believe Calin is scheduled for a dunking the next time we are near water - for his muchos “REALLY” after every sentence. Lo siento, Calin.

Blessings,
Dave

Thanks Dave.

In my next journal I will attempt to describe Dave's driving after I let him drive the rest of the way home but right now I still get far too nervous just thinking about it.

Now I know why Dave's favorite quote is "When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not panicky and screaming, like the passengers in his car."

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:03:00 +0000

Thursday, January 12, 2012

For the past several days Bethel Ministries has had a group of men from the USA here building some homes for needy families here in Guatemala. This morning they took a break from house building and I had the privilege of joining them in a wheelchiar distribution that we had here in Chimaltenango. This was a first time experience for most of the men that were here from the USA but they were eager to share God's love and caught on quickly and within a few hours close to 50 people were properly fitted into their new wheelchairs.

As exciting as this was what was even more exciting is that several of these people accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

Friday, January 13, 2012

Written by Dave:

Dick has invited me to go along with him, Cesar,and Elder to deliver a motorized wheelchair to 11 year old Juan in Santiago Atitlan. (I will keep inviting him along with us long as Dave keeps offering to do the journals when he goes along with me, even if he is hard to understand since all he speaks is Canadian. Dick) He is the boy we met a couple of weeks ago whose legs are bent underneath him, and whose parents say they will build a ramp up a slope to get to the street.

On our way there, we visit Jessica, a little girl Dick met a distribution a year and a half ago. She had come for a chair, but as soon as Dick saw her, he left the distribution and brought her to the malnutrition ward of Hermano Pedro. She was severely thin. Today she looks very good, and has is now back with her family and is being well looked after by them. She has 2 sisters, Blanca and Enma, and 3 brothers, Danny, Angle and Hector. Enma and Hector are in primary school and had already registered for school which is scheduled to start in a few days. Danny , Angle and Blanca wish to go to Basico ( gr.7,8,9), but mom cannot afford to send them. Dad passed away about a year before Dick met them, and Mom's (Virginia's) only income is from selling the few Bananas that she is able to find growing near her home. She says it would be hard for her with the older ones in school, but says she could manage and it would be worth it if her kids could get an education. After figuring out costs, Dick called Chris to see what he thought about them sponsoring these kids even though they did not have someone to sponsor them. I was praying as Dick called Chris, as this family really touched my heart. Chris told Dick that just yesterday he had found five kids that needed sponsors and he said yes to them Trusting that God would supply a sponsor. Chris then said to go ahead and that they would just have to have faith that a sponsor would be found.

Hector, Jessica,s youngest brother, is a real fireball, who actually RAN up trees, and swung like a monkey! He was a hoot. Dick was telling me about when they built this family a home, and how he made 10 or 11 trips = back and forth for cement, sand, and water, etc. It is quite the 4x4 drive, even crossing the river where Dick says they got their water from. Dick says he had been debating whether to make the trip up here today, but now realizes it is ANOTHER Godincidence. Had he postponed the trip until next week it is unlikely that the 3 oldest children could have been registered for school.

Due to a full hotel in Santiago we end up in San Pedro La Laguna, and manana will travel back to Santiago, to deliver Juan,s power chair.Every time I travel with Dick, he manages to take me up a road, which I think is the worst I have been on, and on the next trip, he shows me one worse!

(Dave ain't seen nothing yet. I am trying to break him in slowly. I can't wait until he goes with me to a village near Huehuetenango where we climb from 3 700 feet above sea level to 8200 feet on a dirt road that would make most mountain goats tremble. Dick)

Thanks, Dick and Cesar and Elder, tambien
And thank you, Lord.
Dave

Saturday, January, 14, 2012

After spending the night at my favorite hotel in San Pedro, Dick and I take Cesar and Elder on a boat ride to San Marcos, as both have never been on a boat before. It was quite wavy, and both boys enjoyed getting splashed, sitting at the front of the boat. On the way back, we sat at the back near the driver,and this turned out to be a wetter ride than the first trip. Elder's shirt was completely soaked,and Cesar was not far behind. This was a better ride than at an amusement park, and only Q10!

We then drove to Santiago and met Argentina, who took us to little Juan's home to deliver his electric chair. Dick was a little worried about him using his controller with his hand, but after some adjustments, Juan totally had control, and loved it! He was going back and forth, doing 360's, and laughed when he banged into the dresser a couple of times. To see the smile on his face was indescribable. Mom and dad also were pretty happy, and had even carried the chair down a fairly steep set of stairs, which I believe they will do every day for Juan to go to school. Cesar did a great job interpreting, and Elder helped make the adjustments, and took pictures.

Just as we were leaving Argentina received a call from Steven's mom in ChukMuk about his batteries heating up and not lasting long. Stephen and his older brother Sebastian both suffer from muscular dystrophy and without their power wheelchairs they can not go to school, or even leave their home. SOMEHOW Dick had brought along 2 extra batteries, so we stopped at the school where he was to check his chair. We replaced his batteries, and hopefully after a full charge, his chair will be okay.

We opt to return home via Escintla, with a stop at Saritas restaurant, maybe swaying our vote a little. We even got a police escort for about one mile, after they stopped us and asked if they could follow us hoping to lure out some bandidos that had been robing cars on that stretch of road. Dick said we might as well tell them yes and have them behind us rather than run into the bandits without the police with us. Fortunately no bandits showed up. We figured that the flashing lights on one of the 3 police pick-ups that followed us might have scared them away.

As I told Dick after giving Juan his chair, "I will have to stop coming along on these road trips, if all we can do is change one little boy's life and make him laugh and smile."

Just another cruddy day in Guatemala!
Thank you, Lord

Dave

Here is why both Dave and I had tears in our eyes when we left Juan's home. Weather it is a 50 wheelchair day or a 1 wheelchair day it is still exciting to be able to share the love of Jesus with those that God puts in our path.

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:40

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:13:00 +0000

" And a little child will lead them."

Isaiah 11:6

(Click on any picture to enlarge)................

Last week instead of writing my own journal I stole some of what Pat and Daryl wrote. This week I did not steal anything that is written below. True it was not written by me but it was not stolen. It was given to me by my good friend David Black, no strings attached. Thanks Dave! Oh by the way it looks like I will have room in my car to take you back home from Huehuetenango after all.

Your good friend: Dick

Dave wrote the following.
Dick asked me to join him, Pat Duff, Cailin, and Cesar to go and visit Ronnie's family near La Democracia. Mom had called Dick and told him 2 or 3 of her daughters did not want to return to school in January abut wanted to stay home and help mom. Dick and Pat found this a little hard to believe, and wanted to talk to mom and the girls.

On the way there, we stopped at Carlos home. This teen is in a wheelchair, and has 2 or 3 seizures a day. His mom had to quit her job to stay home and look after him. He is receiving some meds. but needs another 2 or 3 pills a day to help control his seizures. Dick and Pat are going to look for these meds. in Antigua, and also Guatemala City tomorrow (where they are much cheaper). While we were there, Dick also measured Carlos for a bigger chair, as he has out-grown the one he has now.

Off to Ronnie's home we drove. I know Dick and Pat were not looking forward to this visit, but thanks to God, He gave them both patience And perseverance.
When Pat first asked the girls if they still wanted to go to school, she received what seemed like mom's answer. Mom said she needed the girls at home to look after the baby, while she sold lemons in Santa Lucia. When Pat asked one the girls if she still wanted to be a teacher, she did not say anything, but her eyes lit up! Later some of the girls privately indicated to Pat that they really do want to continue their schooling. Dick and Pat both stressed that if the girls did not go to school, they would lose more by not having a sponsor and not going to school than mom makes by selling lemons. After about an hour, Dick told mom to talk and pray with her husband about this, and get back to Dick next week. Please pray for mom and dad to make the right decision. I believe the girls need an education to have any chance of a better life.
As we were leaving, Calin reminded Dick to stop at Angelica's, just around the corner from Ronnie's place. This older lady had broke her femur a few years ago, and after a botched up surgery at the national hospital she later had surgery at Hermano Pedro. Unfortunately about a year later one the screws holding a plate came out, and was actually sticking out of her leg. This became infected but fortunately she got back to Antigua, and had it repaired. After visiting Ronnie's mom, (this visit was so much more enjoyable). The 3 girls here were in school, and wished to still go, and had their parents blessing. Dick and Pat hope to get them some backpacks filled with school supplies. I know Dick and Pat had not looked forward to this trip, but with God's grace, they both were granted wisdom and discernment. Thanks also to Cailin and Cesar for translating, their driving not so much, especially LEADFOOT Cesar !

(I can't understand it, because I am the one who taught Cesar how to drive. Dick)

Thank you Lord. Dave

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Dick invited me to come along with him, Pat, Calin, Esbin, Mario, and his daughter Maryann to visit a little boy, Julio (about 4 years Old) who lives near Champerico near the coast. Julio is a distant cousin of Maryann's, whom Mario believes is mal-nourished.

Mari, Pat's landlady, graciously gave Pat and I a ride to Dick's place in Chimaltenango where we loaded up Dick's Landcruiser. We managed to squeeze Esbin in the back, bur we could not see or hear him thru all the luggage.
Maryann, who is 10 years old, is a lovely girl who speaks perfect English, taught to her by her dad, whom she adores. Pat wants to bring her to her place in Antigua for a girly weekend to bake cookies and hang out.

After breakfast at Camperos we head off to the coast. After a couple of pit stops we pick up Doris, a social worker in Retalhuleu, who wishes to meet Julio and his family. When we arrive at Julio's home, he is asleep in a hammock. Dick really did not want to wake him, but had to in order to check him out. Between Dick, Pat and Doris, they determined he really was not too mal-nourished, but after talking to his mom (who is 17 years old), and grandma, it was discovered that Julio had a bad fever when very young, (possibly meningitis). His bone growth looks good though, and he even chewed a piece of liquorice. Dick had brought along a small wheelchair on a hunch, and Cailin, Esbin and I went about adjusting it while Dick and the others taught the family how to use a Sawyer water filter that we had brought along for them. Mom also walked Pat to the river for a nice chat. She really does care for her boy, and takes him every week to Fundabiem in Rehul, for therapy.

Julio sure took to his chair, and with the vitamins we left with the family he will hopefully gain some weight. Pat wants to work on ways to get him to communicate since he does not talk. Leaving Mario and Maryann to stay with their relatives, we head to Champerico for a dinner of fresh shrimp on the beach (Pat had to teach the boys how to say beach properly). What a beautiful sunset with a nice breeze off the ocean, which kept salty air blowing on Dick. Most of the salt was provided by Esbin who was pouring salt on his cucumber upwind from Dick.

As Dick told me, "What a great one chair day", with a really nice family.

Thank you, Lord, for days like these. Dave

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Today we are headed from Champerico to Huehuetenango to visit Erica and Christopher. Erica lives near San Francisco el Alto, and has a skin disease which requires salves and lotions daily, as there is no cure. She has a very supportive family, and a older brother who teaches her and her cousin Christopher, who lives nearby. Erica's father told us about 2 boys who live close by, and need wheelchairs. After delivering about 50 lbs. of meds for Erica (graciously donated from a sponsor in the states).

Dick and Carlin hike up the hill to visit Christopher. He went to camp this year, but since returning home, now has a urine infection and is now having at least one seizure a day. Dick and Pat are going to see if they can get him to a doctor. The mom of the 2 boys has hiked up the hill from her home and we drive her and Erica's brother, William, back to her home to visit the 2 boys - Wilmer and Miguel, aged 11 and 13. Dick says they both have M.D., but dad and mom do not know this, and ask if they can ever walk again. Dad asks Pat if they as parents can do more, and Pat tells him they are doing as much as they can do to help their kids. They take them to Fundabiem, where they have received the use of 2 wheelchairs. Dick checks out the chairs, and determines they could use 2 better wheelchairs. After a quick call to Bethel in Chimaltenango we find out there is to be a wheelchair distribution in Huehue (close by) on Feb. 11 (Another Godincidence). We measure the boys for chairs and head off to Huehue for the night.

Thank you Dick and Pat for showing God's love every day I am with you.

An extra thank you to Pat for trying to teach Carlin and Esbin proper English, although Dick's Spanglish seems to have gotten them by!

Hasta manana, Dave

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Today we are going to visit 3 of Maria Garcia's grandchildren (who my wife and I sponsor), check on Rolando and possibly visit Lionel's family. All these families live about 1 hr. north of Huehuetenango, up some pretty rugged 4x4 only roads.

We stop at Rolando's home to find he has gone with his dad somewhere. We had intended to talk to him about his schooling but discover that the wife of the teacher that was going to come to his home to teach him had just been murdered.

We arrive at Maria Garcia's home, where I get to meet Brenner and Monica, 2 of our sponsored kids. Brenner is 9 years old, and will be going into Grade 4. Monica is 9 years old and will be going into Grade 3. It sure is nice to meet them and their families face to face. Their grandmother Maria Garcia has done a lot of work in these parts for Bethel Ministries, and is a wonderful woman.

Next we head off to Lionel's home to visit with his family. Maria's daughter Aura and 2 of Maria's grandchildren join us. Very little Spanish is spoken by any of the members of Lionel's family so Aura came along to translate from Mam to Spanish.

Dick and my wife brought Lionel into Hermano Pedro a couple of years ago, when he was almost 11 and weighed 14 lbs. He did well at first but now is on a feeding tube, and was not able to go home for Christmas. Dick showed the family pictures of him smiling and actually chewing food at Darryl and Wanda's where we had taken him for Christmas dinner. I am sure I could see a twinkle in mom and dad's eyes.

Next we visited Wendy, the third grandchild of Maria Garcia that my wife and I sponsor. Wendy lives up a trail from the main road. Once there, we called my wife in Canada on Skype, and we all chatted on video. Here we were in the middle of the Guatemalan highlands seeing and talking to my wife in Canada. Oh, and she had also just walked in the door at home. Amazing!

We next stopped at Juana's, an older lady who has a teenage boy in a wheelchair. Here we found out he had been sexually attacked last September 29, A neighbor found him and brought him home. His mom asked us if we had a pill for fear. We said we did not have such a pill, but we would pray for him. Dick, myself, Carlin, and Esbin prayed for him. We also left some packaged food and vitamins. That was a tough visit.

Dick,, Pat, and Carlin went and visited Rudy down the hill from here, while Esbin and I repaired this boy's wheelchair. Rudy just had a new artificial leg put on, and is doing quite well.

We then dropped Aura (Maria Garcia,s daughter, who had come along to translate Spanish into Mam, the local Mayan dialect), and the 2 little boys, Luis and Tony off at their home, where Pat gave them some knitted hats and vitamins.

The boys sure liked the hats, and we sure enjoyed little Luis driving on Dick,s lap, as I did not even use the "Oh my goodness handles!"

In our devotions tonight ,we read from James 4:13-17. We had planned today (actually the whole trip) To visit certain people, and God keeps putting others in our path, like that young teen today.

“ If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James 4:15

Thank you Lord. Dave

Friday, January 6, 2012

Today we are going to visit Silsa, a young girl Dick and Pat met a couple of years ago. We are going to visit her because her mom just happened (Godincident) to call Pat yesterday while we are here in Huehue. Mmmm…

Silsa was a normal, walking girl a few years ago, and then suddenly lost use of her legs. Dick got her into Hermano Pedro, where they could not find anything wrong. Apparently, a witch doctor had put a curse on her, but through lots of people praying for her, she is now walking again. Today she was using crutches, but was moving like she really did not need them. Praise God!

Just as we are leaving her home to go and set up a teacher for her, God puts another person in our path at the end of their driveway (Another Godincident). A neighbor has brought her daughter to meet us. She is 11 years old who lost her vision 2 years ago. Dick and Pat are going to see if they can get her into Hermano Pedro to see an eye doctor. Dick drives them up the hill to their home and finds out mom and grandma are both believers.
After a Q55 lunch of pop and snacks for all 5 of us, we drive to Jose's home up the hill from Colotenango. Jose is 17. Dick met him and his brother on the street one day several years ago. Jose lives about 2 or 3 miles from his school up a hill. His brother used to push him back and forth to school by hand before he received a motorized wheelchair. He also has to go up the last 100 ft. on a dirt path to his home. Jose is a very sharp boy, especially mechanically, and is always working on his own chair - even adding some taillights! Today Dick has brought him a new wheelchair as the 1 good chair he has and the parts chalr that he has are both not working. I can see why from the trips he makes each day. What a nice family - no mom, but dad, sisters, and a very helpful uncle. We almost lost Pat to a new born baby, and the 2 year old nephew keeps bringing Pat flowers after flower! (This kid really makes me look bad. Dick)

Dick and one of his helpers adjust Jose's new chair speed-wise, and he is quite happy with the faster speed.

Continuing with James 4 it looks like tomorrow we will visiting some more people near here, and not returning to Chimaltenango as "WE Had Planned."

“ If the Lord wills…..”

Blessings,
Dave

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Today we visited Esmeralda, a 12 year old girl who has limited use of her hands and legs, who lives near San Juan Atitan. Pat loves this girl and is bringing her a computer to help her learn. Both Dick and Pat think she may be able to use her hands with some exercises, and use the keyboard. For now Dick has rigged up a pointer on a head band which she seems to like to use. Her brother Henry looks like he will help her a lot, also. A local pastor visits her weekly to teach her. Another very supportive family.

It takes some time to set up the computer, and the MacGiver headband, and it is past noon by the time we leave.

On our way back to Huehue, we stop at Suculque, to find a man that the waiter at our hotel told us about. We find his home, and his family is bringing him towards us on a home wagon. Bartalito is lying on this wagon, smiling. He is 40 years old and is Hydrocephalic. Dick tells the family he can bring a higher and foldable flat chair, as he can not use a regular chair.

Pat starts taking pictures and the whole family joins in, especially the little girls. Pat hugs mom when we leave, and she starts sobbing. Pat consoles her and tells her she can tell the whole family loves and cares for Bartalito. What a sweet, loving family.

On our way to visit Amanda in Huehue, Dick asks me if I like these house calls. I tell him they are okay, but a little hard on the heart. As a song says: "Break my heart for what breaks yours, Jesus." Seeing these children sure tugs on my heart.

We stop on the way home so Calin and Esbin can get a picture of a mule, tied up beside the road. Dick and I question the boys why pictures with mules, and not with girls. Dick also is going to get his brakes checked, as we kept rolling away from Cailin and Esbin when they stopped for a washroom break.

On our way into Huehue, we picked up Amanda, a lady who has identified wheelchair needs in the past.

She takes us to Vida Aqua, a feeding center, where we meet Claudia (who had just emailed Pat last night about when she was coming to visit !). Claudia has a feeding program, and also has families come and get water from their Sawyer water filter - much to Dick,s agreement, as this proves which families would really use one themselves.

Claudia asks us if we could see 3 people tomorrow who need wheelchairs, so it looks like we are going to spend Dick's birthday in Huehue. I will let Dick tell his age!

Oh, and at dinner tonight, we meet a young boy in a wheelchair who needs a larger one, so his mom fills out a form, so they can exchange this one at a distribution here in February.

Thanks Lord, for another day in Guatemala.
Dave

Sunday, January 8, 2011

Today we are meeting Clara, Amanda, and Maximo at the Aqua Viva office to go and visit some children there and older persons who they think need wheelchairs. Clara who runs Aqua Viva has organized this just since yesterday. We head out at 8 a.m. Maximo is a local man who Clara has connected with for his local knowledge of the people and their needs.

At our first stop, we find a 84 year old man, taken in by a family because he has no relatives to look after him. He has no use of his legs after being hit by a motorcycle. Dick measures him for a chair, and hopefully he can receive one at the next distribution here, if possible.

We then visit a 80 year old grandma lying in bed who can also use a wheelchair to get around.

Now we head out of Huehue and up into the hills to a village called Canabaj. Here we find a 2 year old boy, Ramiro, with C.P. Dick talks to dad that anything is possible with kids like these, even walking and talking. This brings a smile to dad's face, (and also to Dick), and behold while Dick was talking, Cailin has befriended Ramiro, and even is helping him to walk! Dick measures him for a chair, and will bring a walker also.

Next we meet Josefa next, a 87 year old grandma who could use a chair and possibly a walker.

At our last stop, we find Evilio, a 91 year old man, who is still pretty sharp. Dick asks him what his secret to such good shape is, and he raises his arms, as if lifting weights. Dick interprets this as Evilio going to the gym every day! He has difficulty walking and could use a chair.

At this last home about a dozen neighborhood kids show up, and are pretty shy until we send Pat to them. By the time we leave, they are laughing, and taking pictures with us. They never had a chance once Pat, the Guatemalan grandma, went after them. According to Amanda, there have been gringos here before, but never much interaction with the locals, especially the kids. As Dick says afterwards, "We did not seat a lot of people today, but I think we have shone a little of Jesus light to the people we met."

Dick is finding more and more of these types of visits fulfilling. Not necessarily giving out anything, but just talking and visiting with the people.
After today, I would agree with him.

We had intended on going home on Friday, but God has kept us here a couple of extra days.

Thank you, Lord.
Dave

Thank you Dave for doing all of this week's journaling. I also want to thank Pat, Calin, Esbin, and those that were with us earlier this week. All of you helped to make this a great week and today a great 65th birthday. I guess getting older isn't all that bad after all.

We actually think that we will head for home tomorrow (Monday). After all we have only been in Huehuetenango 3 days longer then expected. The night is still young though and even though Dave and the boys are a bit tired Pat and I figured that we would go out and get a bit of exercise. We may have to settle for playing soccer though since the temperature is about 75 and there are no Indoor ice scatting rinks here in Huehuetenango. The video below may take a few minutes to load but Pat and I would really like you to see what we have been doing in our spare time.

Goodnight:
Yours in Christ, Dick

Christmas Guatemala Style

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:02:00 +0000

It is nearly a week after Christmas and I have not had the opportunity to write anything about what went on Christmas eve or Christmas day. Fortunately I have a few friends who do not complain (at least not in front of me) when I steal something from their journals. At least I had the courtesy not to steel everything that they wrote. If you would like to read Pat or Daryl's complete journals just click on their names.

Dick

Pat wrote,

When church was over, we made a quick stop at my house to pick up tamales, ponche (a Christmas punch loaded with pieces of fruit), and cookies and headed up to Dick’s house in Chimaltenango to meet a bunch of his kids who had had to work late.

With Esbin’s help, Dick played Santa. (Maybe now that Christmas is over, he’ll cut his hair and trim his beard?)

( Pat already had a hard enough time recognizing me. This was the first time that she ever saw me in something besides blue jeans. I couldn't believe that those old bell bottoms that I kept from my high school days still fit me.)

Dick

Dave Black, a friend from Canada, joined us for the evening (though I think he came mostly hoping to get some chocolate peanut clusters!)

About ten o’clock, Dick brought Dave and me back to Antigua where I joined the Hernandez family for their traditional dinner of tamales at midnight. (And to think that I used to groan about having to attend an eleven o’clock Christmas Eve service at home. Of course, no snow makes traveling much easier here!)

Pat

Now on to what Daryl wrote about Christmas day.

At around 9:30 am, Dick Rutgers, Pat Duff and Dave Black showed up with four of the kids from Hermano Pedro. Dick had checked out Louis Andres, Julio, Carlitos and Leonel to spend the day with us. This was, by far, the high point of our Christmas! To see these kids celebrate Christmas in a real home and receive presents along with a home cooked meal made our entire move to Guatemala worthwhile. Several times I found myself overwhelmed with emotion as I looked around our home and saw the smiles on the kids faces.

We opened presents and enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Wanda. Somehow we were able to move the furniture in our living room and put two large tables together and fit everyone around them. Everyone enjoyed the food. Brittney was even able to get Leonel, who will not eat and is on a feeding tube, to eat six good bites of cheddar mashed potatoes.

The afternoon was spent playing and, all too soon, it was time to take the kids back to HP. Once again, I was overcome with emotions. This time it was because I looked around and realized how many more children there were who spent the day in the wards. I have a dream of seeing more and more families who live here and work in HP open their homes to the children and adults who reside there for Christmas each year. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some day every ward was empty and the nurses could take the day off?

Daryl

"Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies."

Hebrews 13:1-3

Thank you Pat and Daryl you made this week's journaling rather easy for me. Now if only I convince the 2 of you to use Mac. computers so that you could do the fancy pictures for me.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:20:00 +0000

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:40

My good friend David Black is once again back in Guatemala for a few months so this week he has joined Fernando, Bryan and me for a 3 day road trip. Actually we planned on staying away for only 2 days but no one was ready go get back home so we are staying an extra night.

David promised that If I kept my eyes on the road instead of doing my journaling while I was driving that he would journal for me. Dave has always been a bit of a sissy whenever he rode with me.

Dick

On the road again with Dick

Written by David Black (Photos by Dick)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Back in Guate again, and who should call and ask if I was up for a road trip to check on some boys with motorized chairs living around Lake Atitlan - my good friend Dick. (I had to check his new ride,also )

Pastor Efraim in San Pablo had mentioned to me about a boy needing a wheelchair there, so we decided to make a 2 day trip out of it. After taking a chicken bus from Antigua ( I forgot how much fun they can be ), I met Dick, Fernando, and Brian, at Pollo Camperos in Chimal., and off we went.

Dick said we might as well check on 2 or 3 boys on the way to Santiago, so our 1st stop was at Nari's His chair was working well, so off we went.

Our next stop was to visit Stephen, who lives in the new village of Chukmuk, which was built to replace Panabaj ( destroyed by a mudslide during Hurricane Stan). Stephen,s chair was apparently dying. Dick checked the batteries and charger, and determined the family was not charging the chair long enough.

Our next stop was at the home of Stephen,s brother, Sebastian. Both have muscular dystrophy. His chair would work okay until he went up steeper hills, where it would quit for half an hour, then re-start. His teacher was worried for his safety, so she did not wish him to come to school and have an accident. Understandably so. After checking his batteries,we found some loose connections, and screws, which after tightening, seemed to fix the problem. Sebastian talks very well, and speaks English pretty good too.We had met Sebastian at a school on the edge of Santiago, where Argetina,s daughter Andreas taught.

Andreas then led us to Argentina,s for a late lunch of soup and tortillas. What a nice lady.

Andreas then took us to see Juan, an 11 yr. old who needs a motorized wheel chair. What a sweet, smart boy. Dick believes he is similar to Nari, and Manuel (who lives in San Juan), and wonders if chemicals sprayed on plants or something in the lake water could be causing their handicaps. Dick assessed Juan, and believes he will have no problem operating a motorized chair. His family will have to build a ramp though, for him to get up the hill from his house (no small feat). This is also where Dick did his Santa Claus impersonation for the local street kids - who loved it!

Lastly, we visited Alex, down near the lake, in Santiago, whose chair was working okay. When we came back to the Landcruiser, low and behold, there was Dick,s old Landcuiser, parked across the road, still looking pretty good. Dick called Norm and Vicki who bought his old one, and informed them they owed him Q500 to pay the parking attendant (Actually it was only only Q10 we just wanted to give Norm a good scare). We hope to see them manana, as they will be following us around the lake.

Meeting those boys, driving around the lake, and hanging around Dick and his boys, sure has a way of humbling oneself.

As I have said before, thanks for another crappy day in Guate, Dick. I am pretty sure, God put you here for a reason.

David

Thurs., December 22, 2011

After breakfast in San Pedro, we decide to go and see Pastor Efraim in San Pablo, as Norm and Vicki ( The couple who bought Dick’s old Land cruiser ) are on their way there. Efraim introduces us to 4 children who have lost both their parents to Aids, and are living apart with both grandparents. They have a piece of land and would like to build a home there, and live together with the children, as one family. We told them we could not promise anything, but will pray that someone can help them build a home.

A little girl, Lucia, whom Efraim had wanted us to measure for a wheelchair, is actually at the school in San Juan where we are headed. Just as we are heading out, Norm and Vicki roll into town with their 2 children, Ryan and Heather. We have a nice chat with them on a downtown San Pablo street corner. They work at an orphanage north of Quiche, and are taking Ryan and Heather on a bit of a vacation around Guatemala.

Off to San Juan we go to see Albert and his wife at their school for handicapped kids. They also provide physical and speech therapy, and are doing wonderful work there. This was another God incidence, as when we arrived there, Manuel was there with a none-charging wheelchair. Manuel depends on his chair for day-to-day living, and after some troubleshooting; Dick finds a burnt-off wire near one of the fuses near the batteries. Fortunately, a quick fix. After lunch, Albert graciously gives Dick a computer (for Dick’s boys at his home). The Dutch embassy gave Albert 5 or 6 computers, as they replace them every 5 years. Another wonderful couple doing great work here.

We decide to return to Santiago, and spend the night at the Hotel Tiosh Abaj near the lake which has a swimming pool. It costs a little more, but is well worth it to throw Fernando and Brian into the pool!

Returning from dinner, we stop at a tienda to buy some aqua pura, and a little girl reaches up and touches Dick's hairy arm. Dick thinks she said: I touched Santa!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Returning to Chimaltenango we stop at Dr. Will’s near San Lucas Toliman as Dick wants to show him some pictures of a young girl possibly needing surgery. Dr Will is actually in Chimal when we arrive, so his wife, Diane, gives us a tour of their place. It is a beautiful place on a hill overlooking Lago Atitlan. They run a Christian primary grade school, and also a shelter for single moms and their children. Another amazing couple.

We drop the boys off in Chimal, and Dick graciously drives me to Antigua, where we stop at Pat’s home to visit. Pat has been baking all week, so Dick and I offer to sample her baking. After 2 or 3 of her peanut cluster things, she puts the lid on them and we get some white chocolate ball things. All I can say is : Keep up the good work, Pat!

I head off to my room, while Dick walks with Pat to the bodegona to go SHOPPING!

THANK YOU Dick, Fernando, and Brian, for a great 3 days.

What a Christmas present!
Dave

Thanks David,
Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

I survived a week on the road with 3 teen agers.

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:43:00 +0000

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Last week Cesar, Kevin, Miguel and I went up to Plya Grande to see some of our students, their families and our teacher. I meant to write about the trip as soon as I got back home but after spending 7 days on the road with 3 teen age boys I needed another 7 days just to rest up from the trip. Not only did we visit a half dozen of our sponsored kids and their teacher who live about 14 hours from Chimaltenango but we also stopped off and visited several people along the way.

One of our first stops was at an orphanage in Guatemala City where a number of kids that come to camp live. My boys had made friends with several of these kids last month at camp and they asked if we could stop by and visit them. Our visit was a rather short one but a good one.

"Don't worry it is only a wig."

Our first night was spend in Cobon after nearly ad day of riding in the car with Cesar, Kevin and Miguel I was ready for a rest. Fact is I made sure that my motel room was several doors down from theirs. Don't take me wrong I love these kids like they are my own but haven't you ever needed some time away from your kids? Especially if you have one like Miguel. Miguel works 8 to 10 hours a day and goes to school at nights so he has little time to let lose and have fun. I think that in the past 7 days he has done his best at trying to make up for time that he lost at just being a fun loving crazy kid. He has spent 95% of this trip being totally crazy. Fact is he has been so bizarre at times that it has almost driven me crazy. Why do I put up with it becasuse Miguel is one of the most sensitive God fearing boys that I have ever had the privilege of meeting and when he really needs to be serious he can be. I am still praying that we can get 10 % serious and only 90% crazy out of him the next time that he comes along with me, but I will invite him again in a hart beet.

Only near the end of the trip did I discover that on the nights that I did not have devotions and prayer with the boys Miguel did. On our second day out when we stopped off to replace a broken wheelchair at the home of an extremely poor family, Who do you think offered to pray for the family?

Fact is I am very proud of all 3 of these boys. One evening when they met some tourists from Israel that claimed to be atheists all 3 of my boys let them know how they felt about their Lord and Savior. Each and every day they demonstrated the love of Christ to those that we came in contact with. Was I tired after the trip? You bet I was! Would I do it again. You bet! Fact is I am writing this from a hotel room in San Pedro. We are here repairing a few broken power wheelchairs and checking on a boy that is in need of one. This time I only have 2 of my boys with me but those of you that know what Fernando and Bryan can be like when they are together know that one day with them can feel like 2 weeks with Miguel.

Oh well,

I guess I

can't expect them

to be as mature as me.

Here is an update on the kids that we visited up above Plia Grandi

Flipe, Mayra, Mario, Miceala and Onias are all doing great.

12 year old Felipe is a happy boy who loves the schooling that he receives from our teacher Blanca who comes to his home several times a week to school him.. He walks with some difficulty and talks only a little. His mother told me that there is no way that he would be accepted at the public school.

12 year old Mario can say only a few words and walks only with the use of a walker or crutches. He does well with his schooling. Like all of the other kids Blanca teaches him at his home as well.

Miceala and her siblings are very shy around strangers, but she took hold of my hand and smiled when I arrived. It took her a while to warm up to her teacher but now they are the best of friends. Miceala's mother seems to be taking a lot more interest in Miceala. This is a real answer to prayer as a few years ago only her Grandmother cared for her. I looked at some of her school work and she is doing very well.

Some of Miceala's brothers and sisters in the doorway of their home.

8 year old Mayra is the apple of her father's eye. Mom is a bit quieter when we are there but seems to love her daughter as well. Although Mayra does not talk much she is very bright. At times she rater play than study but Mayra's parents promised that they will keep the other children away when she is studying. We are working on getting her into Hermano Pedro to be fitted for some braces and then we will give her a walker.

Onias who is now 20 has decided that he no longer wishes to continue his normal schooling with Blanca, but his mother is going to continue to work with him at home.

The long hair is not his.
(That wig really gets around)

This was my first opportunity to meet Blanca, our teacher in person. She seems to have a real love for the kids and they and their parents have nothing but good things to say about her.

While we were visiting with Filipe we were approached by Maria's mother. Eight year old Maria who Maria has downs syndrome has never been schooled. Mom would love to have her daughter schooled and Blanca would very much like to work with her. We are praying for a sponsor so that we can get her schooled.

Wow! God answered that prayer really fast. We now have a sponsor for 8 year old Maria. (We have more kids waiting though)

Well it is getting late so I am going to head off to bed. Wish that I had put the Boys a few more rooms down from me though. I can still hear them even though I turned my hearing aids off.

Goodnight and Merry Christmas,

Yours in Christ: Dick and the kids.

Pat To The Rescue

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Tomorrow should be the last day of a week long road trip that 3 of my boys and I have been on. I planned on journaling about it this evening but then discovered that Pat had written about an outing that a few of us went on a few days before the boys and I headed out to Plya Grandy, so I have decided to procrastinate for a few more days and and post Pat's journal instead. Thanks to Pat I can kick back and enjoy my last night on the road.

Dick

Visiting Families in Tecpan

Written by Pat

I left Antigua early this morning to take the bus up to Chimaltenango where I was meeting Dick, the boys, and Liz, a volunteer down to help with camp. After a quick breakfast at Camperos, we headed to the Bethel shop to pack food bags we would be taking to six families living outside of Tecpan.

This area is one of the most beautiful in Guatemala, and if I were to move to a village area, I think this one would be it. (Dick reminds me, though, the people in this area are still not too fond of us gringos, but I do love the area and the people I know there. The problem for me is, I often forget that I’m a gringo.)

When we arrived, we discovered that Maria Son was not at home, but was a few miles away at her parents. Maria was Bethel’s first contact in this aldea, and this young widow with four children is one of my favorite Guatemalan women. We visited for a while with Maria’s sister, Josefina, and her family, though.

Josefina’s oldest daughter (I think named Gloria) has not been in school the past few years since the family could not afford to send all the children to school. As in many areas, the families choose to educate the boys, sometimes at the expense of an older daughter. This girl is somewhat fearful of returning to school since she is about 14 years old and only in the second grade. She really wants to at least learn to read well though, and we promised to try to find her a sponsor. School in this area is relatively inexpensive, so, if you would like to help sponsor Gloria for $25 a month so she can return to school and learn to read, please email me (Pat) and I’ll give you further information.

Gloria spends hours every day weaving “huipils,” the blouses worn by Mayan women, and often purchased by tourists. She will spend a month working on one blouse, and will learn less than $100 for the finished product. This money goes to help feed her parents and her five brothers and sisters.

We were shortly off up the hill through a corn field, to visit another family in this immediate area. Magdelena lives here with her four children part of the year in a metal house built by Bethel ministries. Her oldest daughter, Rosa, works in Chimaltenango, and when school is in session, they live there so the young children can attend school, and Rosa can work and still care for her mother. Mom is bed-ridden, and we are currently trying to get some medical tests done to see what her problem is. (This is one of the things we do with our medical fund.)

Silvia, Magdelena’s daughter, is blind, and spends her days sitting in the house, basically vegetating. She has a “Presenter,” a hand-crank and solar powered audio Bible, she loves to listen to. She also loves Christian music, and has been wanting a CD player for a long time now. Through Liz’s generosity, Silvia now has one and can listen to music to her heart’s content.

Adelina, the youngest daughter in the family, just graduated from sixth grade and will be beginning “Basico” (jr. high) through the kindness of a sponsor. If you are at all interesting in sponsoring a child like Adelina for the upcoming school year, which begins in January, please email me (Pat) for information.

Adelina carrying a bag of groceries on her head,which I could not lift with both hands. Even Dick’s boys complained about how heavy the bags were, and she carried it without a word.

We set off down the trail to the next family. This family only receives food periodically. There is a father in the family, but they obviously are very poor and need help. Mom and the 19 year old daughter earn money weaving. We’re not quite sure what dad does, if anything, and don’t ask too many questions. Dad does not like “gringos” coming on his property. Unfortunately, we need to pass through their land to get to the next two widows we would be visiting. Today, dad was not at home, and we had a chance to visit with the family before moving on.

Our next stop was Samuel’s family. Samuel’s mom is yet another widow with five children. Not that long ago, Samuel was not in school because he was working in the fields to earn about $10 a week to feed his family. While the younger children were going to school on sponsorships, and even though one was available for Samuel, his mother could not afford to give up this small income for food. Hearing this, his sponsor increased their donation by $40 a month and now Samuel is in school and loving it. An added benefit is that he can still work the fields during vacations and weekends. We didn’t get to see him today, since he was out working, but had a wonderful time visiting with his mother, grandmother and siblings.

Our last stop was at the home of Maria José. She is an extremely frail widow with eight children who live in a two room adobe house. We were invited in today, and were astounded by the poverty in which they live. One room is a kitchen of sorts, with no more than a fire pit and some crude shelves. The other room had a single bed. We asked where the children sleep, and were told on the bumpy dirt floor—without blankets.

This time of year it gets cold at night, and both Dick and I felt our hearts break at the thought of these children sleeping huddled together to keep warm on a floor so uneven I had a hard time walking on it. And this woman has never asked us for anything. She has only recently begun receiving food assistance after her family was discovered almost by accident.

I have a few donated quilts left, and between them and the blankets the camp volunteers graciously left, these children will at least have warm covers this Christmas.

As we were getting ready to leave, Wilmer, one of Maria Son’s sons ran up to us from the field where he had been working, excited that his mother had come home to see us. So once again we were trekking up the steep path for a visit.

When we got there, Maria brought out a children’s huipil she had been saving for me. She’d thought I had a granddaughter and that I might like it for her. Unfortunately, no granddaughters, but the huipil was so beautiful I could not turn it down. It will be a beautiful wall hanging, and I might even get it framed. The only problem was that when I went to pay Maria for it, she only wanted to accept a third of what the weaving was worth. It took a while talking to her about the fact that while I appreciated her friendship, it would not feed her children. Finally she accepted a bit more, but still gave it to me for far less than she could have sold it in the markets.

When it was time to go, the crowd of children and adults following us had grown shockingly. Dick would have to turn the car around to get out from where we had parked, and we were not quite sure how to keep all the kids safe as he did so. I think Dick wanted to strangle me when I suggested he let all the kids ride in the truck as he turned around, but it would keep them out from behind the back wheels. Dick reluctantly agree, and we discovered you could easily (?) fit more than 20 Guatemalan children into a Land Cruiser.

I know I’ve written a lot about this one trip, but this area is very dear to my heart, and each family here has a wonderful story to tell. At times people challenge me as to why I am Guatemala while there is so much need in the US. These stories explain why. . .not just the poverty I see here, but what I don’t find here. I seldom see hopelessness, entitlement, anger, or any of the other things I have been taught are the side-effects of poverty. Each visit I learn more from my friends living here about living life to the full.

These families have a joy that only comes from their firm faith in Jesus, and their strong sense of community. While we took food to six families, there are probably sixty more who are in just as much need who we pass on the way into the aldea. There is no jealousy or resentment shown by those who are also in need. They often tell us of needs of other families in the area, but seldom their own.

They welcome us as long lost friends, and it fills my heart to bursting when children whose names I cannot even remember come running up to my shouting, “Paty, you’ve come back.”

Pat

Thanks Pat.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:41:00 +0000

Chimaltenango Guatemala

Camp # 11

2011

Now that camp is once again history. I may find a little more time to journal. All I can say is that it was a busy 3 weeks, but 180 campers, their companions and all of the Americans, Canadians and Guatemalans that pitched in to make it work will agree that it was well worth it. I think that I could write a novel about all of the exciting things that went on during camp but I know that others have and hopefully some of them will send me some of the things that they wrote about so that can publish them. All I can say is thinks Gang for making this one of the best camps ever.

This year 3 of my boys took an active part at camp and did me proud.

Calin and Cesar helping out during Craft time.

Cesar's time was divided between helping get wheelchairs that needed repair to and from Bethel's wheelchair shop and being a care giver. Calin stayed at camp the entire 3 weeks helping out as a care giver to various campers that came without companions.

Jason spent a lot of time helping out at camp as well.

This year all 3 groups of campers got to spend a day at the beach.

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"I'M too busy doing God's work to help my Neighbor."

Not all of my time was spent at camp. A lot of it was spent bringing volunteers to and from the airport. Fact is 12 trips to and from the airport were made during the 3 weeks of camp. It was during several of these trips that I got to know Octuvio better. In the 11 years that I have been in Guatemala I have seen Octuvio at the airport almost every time that I have gone there to pick up a group of volunteers but I have rarely taken the time to visit with him. This is partly due to the fact that my Spanish is so bad but since I almost always have one of my kids or someone else with me that can interpret that is really not a good excuse. I can't really say that I do not have the time either because more times than not I have to wait an hour or longer for the people that I come to pick up from the airport to arrive, pick up their baggage and clear customs, and those are on the good days. I guess that during the week I see so many people in wheelchairs that are begging that I just sort of zone out when I get to the airport. After all thousands of people walk by Octuivo every day and many of them are Americans that have come to help the widows orphans and beggars of Guatemala so I am sure that since Octuivo is one of the first that they see after getting off their airplanes, he must do quite well begging and selling pencils. Granted his wheelchiar is poor shape but he no doubt has a better one at home. I know a lot of beggars who keep their good wheelchairs hidden away at home. I am sure that someone else will take care of this man's needs. I don't have the time, because I have to get these people back to Chimaltenango so we can do God's work.

During the past few week my boys and I have gotten to know Octuivo a bit better though. After looking at his wheelchair we found that it was in terrible shape. When I asked him if he wanted me to take it back to our wheelchair shop to fix it he was delighted. I asked him if he had another wheelchair and just as I expected he told us that he had another one at home but that it needed work as well. He said that it was alright with him if we took his for a week or 2 though because he really wanted it fixed. When I asked him how he would get around he told me that he would walk on the stubs of his amputated legs. He said that he lived only a little over a half mile away. I did not want to leave him without a wheelchair so I promised to bring him a refurbished one to replace his old one. One week turned out to be 2 weeks because I got busy. Besides that I figured that if the chair that he took to the airport quit working altogether he still had the one at home. After all it couldn't be in as bad of shape as the chair that we planned on fixing.

I finally managed to pick up a wheelchair from our shop on Friday afternoon. Saturday was to be the day that I brought the last group of camp volunteers back to the airport so I figured if I wanted to get this out of the way I better do it then. Octuvio had given me his phone number so I figured that if I called him 20 minutes before I got to the airport he could at least be waiting for me so that I wouldn't have to waist my time waiting around for him. If all went well this should not take long. Octuvio had no legs so we wouldn't have to even bother putting on and adjusting foot rests. As it turned out though Octuvio showed up about 15 minutes late. I managed to hurry things along a bit by having him fill out some needed paperwork on the wheelchair that we were giving him as the boys and I made some minor adjustments. I think that Octuvio realized that I was in a bit of a hurry because he apologized over and over again for being late. He explained to me that he was at home when I called and that he had a long hill to climb that he could not use his wheelchair on and that was why he was late. I had remembered Chris telling me just a few days before when I was asking him for a wheelchair for Octuvio that Octuvio had told him that he lived on the side of a hill but I hadn't thought much about it since most of the area around the airport is flat. Chris had also told me that Octuvio had told him that he was in need of a new house but Chris said that he had never seen the house that he was living in. Once Octuvio got into his new wheelchair he did nothing but give thanks. Not to us but to God. He told us that this chair was an answer to his prayers. Could it be that his other wheelchair was not in all that great of shape? Who knows maybe his house wasn't either. Soon Octuvio, the 6 of my boys and I were in the van heading to where Octuvio and his family lived. We only drove 8 to 10 blocks when Octuvio said, "You better park the van here because I don't think that you will be able to get back up the hill that is just around the corner." I could not see around the corner and since I was in the van and not my Land Cruiser I did as he suggested. I asked one of the boys to get Octuvio's wheelchair out of the van but he told them that it would be easier for him to walk the last quarter of a mile. Even though the hill was paved I was glad that I took Octuvio's advice it was so steep that I doubt that the van could have made it back up the 2 block incline with out spinning out. When we got down to where the road flattened out we made a left turn and then walked another 3 blocks. The narrow street was littered with abandon cars several of which were being dismantled by people whom I would not care to run into in a dark alley. Thankfully it was sunny and high noon. Most of the people seemed to know Octuvio though and most were very courteous to him and to us. I couldn't help but say a quick prayer that Bthel's van would not soon become one of those parts cars though. My kids were a great comfort by reminding me that I was the only Gringo in the bunch and if there was any trouble they would blend right into the crowd. This certainly was not the high rent district but all of the houses were made of cement and most were much larger than the corrugated steel ones that Bethel builds. We finally stopped walking and Octuvio reached into his pocket for some keys. The house we were at didn't look all that great but it was fairly large. It had no windows facing the street but there was a rather large mettle door. Octuvio tried several keys but none of them worked. He knocked but no one came to the door. He told us that his wife and 4 of his 7 children were at home but there was no way that they would be able to here him knocking because they were several hundred feet away. I didn't quite understand, unless this was a really big house. Finally the door was opened but the person that opened it disappeared before I could even see them. Octuvio then explained that this was not his house but going through it was the only way to get to where he lived. After zigzagging through several rooms we found ourselves once again outside and looking down a steep cliff. There about 100 feet below was the roof of what Octuvio told us was his house. The next few minutes were spent slipping and sliding down a steep mountain side to the dilapidated shelter below. Octuvio was in the lead walking on the stumps of his 2 legs.

Once inside the house we felt more like we were in a cave than a home. The walls were a combination of wood, card board and black plastic. A dark tunnel like hallway led past the kitchen area into a larger room where the entire family slept. This room was lit up better then the rest of the house but that was because there were large open places where the tin roof had rusted away. We were soon introduced to Octuvio's wife and 4 of his children. They were all very friendly and made us feel extremely welcome. Octuvio's oldest son has a job but it pays next to nothing and other than that and the money that Octuvio gets from hand outs and selling pencils it is scarcely enough for this family to stay alive on. In spite of that the children looked healthy and the younger ones all attend school. They also seem grateful to God that they have a place where they can live togather as a family and that Octuvio who has had both legs and 3 fingers amputated due to diabetes, is still alive and doing quite well.

After seeing where Octuvio and his family live it is doubtful that a new house can be constructed at this location. Especially considering the steepness of the terrain, the fact that the family says that there is a river running through their house every time that it rains and the dirt floor keeps moving.

<-- Kitchen

Octuvio's second wheelchiar -->
was indeed in his house.

Esbin and Marcos packed the wheelchair up the hill but once we took a closer look at it we realized that there was not a part on it that was worth salvaging

Before leaving my boys and I had prayer with our new friends. I then asked the family if they would consider relocating to a better location if it were possible. They told me that they felt that they had no choice but to stay here since they were still making payments on this piece of property. I can't help but wonder if the previous land owner well be able to collect anything when this land, the house and the family end up in the canyon below.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick

Promotion Day at Hermano Pedro

noreply@blogger.com (Dick) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:55:00 +0000

Chris, Donna, 4 of my boys and I headed over to Hermano Pedro to celebrate the end of another school year for the kids that attend the small school that we have there. Thanks to a wonderful teacher and a generous sponsor 7 of the kids that live in the orphanage are getting a wonderful education. Fact is Nanete, our teacher has helped see to it that 2 of the students that she has taught in previous years now go to to schools in town. Fidel (pictured above) is one of 2 students that have already graduated from our school. Although Fidel has severe CP and no use of his hands he managed to complete 2 grades of school each year and last year he graduated from our school. He now goes out and takes computer classes in Antigua. Even though Fidel has graduated from our school Nanete still spends a lot of tie with him and in his free time you will usually find him in the class room on his computer. Today he ran the overhead projector and the sound equipment for the promotion ceremony.

Fidel also showed us this slide presentation that he made.

Nanete is not only a dedicated teacher but a great advocate and true friend of all of our students.

Here are a few more pictures of the proud students and some of us who are so proud of them.

Congratulations
Gang!

Yours in Christ: Dick

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Congratulations Esbin and Jason!

Since Pat has been borrowing some of my journals. I decided that turnabout is fair play.

Dick

Pat wrote-

This year two of Dick’s boys “graduated” from the equivalent of Jr. High. Esbin graduated from a public school, and was so excited that we were able to come up for the graduation ceremony.

For Esbin, school is quite a challenge, and we’re so proud of him hanging in there and graduating. His determination to stay in school is especially remarkable considering that he has been abandoned by his mother. He was taken in by another family, and shortly after he moved in with them, the father of the family drowned. A few months later, the mother died from an infection on her leg. This “blended” family is being held together by the young adult son and daughter, who have continued to care for Esbin and his brother, as well as their biological siblings.

Jason graduated, with honors, from a private Christian school he has attended. This is remarkable for the young man who, a year ago, was missing and we feared dead. After Dick received a call from a pastor in Guatemala City and convinced him to come home, he began going to the same school as Cesar and Fernando, thanks to the generosity of a sponsor in the U.S. This seems to have made all the difference for him, and he has excelled academically and socially. He truly is a work of God. Jason has become one of my favorites of Dick’s kids, and I was very disappointed to miss his ceremony since I was sick. Dick provided me with photos, however.

Jason receiving his class ring from his parents
as a proud Dick looks on

Both of these young men will be continuing their schooling in January. Jason wants to study tourism, though recently, after working with the Hermano Pedro kids at camp, is considering teaching or nursing.

Dick with Jason and Cesar.

Cesar has one more year before he graduates

but he received an award for his excellent grades.

We are especially proud of these young men, since many stop their studies and go to work at this point. I can’t help but think that this is in large part due to Dick’s influence and his constant interest in their schoolwork. Way to go, Guys!

Pat