Extremely tardy update

1 John 3:17-18 "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."



Hola everyone! I must apologise for not posting an update for so long. As you know, it has been a very difficult year for me. On March 2nd it will be one year since I lost my son Wayne. I do feel like I am finally coming out of the fog and God is helping me restore a normal life.
Thank you for all of your prayers and continued support.

The dry season is here in Guatemala and, although things aren't as green, the sun is shining and the weather is warm. Everyone is enjoying a time of respite before the rains start again in May.

The big news is that Anita, our clinic founder, has had to move back to the U.S. for a period of time. Her husband is working in the States and they found it too hard on their family to be separated for long periods of time. The clinic runs on a higher level when she is here. She is dynamic and the people of the villages love her. But, we ran things without her before and we will do so again. Prayers are appreciated for Anita and her family as well as the running of the clinic in her absence.

Very sad is the story of Maria, (not her real name). Maria is a single mother of three young children. Recently she felt that she couldn't go on and attempted suicide by hanging herself. She was found alive and taken to the hospital. Sadly, it appears that Maria has permanent brain damage from lack of oxygen. Suicide seems to be occuring with some frequency lately. Another woman, Martina, (also not her real name), is now a single mother of young children after her husband died by suicide. Please pray for these families that God meets their needs and also pray that we at the clinic are shown the best way to care for and witness to these families.


Last week two brothers came to our clinic. One brother has severe diabetes. As they were waiting their turns for the doctors our missionary volunteer, Karen, read to the people from the Bible and discussed salvation with them. After asking if anyone wanted us to pray with them, Karen and I had the privilage of leading the brother of the diabetic in a prayer of salvation! How thrilling to be a witness to God's mercy and the making whole of a person. It gives me chills every time!

So, as usual, good things and bad happen here just like in the rest of the world.

Thank you for your prayers, support and understanding.

All God's blessings,
Terri

After tropical storm Agatha

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak" Psalms 41:1

Hola everyone! Well, I'm back in Guatemala and into the swing of things. When I arrived everything was so green. The trees, plants, the walls in my house, food, toilet paper...we have had a very wet rainy season. Rain, rain and more rain. Unfortunatly the country has not recovered from the tropical storm that hit hard. Many people died and many more are homeless. The continued rain is causing the cleanup to be very slow.

I'm getting back into the culture but it's very different than the U.S. At the bank you check your gun with the guard, who has a really large gun himself. The signs in stores of "no smoking", "no guns" always make me look twice. This is the only country where I have seen those signs.

Unfortunately the crime here is escalating. As one of the top poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere people sometimes see crime as the only way out of their desperate lives. As missionaries we try to let them know that there is one solution to their problems, faith in Christ and the body of other Christians who band together to help one another.

The clinic is running fine but we are missing our helper Paco, who died, very much. He ran the AWANA kids club and we have not found a substitute that can impart the message of Jesus to the children like Paco could. Please pray that God will send someone with that gift.


A missionary friend of mine came to visit for 3 days. She is a former missionary to Guatemala and is visiting her Guatemalan families that she continues to support from the U.S. It was a great time of fun and Christian fellowship with a sister in Christ.

Now that I am here in the country full-time I am looking for another ministry to lend my help to. Our clinic, Hands-of-Hope, has 2 full clinic days on Tues. and Thurs. I'm looking for an opportunity to help somewhere else since I have the rest of the week free. I have been contacted by Faith In Practice to possibly be assistant to their surgical coordinator. This is a large organization who brings in short-term medical teams for clinics around the country and surgical teams for needed operations. Please watch the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0o4s8UTAkE to find out more about this wonderful ministry. I will be meeting with them this coming Fri. Please be in prayer that God will show us what His direction is for this possible joining.


Thank you again to all of you who have prayed for me and my family during this season of difficulty. God is good and my faith is stronger than ever.


All God's blessings,
Terri

Yes, I'm still here

Hola to everyone.I apologize for not posting in a long while. Most of you know that this has been a very difficult year for me. My son passed away this last March. I do think, that with the mighty strength of God, I am climbing out of the hole and ready to get back to work!

My daughter will be attending school in Florida this year so I will be driving with her, and her dog, from PA to Ft. Lauderdale, FL on July 31st. In the mean time I am meeting with people and preparing for my full-time move to Guatemala. I will be returning to Guatemala on Aug. 9th.

I now have a wonderful, mission oriented, church who is sponsoring me, Praise the Lord! So private donations will now be sent directly to Hands-of-Hope. The address is on the left side of my page. I am at 70% financing of my need for the next year.

Here is an update from Anita, the founder of our clinic on the disasters affecting Guatemala at this time.



"Well I spent the day going to Palin where out friends Pedro and Estella Pitman live. They are working in a shelter for people whose homes were destroyed or are under mud from the Agatha storm that hit us over the weekend. My electric still goes off and on. Karen Leier (another great Canadian) and her girls and Rachel and I bought soap, bleach (to purify the water and disinfect stuff) toilet paper, diapers, towels, and with donated clothes headed down there today.

Nothing could prepare me for the devastation...half of the highway to Palin was under several feet of mud, rocks, trees, homes...all washed down the mountain.

In Palin the mud was half way up the walls and some homes were up to the roofs in mud and there is no water...the tubes all broke and there is not even water to wash. People were working during the day to dig out their homes and come back to sleep in the shelters. They sleep on anything they can find...cardboard, bits of clothes, etc. The place really smells like a sewer and the heat and dampness is overwhelming. The sadness on the mom's faces was hard. It sure made me feel like I do not have any problems.


The trip from Palin to San Lucas (where I live) normally takes an hour but it took me about 4 1/2 hours because so much of the highway was closed and we had to keep crossing over into the other side of the divided highway. It was very hot and the mud was everywhere. I looked like I was playing in the mud just helping in the shelter.

Rachel and her friends decided to stay there for the night to help Pedro with a kids activity in the shelter. The best news was meeting this Texan online who had a machine that purifies 650 gallons of water in about 3 hours. He is donating it to Pedro and Estella as he was looking to help some ministry that he could trust. God brought us together and it turns out the Texan lives around the corner from me!! The need for safe drinking water is the number one concern.

We are sad for the 160 people that have been confirmed dead so far but excited to see the Guatemalans working together and trying to move on. They are a lot tougher than me.

I just got home and took a shower but am so exhausted. How much worse if I had no shower or home." -Anita

Once Guatemala is up and running again we plan to start building our community center. This building will hold Christian functions, AWANA, VBS, private bible studies and informal church services. We are also hoping to provide baby-sitting services so that the children are not abandoned while their parents are working in the fields. This provides the perfect opportunity to teach the little children about Jesus as well.


Some very sad new is our wonderful worker Paco has died. Paco was a wonderful man of God. If he didn't have a tool in his hand, he had his Bible. Paco lead the AWANA classes for the children. Paco also gave wonderful talks to the men of the villages about drugs, alcohol, being good husbands, all in the Christian context. Many came to know the Lord through Paco. He will be missed terribly. We are positive God will provide someone else to fill in this much needed position.





All God's blessings,

Terri

A Wonderful New Year

Hola Everyone, I hope you are all having a wonderful new year. I want to give you a brief note about my last trip to Guatemala and what is projected for 2010.

Things are going very well for us in general. Our doctor is now giving Bible studies to children in one of the villages we serve. I do believe that the biggest impact of what we are doing, will be with this up and coming generation. Raise them up in the ways of the Lord.

One of our helpers, Paco, (who happens to be the husband of Mimi, our front desk coordinator *see above photo), has been leading a "scout" meeting. He incorporates bible studies and fun ways of learning about God. He is so good at sharing the Gospel that we have decided we may loose him to this ministry instead of fixing up our clinic building. That would be a sacrifice worth making.


Part of the long, anticipated, road from the highway to the clinic has been paved. This has been a huge blessing for us and the villagers. It's so much quicker and easier on the bottom (if you know what I mean :) to travel. However, a dangerous problem has developed. It is now faster and safer for robbers to ride in on a motorcycle, rob the little stores, and get out quick. So, please pray that this will not continue and that no one will be physically hurt.

So many of the people in Guatemala inspire me to work harder, be more, trust God, live life daily, as I see them working and living fullfilling lives. They accomplish this with far less than we are privilaged to have here in the U.S./Canada. Watching them gives me the strength to live by Faith as an action and not a concept.

Now, for 2010, as it stands right now, I am looking forward to moving from the U.S. to Guatemala in July. I am extremely excited about this! I will be making another trip down for 3 weeks on Jan. 25th and will probably make one other short trip between then and July. Please pray for me that things will go smoothly and God will provide the means and way for this to happen.

I pray that each of you will have a wonderful and blessed new year.

All God's blessings,
Terri

Answered Prayers

Hola everyone! What an amazing time in Guatemala! I want to tell you about multiple cases of prayers that were answered.

When I first arrived it was the day before Independence Day. They have a tradition of letting the school kids run down the roads and highways with torches while people on the side of the roads throw water at them. This is a very dangerous practice. The school in our furthest village named Yalu picked the brightest students to ride in the back of a pickup to the highway as part of the celebration. The pickup was packed and the kids were standing up holding onto metal railing. As the teacher turned a corner the metal frame fell off the truck, taking the kids with it. Multiple kids were injured, 2 seriously. One boy and one girl were in a coma. The poor teacher was so upset she fainted.

That evening Anita and Gregory, (founders of the clinic) had a dinner party. After eating, Anita, Karen, (another missionary who works at the clinic ), and I decided to pray for these children. Anita told us of a 12 year old son of missionaries who was also in a coma. He suffers from asthma, had a severe attack, and was transported two hours to a hospital that could handle the situation. He had received no oxygen for 4 minutes prior to getting help. When he arrived at the hospital he was placed on a ventilator but then he developed pneumonia. Things were looking bleak. The three of us prayed long and hard for all of these children.

The next day we learned that the girl in the accident had woken up with no residual problems. The second day we learned that the boy from the accident woke up but would still need some further treatment. Later we learned that the MK with asthma woke up and said "hi mom!". He is now fine. Praise God!

The last day I was there one of the indigenous women who works in the clinic was distraught. Her brother and boss were leaving the village at 3am to sell their truck load of tomatoes in another town. They were kidnapped. The only thing we knew was that someone had seen it happen and that her brother was tied up. At that point they had been missing for 6 hours. The entire clinic team prayed that morning for their safe return (which was unlikely).
Later that day the brother and his boss returned tired, no tomatoes, no money, no truck but safe and alive! Praise God!



Update on the church/community center. We have one more payment to make on the land before we can start building! We are so excited and have many plans to use the building for God's glory.

Along with the blessings come trials. Guatemala is having the driest rainy season in 30 years. Many people are starving because they rely on the fruit of the land for survival. This drought has hurt the area where the clinic is located but we are much better off than other areas.

As many of you know the road from the highway is being paved. This has made life so much easier for the villagers. However, this has also made it much easier for robbers to get in and out of the villages. Armed robberies, in broad daylight, are happening. The robbers are able to escape by motorcycle which would have been impossible before. It's frightening because we see them robbing the tiendas (little stores) when we are arriving to the clinic. I'm pretty sure those rifles are loaded! What's really sad is that these store owners are poor and now they have even less and can do nothing to stop it from happening over and over.

The other day I found myself saying something I never thought I would say, "thank you for letting me borrow your machete." You can imagine the monster weed growing in my back yard that was the cause of me borrowing it!


Update on Ranger(aka Sweetie). Look at the previous posting for the before picture of her. She received all her chemotherapy, her operation, shots, and now is in perfect health. She is happy and very sweet. Will make a great family dog. If any of you are looking to add a very sweet dog to your family she is available for adoption. E-mail me for details on getting her to the US.Oh, her friend needs a home too.














One last funny thing that happened. Anita, Gregory, Karen and I went out to eat. At the cafe the menu had been expanded and they had interpreted it into English. Well, bless their hearts, the interpretation is funny, if not appetizing. On the menu were such things as:
Hamburger with cheaps
Turkey jam sandwich
Chocolate mouse cake

We had great fun, good coffee, and the chocolate mouse was delicious!

All God's blessings,
Terri

Hola everyone! I have just returned from my latest trip to Guatemala and boy are things happening there!

My first night there we had an earthquake of 7.1. It lasted for a long time but everything was fine for us. I heard that a few people died in El Salvador where the epicenter was located.

I had no water the first few days in the condo where I stay. Nothing like roughing it right off the bat. I bummed hot showers off of my friends and they were very generous.

The government has instituted a new law that all motorcycle riders must legally wear issued numbers on the back of their helmets and jackets. The jackets and helmets must be black and there can be no more than one rider at a time on the motorcycle. Why, you ask? To prevent drive-by assassinations! No kidding! Whew, I feel much safer now, LOL.

The paved road from the highway is about 1/2 done. This is such a blessing as it gives us more time at the clinic and more energy to give to the villagers.

We have an extremely poor family who lives near the clinic. This family is so poor they go into the fields and pick up corn that was not harvested by the farmers because it was considered un-fit. They make tortillas with the corn to feed the family but cannot afford salt. They also gather wood to sell, making about Q15 a day. This is less than two dollars. The father is in a wheelchair related to a bus accident. The daughter of the family became pregnant by a man who said he loved her and promised to marry her. When he found out she was pregnant he hit the road. Sadly, her baby died in utero at 8 months. She went to the hospital where she sat for days without receiving help. Gregory, one of the founders of the clinic (the business side) went to the hospital in his suit and tie demanding to see the patient. The doctors mis-took him for a doctor and she was in the OR in a matter of hours. (No, Gregory did not do the surgery. He probably almost passed out just saying the word :)

Another little girl, about 3 years old, fell into a pot of boiling corn. Her backside and legs were burned badly. We have been treating her 2x per week and she is healing nicely.

I was invited to a bridal shower for the daughter of a missionary family. They have many natural and adopted children. The mother of the bride is making the dresses for the wedding. She says she got a great deal on fabric in Zone 1 of Guatemala City. This area is the war zone of gang members. It is so dangerous that the police close it down at night so no-one can enter or leave. I don't know how she is brave enough to drive in there. Sure, it's a good deal on fabric...if you survive the trip! They had a problem driving home as the adopted kids were getting car sick. This is common because the people are not use to driving in a vehicle.

THE PROCLAIMERS ARE GREAT! We have already started using them in the clinic. Two Bible studies are using them in 2 different villages. There are a few words in Katchiquel that are pronounced differently than our villagers say them but they are able to understand. Everyone is very excited about these wonderful machines.

We have purchased land for our church/community center. It is located near the clinic, secondary school, and cooperative building. It is the perfect location and very serene. The man who sold it to us recently lost his son. This land was to be his, but the father says he cannot keep it, as his grief is too great and the land reminds him of his loss. Praise God for blessings coming from tragic situations.

We have started a program to make bed platforms for the poorest families in the villages. We are hoping that these will help prevent recurring infections such as diarrhea and respiratory. The beds are being given to the families with bamboo or corn stalk houses with dirt floors. The families will have to give back community service for the beds. Here is a picture of Anita (the founder) having a meeting with the potential families. Can you tell which one is Anita?

Click here for more information on the project:

http://hands-of-hope.com/s/2009/06/who-forces-children-to-sleep-on-dirt-floors/

Here is the latest dog I have rescued. She is literally skin and bones. Her owner would not let me take the dog to get her fixed in the past but she has developed a tumor. I finally paid the woman Q10 (about $1.25) for the dog and took her out of the village. "Sweetie" is now at AWARE, a humane society, getting her 4 weeks of chemotherapy and then surgery, as well as fattening up. If she has not been adopted by the time I return I will help her find a loving home.

This summer I will be spending my time helping my ill family member recover as well as raising financial support. I am happy to do God's work for free but, unfortunately, it takes money to go there and accomplish things. As many of you know I have been mainly self-supported up until now. Some of you have made financial donations and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Please be in prayer that God will provide the donations I need for this important work.

All God's blessings,

Terri

May 20, 2009

Hola everyone, I am learning this blog thing so please be patient! Things have been crazy for me lately. Someone in my family has been very ill so I have been delayed in returning to Guatemala. I'm working on getting down there next week but am not 100% sure yet if that is going to happen.

Great things have been happening both here in the U.S. and in Guatemala. I am told that the clinic had a Mother's Day get together. 120 women attended and 20 accepted Christ! Men's programs are also being held.

Up here I have been working on several projects. One is with Faith Comes by Hearing. They have a gizmo called The Proclaimer. This is a speaker with a computer chip in it with the entire New Testament spoken by professional actors. It has music and sound effects and is really fun to listen to. Each speaker can reach several hundred people. I received 6 of them for free in the Katchiquel Central language that is spoken by the people in our villages. I also received MP3s in English, Spanish and Katchiquel Central. I'm very excited to get these down to Guatemala so that Bible studies can be started in each village.

Also, some NVI Spanish study Bibles have been donated to the church in Antigua and I will be bringing those down as well.

I have a CD player for one of our Spanish speaking workers who cannot afford one so she can listen to her New Testament CD.

I also have an old radar scanner for my right hand man, Darvy, so he can help me run all my errands without racking up those speeding tickets in the city! (Relax, they are legal down there, maybe. Well, at least I don't know that they are illegal). It's very hard not to get a speeding ticket there because the new transit police have cameras hidden on the side of the road. You can only find out if you have a ticket by looking on-line at a web site and if your license plate is on there they'll tell you how much you owe. Hmmm, wonder if they are accurate or not? So far I don't have any but then again I don't drive into Guatemala City very often.

Well, that's my update for now. Hope to update from Guatemala very soon.

All God's blessings,
Terri