One last post...

Greetings - from the United States!

As many of you know, my two year contract with Paradise Bound Ministries came to an end in the middle of August, 2012.  Living and serving among the Guatemalan people was an amazing experience and I was blessed beyond measure to be used in such a grand way!  So many life-changing friendships and memories.  However, I felt God tugging on my heart - whispering that He had a greater plan for me back home in Michigan.  It was time to share Christ's love with those in my own backyard...my not-so-comfortable "comfort zone." 

 By God's grace, I was hired at my dream job and booked a one-way ticket to fly from one home to the other.  I am now settled into a place of my own in Grand Rapids, and I LOVE going to work as a Neonatal Intestive Care nurse at Helend DeVos Children's Hospital.  It is quite a change of scenery, but God has indeed called me to use my gifts and talents to minister to these precious little ones and their families.
 

 
 

THANK YOU so much for all of your prayers and support during my international journey!  Today, I continue to covet your prayers, love and support as I embark on the next chapter of my life.  May God continue to write the words on every page as HIS story and plan unfolds! 

Josue!

This blog update revolves around one common theme - the name Josue (Joshua)! 

The first story revolves around Josue' Daniel, our precious Open Doors child who spent part of July and most of August in the hospital.  At this point, he has been discharged and is on his way to a full recovery!  Though diagnosis was difficult to come by, your prayers helped the doctors to discover an enflamed duct in his kidney that was causing an infection.  It is unsure yet if the enflamed/distorted duct is due to an infection or a birth defect.  Josue had been in and out of the hospital over the last few months, each time without diagnosis.  He is now on various medications and is seeing a kidney specialist weekly.  Please pray with us in faith believing that 1) the infection leaves his tiny body, never to return, and 2) that this is not a birth defect requiring surgery or other intervention!  Thank YOU for praying and holding up little Josue' and our staff as this has affected each of us in different ways!  Pray as well for Open Doors Orphanage as we continue to seek financial and prayer sponsorship for each of our precious children! 

 The second story revolves around another young man named Josue.  This individual just so happens to be the boyfriend, and now fiance of PBM staff nurse Yojana!  We celebrate along with the young, happy couple as they embark on this new phase of life together.  CONGRATULATIONS!

And 7 became 6...

On July 12, we bid farewell to our precious little Franky Fernando.  He came to us from a broken family where both parents were alcoholics.  One day, the father and mother had both had too much to drink and they got into a large dispute.  The father ended up in jail, the mother ended up in the hospital, and Franky ended up in our loving arms, battered and bruised.  When the ambulance dropped Franky off at Open Doors Orphanage, we gained full custody of this little guy…but his parents still had a chance to get their act together.  They proved to the judge that they had indeed done this when they appeared at their court date last week.

However, this doesn’t mean that we are saying goodbye to Franky forever as Open Doors will still maintain fully custody.  A social worker with be making one surprise and one scheduled visit to Franky’s home every month.  At the first sign that his parents have returned to their old habits, Franky will return to live with us forever.

Please lift up adorable Franky and his parents in your prayers as they begin this new journey together as a family. 

Many of you have heard about and given graciously to our new water filtration system. Thanks to you, many families in the village of La Reina are now provided with pure water - water that will strengthen the health of the entire family! Here are some photos of the process.

Dulce's Recovery!

Yesterday, Dulce returned to the orphanage after spending the night in the hospital.  Her surgery went well on Thursday, and now she is recovering with her blue hip spica cast.  Please continue to keep Dulce in your prayers as the cast is quite uncomfortable and she is not able to move around as she normally does.  Also, continue to pray for the Open Doors Orphanage staff as they care for Dulce and the other six children during this recovery period.  Hopefully it will be a speedy process for all!

Roaring Like a Lion!

The past few days, I have thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with and getting to know Katie, one of Paraidse Bound's 2012 interns.  We have decided that this song, God's Not Dead (Like A Lion) by the Newsboys, is going to be our theme song for this summer.  Enjoy the lyrics below!

God's Not Dead (Like A Lion)

Let love explode and bring the dead to life

A love so bold to see a revolution somehow

Let love explode and bring the dead to life

A love so bold to see a revolution somehow

Now I'm lost in your freedom

In this world I'll overcome

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring

Let hope arise and make the darkness hide

My faith is dead, I need resurrection somehow

Now I'm lost in your freedom

In this world I'll overcome

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring

Let heaven roar and fire fall

Come shake the ground with the sounds of revival

Let heaven roar and fire fall

Come shake the ground with the sounds of revival

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

He's roaring, He's roaring, He's roaring like a lion

He's roaring, He's roaring, He's roaring like a lion

Prayers for Dulce

Please join us on Thursday, May 31, as we pray for Dulce Maria, one of the seven precious children that call Open Doors Orphanage their home.  Early in the morning, 6-month old Dulce will be heading to a hospital in Antigua to under-go surgery for her severe hip dysplasia.  An American doctor will first perform a closed reduction procedure, which will allow her hips to abduct normally.  After that, Dulce will be placed in a hip spica cast.  The casts will be changed every 6 weeks for 3-6 months in order to provide her hips with the support they need following the surgery.  Once her hips begin to regain strength, Dulce will be weaned down to a hip brace that she will wear until her hips return to normal!  This whole treatment process could take up to a year.  Therefore, please continue to keep Dulce and the Open Doors staff in your prayers...not only tomorrow, but in the weeks and months to come as they trek down the vigorous road that lies before them! 

Saqueo is a 17-year-old young man who first came to our clinic last summer with large growths on both his cheek and arm.  Ten years ago, pustules formed in both locations and began weeping pus and growing slowly over time.  He had a biopsy conducted, and the results indicated that the growths were not tumors!  Praise God!  However, he became quite discouraged (even to the point of wanting to take his own life) when he was told by various doctors and dermatologists that nothing could be done for him here in Guatemala and that he would have to live with the daunting appearance of the growths for the rest of his life.  Despite the odds, we were able to encourage Saqueo to attend one last appointment with another specialist before the year 2011 drew to a close.  That specialist scheduled and performed a successful surgery, and now Saqueo is self-confident young man who fully believes in the healing power of our Lord and Savior!  Below are the before and after photos of Saqueo's treatment process.

Discipleship Update

God is doing wonderful things in and among the Guatemalan people as a result of our Timothy Leadership Training Program!  Roughly a week ago, various individuals were baptized in the village of La Bendicion!  Two of these individuals are students in our lay pastor training program, and various others are the family members of another lay pastor who is part of the program.  The topic of "Christian Stewardship" that was taught at the last seminary inspired this pastor to reach out to his family as a first step in ministering to his church and then to his entire community.  God is also tearing down walls and breaking down barriers in this remote, coastal village!  The separation that once existed between the various churches in La Bendicion is no longer as the pastors there are uniting together to make a difference for HIS kingdom!  As years of strict Mayan tradition and other numerous obstacles continue to fall away, we our confident that truth will prevail and Christ will be victorious!

In addition to the wonderful blessings that are occurring in the coastal region of Guatemala, God's power is also moving in the highlands!  The small village of Chuaqenum has one lone representative at our lay pastor training conferences.  Although a small and humble man, Isidro can preach with power in both Spanish and Cakchiquel when given a microphone.  In hopes of one day being the pastor of a small church in his village, Isidro is first following the inspiration of the "Christian Stewardship" lesson by sharing Christ's love and salvation with his large family.  Our Guatemalan staff now makes the trip out to this remote village (impossible to get to during the rainy season) once every two weeks to encourage Isidro, pray with his family, and hold a worship service for the entire community. 

Clinic Renovation

Due to our ever-growing medical clinic, we were forced to expand!  This new corridor was built so that the patients could wait outside to be seen in the clinic.  More space is now available inside to not only attend to the patients but also to store all of our medications and medical records. 

Timothy Leadership Training!

This weekend, Paradise Bound welcomes 24 lay pastors to our mission base for its second ever Timothy Leadership Training event! Please keep these students in your hearts and minds as they spend time in God's Word, in prayer, in worship, and in fellowship with one another. Christ did amazing things in and among every individual last year, and we anxiously await what He has in store for His children again this year!

In addition, continue to pray for the lost and dying in Guatemala. As God raises up His servants here, they will go out and minister to their own people, changing lives for ETERNITY! Check out http://www.facebook.com/paradisebound for updates and photos throughout the weekend.

Meet Fernando!

This beautiful, 11-month old boy named Fernando was welcomed into the loving arms of Open Doors Orphange less than a week ago! Please join us in praying for this precious child of Christ!

Christian Isaiah

Christian Isaiah was delivered to Open Doors Orphanage yesterday after an incredible day of movement within the court system here in Guatemala! We knew of two children yesterday (one of which was only 2 days old) that could have potentially become ours, yet neither of those two children did. Little Christian, however, found grace in the eyes of our Lord and is now safe in the arms of our loving staff! Christian's story is difficult, along with each of the children's stories we have in our ODO family. We cannot fully share his story yet until we receive the official documentation, but we hope to be able to do so soon. For the moment, please pray for Christian Isaiah, his mother (in police custody), and the incredible staff our Lord has brought together to be these precious children's family! Pray as well TODAY as we could potentially receive Maria Milagro, a week old or less baby discovered in a sewer filled gutter. Allow our Lord Jesus Christ to penetrate your heart as we ALL become HIS hands, feet, and the arms that hold "the least of these"!!!

Dulce Maria

Here is our new little girl, Dulce Maria. She is being cared for at Open Door's Orphanage in Guatemala. She was born in a mountain village in November, 2011. Her mother was drinking wine at the time and the baby fell to the ground after her birth, injuring her. The mother took her to a hospital and abandoned her there, saying she did not want her. Dulce Maria is thought to have hip dysplasia and will have considerable medical costs involved in helping her to heal. God has given her to us to love her and give her a much brighter future!

Baptism Celebration in LA REINA!

"John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Luke 3:16).

Earlier this year, 8 individuals were baptized in the village of La Reina! This special baptism celebration was held as a result of all that God has been doing in the hearts of the people there. From the moment we first entered that village, a spiritual darkness loomed from that place. Now, God has opened the gates and enabled us to not only build homes for the people but also to start a discipleship program that has grown in leaps and bounds! Praise be to our Father in Heaven, who through the baptism of His Spirit, unites us "to form one body - whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free - and we are all given the one Spirit to drink" (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Matthew 11:5

Recently, 6-year-old Henry received his neon green hearing aids. With these devices, he is one step closer to being able to hear and speak for the first time in his life! Please join us in continuing to pray for this precious little boy as the remaining pieces of his treatment puzzle fall into place.

"The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, THE DEAF HEAR, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." Matthew 11:5

Sanctity of LIFE

This past Sunday, January 15, was Sanctity of Life Day.

Today, I got a first-hand glimpse and understanding of what this day truly stands for and celebrates.

Last fall, Yojana and I were introduced to a patient. All of her signs and symptoms hinted at pregnancy, and the pregnancy test confirmed that she was indeed pregnant. She was in denial. The situation was a bit difficult, and she knew that her parents would kill her if they found out. Therefore, she decided it was best to not tell them about the pregnancy and have an abortion.

Our hearts were broken as we heard those words come out of her mouth. Even though it sounded like she had made up her mind, Yojana and I knew we needed to take a few moments to talk with her. We told her how much God loved her, no matter what. We told her that He created the beautiful life that was now living inside of her. We told her that God had a plan for her...and her unborn baby. We assured her that Paradise Bound would help in any way they could, and we encouraged her to give it some thought and discuss it with her parents. She didn't have to go through this alone. The young woman nodded her head in agreement, but we felt hopeless as she walked out our clinic door. We were convinced that our words had fallen on deaf ears, but we continued to pray for her anyway.

Today, roughly 5 months later, this beautiful sight walked back through our clinic door.

What a miracle! All things are possible with Christ! And as you can tell by the smile, this new mother is now so glad she made the right decision. Her healthy baby girl is indeed a blessing and a testimony - to all of us!

goodbye winter wonderland.

At 2pm on Sunday, January 15, I was walking through a winter wonderland in Jenison, Michigan.

At 2pm on Monday, January 16, I will soaking in the 70 degree temperatures and volcanic scenery of Chimaltenango, Guatemala.

Henry's Story

As part of our patient follow-up program, Yojana and I bring patients to a local hospital in Antigua every Friday for further exams and operations. One of the patients who often joins us for these visits, and who has entered into our critical care long-term patient program, is Henry. His journey began about a year ago when we first began building homes in La Reina. I had first heard of Henry when Dan Smith and the people of the village began telling me about a young, special needs boy who hadn't been able to hear nor talk since he was born. This boy was five-year-old Henry, and as soon as I met him, his huge smile and large brown eyes melted my heart. I was blown away by the joy he had for life, the friendship we built almost immediately, the love his older brother and family had for him, and our ability to communicate perfectly - without sound. It didn't matter to me if he was disabled or if the village looked down on him because of it or not. I began talking to the family and discovered that Henry's ears had never been examined. After asking for their permission, I cleaned out his ears and took a good look inside of them - nothing. Whatever he had going on was far more extensive than my little otoscope could detect, so we brought him to an ear specialist...and another...and another. Right now, the plan of action is to conduct an MRI and have Henry fitted for hearing aids. Although the hearing aids will only begin to stimulate the auditory nerves and allow Henry to hear extremely loud sounds, a 6-month trial period with the devices in combination with the results of the MRI will determine if Henry is a candidate for cochlear implants. While the operation can only be conducted in the United States or Mexico, cochlear implants remain Henry’s only option for ever receiving the gift of sound. He is currently undergoing language therapy and beginning to learn Spanish sign language with the hopes of one day acquiring the gift of speech as well. Although watching Henry's progress and assisting him in finding a way to communicate with those around him has truly been a blessing, the greatest blessing has come from watching the entire family grow spiritually. Last fall, we conducted a medical clinic at La Reina. Once the clinic was done, the village settled in to watch the Jesus Film and hear the songs and testimonies of the group, as well as the message of our Pastor, Hermano Jesus. That night, I was able to be a part of leading Henry's mom, Elvia, forward to accept Christ. Banner, Henry’s brother, came with us, and as he finished repeating the Salvation Prayer and accepting his first Bible, he stuck around to help me pray for other children who were accepting Christ!Then, on March 2, 2011, we had finished building Henry's house and were preparing to dedicate it to them. Since the team was a little behind schedule, we decided that we would only dedicate 3 of that houses that day - and Henry's house was elected to go first. However, God had a better plan! Henry's Dad was called into work last minute, so he was no longer present and unable to be there for the dedication, thus moving them to the fifth and final dedication that would take place the next day. As we entered the house, I had the privilege of doing something I've never done in a house before - presenting the family with a few gifts that would turn the conversation spiritual. Hermano Jesus then presented the family with the Gospel and the opportunity to accept Christ into their hearts. The invitation was extended to each individual, beginning with the father. He contemplated the decision for a while, to the point of making me think he'd refuse, but at last gave a heartfelt and confident "yes!" His wife followed, handing her life fully over to Christ, and so did Banner - with the biggest smile I've ever seen on the little boy's adorable face! Then, it was Henry's turn. Hermano Jesus politely said, "I know that Henry can't hear or understand me, but we are going to extend the invitation to him as well." Pointing to Henry, then to heaven, and finally to Henry's heart, the invitation was made. At that moment, we all experienced a miracle as I truly believe it was only by the power of the Holy Spirit that Henry looked at Hermano Jesus with those big brown eyes and heartbreaking grin, shaking his head yes in full understanding! From that point on, the rest is a beautiful history that is now recorded in the book of life. Tears of joy were shed all around, even by the father as the prayers that Hermano Jesus poured out for him after the dedication left him broken before his Lord and Savior.With every day that passes, the whole family, especially Banner and Henry, become more and more like family to me - not just because they refer to me as "mamita gringa" (white mother) and I call them mis hijos (my sons), but because they are now members of my spiritual family...for eternity! You know, I think Henry described it best when he went over to his deck of spanish flashcards, picked out the heart card, placed it against his chest, and then gave it to one of the team members. That, my friends, is a love that transcends all time, place and language - and that is the kind of love our Heavenly Father has for each and every one of us.

Fifty chairs should be enough...

Although our summer ministry teams may have wrapped up again for the year, our Lord’s work in the remote villages of Guatemala certainly has not! Our discipleship follow-up programs
are in full swing now and growing in leaps and bounds! On Thursdays, Hermano Jesus and I still
journey out to La Reina, a village located at the foot of Volcano Fuego in which we are currently building houses for the 105 families that call this beautiful, semi-coastal area their home. In the mornings, we spend time visiting with four or five families individually before eating lunch and holding a community-wide service in the afternoon. We have been blessed with the privilege to
utilize the Bodega for the services, a warehouse in the village that provides a large gathering space and protection from the daily rains. Roughly 15-20 people attend on a regular basis, and although this may not be an astronomical number, it is encouraging to see those new believers who are hungry and searching for the Word among those in attendance! Due to the spiritual need, we have also started a Sunday afternoon service that meets every two weeks and allows the working men of the village to attend. The inaugural service was held on August 21, 2011. Fifty chairs were purchased for the villagers to sit in, thinking that would be more than enough, but the chairs were filled up so quickly that we had to scrounge up 10 more...and that still
left myself and a couple of the kids to sit on the floor. It was wonderful to see many familiar faces and many new ones as well. Praise God! The actual service went extremely well, and we are hopeful that as the weeks and months go on, we will continue to see consistent or even increasing attendance, forcing us to add a time of children’s worship for the kids…or even to hold the services every week! Saturdays still find us in La Bendición, a government refugee project located 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean. On September 10, 2011, we held a special service to jump start the discipleship program again after not being able to hold services for a few months. The musical guest and guest pastor assisted in leading a beautiful service for over 50 adults. As they engaged in themessage, asking wonderful questions of the pastor, I had the privilege to lead
over 65 children in a time of singing, prayer, Bible stories, crafts and games. However, the Evil One can see what is taking place in this village, and He is not happy, therefore causing many battles in the lives of God’s chosen people. Please join us in praying for the Victory that is already ours through our Lord Jesus Christ!