Monday came quickly. We hurried to the accountant, got our stuff, hurried to our new volunteers, found them a place to stay and showed them to the land, hurried back to town, packed our stuff, made 7 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, drove to Maria's house and she wasn't there. It was 20 minutes after our scheduled departure time, and she was not there. Her sister Olga and her niece were going to go too. Olga's husband is an abusive alcoholic and the situation was very delicate. He did not want her to go, but Maria needed the support. After all, if they accepted Henry, Maria would be riding back to Coban alone right after giving up her only child. Olga couldn't go without her 14 year old daughter, and so it was. But where was Maria? Finally, she showed up and an hour and a half later, after Maria cleaned and dressed her son, we left. Every one of Maria's neighbors had come out of their rusted tin, wood, nylon shacks to watch what was going on.
They allow 2 people only, the patient and one person. We had 4. The person must have a cedula to get in. Maria had a photocopy only. They accepted it. Then there were two more people. They said "no" and "no". Everyone in the room told us it was against the rules. We did not know what to do. Then something changed, someone gave in and said okay. Obstacle number 1 (besides all the obstacles overcome getting everyone down), overcome. We took them to Casa de Fe and Daryl carried Henry in and we immediately faced obstacle number 2, the people said only the patient and one caregiver could stay. They refused and refused even after we told them the other people said yes, and we pleaded. The people were very unfriendly and stern. We told the lady we came all the way from Coban, the mother is by herself and can not move Henry alone, the sister's abusive husband would not let her come without her daughter...and we begged. She finally said yes. Obstacle number 2, overcome.
Daryl ran and found some diapers for Henry. Maria and her son slept on the floor of the chapel. Geoffrey and I went to Hogar de Esperanza to meet Daryl's family.
They are amazing people. They are starting a home for 12 disabled children, orphans, and they already have 10 children, 7 of which live with them in Guatemala, 8 if you include Gerardo. One is adopted from China, one from Guatemala, and one from Korea. Two are foster children that they adopted from the US and the rest are their biological children. This family is great and live the great commission out every day. The Lord has provided a castle for them to live in with extremely crazy decor covering the entire 6000 sq feet. We couldn't believe our eyes. Getting to know them and hear their story was such a blessing and encouragement. If they can move to a 3rd world country with 10 children, start a home for 12 more, and have a huge multifaceted ministry and live and operate by faith....nobody, NOBODY, has any excuse for why they cannot or did not go to the mission field when they heard the Lord's command.
5am, Tuesday, we are up and getting ready to head out to Hermano Pedro. Prayer warriors all over the world on our side pleading for Henry, pleading to the Lord that they would have a space available to accept him into the Home, pleading that Maria would truly give him up to them when the time came. 6:30, we are in line and waiting to get to see the first doctor. 8am, we are in and he says Henry qualifies. Next, social work. Social work looks us dead in the eyes and says, "There is no space". They wouldn't budge. I am about to cry and I can not even look the woman in the eyes when I ask her, "You are telling me there is no space for this boy, after we came all this way?" She says, "No, I am sorry." So much more I want to say, but I can not because I was too overwhelmed. I just walked out. We came all this way...it wasn't going to end that quick. Someone goes back in, and they say we can be put on a waiting list, but we have to see the neurologist before we can even be put on the list. We head to the neurologist's secretary who tells us one, he won't be in until 1pm, two, he doesn't have any opening to see anyone until February of 2013. We asked what we could possibly do. She said come back at 1pm and if someone cancels, we could fill in.
Meanwhile we leave and Daryl finds a ministry that gives wheelchairs to people in need for $200. Just so happened that that day they were giving wheelchairs for free. We spent about two hours there while Henry got fitted for this super nice $6,000 wheelchair. It was incredible and we wheeled him away like a king.
Back to Hermano Pedro. Up to the neurologist...we wait. He won't see anyone until 2pm. We wait. About 4pm we got in. Obstacle, this neurologist is not a very "nice" guy. He apparently over drugs patients in the home, and for new prospective patients, he orders expensive tests and the person can not even be referred to the home by him until they complete whatever requisites he sets before them. This could be the end of the road for Herny at Hermano Pedro. This doctor has to say yes or no. We sat outside and prayed and prayed. Five minutes later the door opens, and not only is he accepting Henry, but he is writing a referral to social work, and tells us if social work will not tell us there is space, we need to go directly to the priest. The priest of the whole hospital/home! Obstacle number 671, overcome.
It is 4:30pm and everyone starts leaving at 5pm. We hurried to social work and they said no. Firmly it was a no and there was just no space and nothing they could do. So Daryl and Gerardo brought the priest over. I am thinking wow, God is just making this work. The priest goes into social work, 2 minutes later he walks out lays his hand on Henry, and walks away. Daryl and Gerardo come out and the answer is "No". There is no space and nothing they can do for him other than put him on the waiting list. Our fight was over, after spending the entire day overcoming obstacles, at the end of the day...Henry would be wheeled away from the home.
What a wonderful relationship we've built with another incredible ministry here in Guatemala. We can not thank them enough for their love, sacrifice, and service they gave to us in the name of Jesus.
and thank them for with us by liking them on Facebook:
Our meeting with the CNA went well and we got back to Coban late last night and found out that our two awesome volunteers, the EnduroBros, had finished our fence for us. What a blessing.
Today we took Henry his wheelchair and modified their home and flattened their dirt floor in order to help Maria to be able to move the wheelchair about easily.
The Lord knows what He is doing and His time is never early and it is never late. We will praise the Lord.
Mision Vida Nueva
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