Last Tuesday in Chiminisijuan, a little 100 year old woman came in to clinic.  Completely blind,she had walked at least 3 miles and one of the paths is so narrow on the side of the mountain....I have no idea how she actually made it. She was alone and as she walked up the last few steps to the clinic, she had to crawl. Finally one of the widows who we know very well stopped to help her in. She came for her body pain...nothing too specific - just old age aches and pains. When we finished working, we woke her up where she had fallen asleep outside in the grass and we drove her out to the main road. We had to stop and ask several people if they knew this little lady sitting in the backseat of my car until we found someone who identified her. She walked on home then from there.

It has occurred to me several times since then that our life right now is so much like hers. We walk - not really knowing what is ahead - knowing that if we make a wrong step, we could tumble down the mountainside. That's a lot of pressure.... We just trust though, that He will lead and guide us and keep us from falling . Psalm 119:105 says "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."


Here's a quick update on all that has happened in the last few weeks -
 - Duane made a super-fast trip to the US to help Ryan organize a load of construction equipment to be shipped. We have never taken loads this way and it (so far) has gone really well. It all has actually already arrived in Port Barrios and we are waiting for the government to release it. The taxes turned out to be much lower than we expected - Thanks be to GOD!
 - There has been an amazing amount of equipment donated (and I am not the one to tell you about it!) including a concrete truck, a skid loader, concrete forms and a long list of other necessary tools.
Many thanks to all the men who have worked so diligently and tirelessly to accumulate all of this. Again, all praise be to GOD!
 - Our son Ryan, his wife Katie, and their three children will arrive on the 13th of September. They feel that the Lord is directing them to come on a permanent basis and they will be an enormous help. Ryan is a manager and will be invaluable in helping Duane manage all the workers as we start the actual hospital construction. Katie will be a mom first but is a great hostess who has an ability to see all the details that folks need when they arrive. And I will be soooo happy to have more of our grandchildren close! Thanks be to GOD!
 - The construction of the apartment for Dr. Luis and his family is underway. It will be small but hopefully adequate for their growing family. Our friend Juan has stepped up to take the responsibility of this and is doing a great job. All thanksgiving to GOD!
 - The fence is about 2/3 of the way to completion around the first phase of the hospital, a new gate has been made and is 1/2 up (we had to pour a new bridge over the canal and it needs many days to "cure" before we can put up the other section.) 
 - We have had a good couple of weeks working with Dr. Jared and his wife, Dr. Melissa. They have been great! And Dr. Heidi was here to bring such encouragement - as she always does. We also hosted a youth team from Destiny Church (our home church). They did lots of painting, poured a new porch to accommodate the changes to the house (dividing it into three apartments - eventually), and we had amazing nights of worship in the evenings. They were a huge blessing to us and even when we did not have water for the last 4 days of their trip, their attitudes remained enthusiastic and grateful. All praise be to GOD! 

We continue to be in awe of all that God is doing here. Please pray that we have wisdom that can come only from God. Pray that we will continue to put Him first in all things - no matter how busy and chaotic it all seems at times. Thanks for reading!

Angelita and Josephina are two of my favorite people. They have both lived in the orphanage in San Andres for many years. Josephina has a lesion in her brain which has gotten progressively worse over the 15 years that I have known her. She is confined to a wheelchair now and has trouble with normal activities like eating and dressing herself but she is sharp. She never complains and always has a smile on her face. Angelita has Down's syndrome. She too, has been in the Home for as long as I can remember. She is like a grandmother now for the younger kids - no one really knows how old she is. The government has advised the directors to send both of them to an adult home in the City but for both of these women, this has been the only home that they have ever known. So even though they are lots more work for the staff, they stay and are cared for with so much love....it humbles me. Both women share not only a room but their bed as well - along with their cat. They try, to the best of their ability, to take care of each other and when one is sick, the other grieves.

In the last couple of years Angelita has had trouble with urinary tract infections. She was seen by a visiting urologist a couple of years ago who eventually had to catheterize her under anesthesia. Since then, when she begins to have trouble, I end of doing this "evil thing". She never complains about the pain that she has or the fact that she pees blood (at least not appropriately or to the right people who can help her) but when she stops eating we know something is wrong. This time she was quiet for so long that her kidneys have become affected - which makes her treatment much more difficult (not only catheterization and antibiotics but daily injections of antibiotics). When she sees me now, she begins to cry. It is impossible for her to understand the long term consequences of infection left untreated. But she does understand that she does not want to be in the hospital - which would be her only other option. I so admire the staff there who, while so understaffed, give her so much love. When her time to die comes, I know that she will be in the place that she calls home surrounded by the people who are the only family that she has ever known.  

James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Other updates here -
 - The school started their second semester last week. Adrienne brought her biology class down to the clinic on Friday to observe ultrasounds. They are beginning to study fetal development and were super excited about what they got to see. It was lots of fun to see their enthusiasm!
 - The professional nursing (RN equivalent) is still on track to start in January.
 - Pre-construction activities - like, getting power and water to the site have begun. We will still need a well dug and are looking into prices for that. Lots of loads of dirt have been hauled in the get the building site "on grade".....whatever that means. The fence has been begun - the street side with gate should be completed this week.
 - Duane will probably be making a trip to the US next week to help get the load of construction equipment loaded and ready for shipment. We are amazed at the amount and quality of equipment that the Lord is providing!
 - The apartment for Dr. Luis and his family has been started...

Please pray that the final government approval for the hospital will come through this week! It has been - and continues to be quite the process!

Amid all the changes and visitors coming and going, clinic still proceeds. A few weeks ago, a young mother whom we have known for several years came into Chiminisijuan. I had not seen her for a while and she had lost quite a bit of weight and had a huge belly. On ultrasound we found that she had ascites (liquid that accumulates in the abdomen) which often means some sort of malignancy. We sent her to our friend Dr. Heidi who happened to be in Chichicastenango to do GYN surgeries. They did all sorts of tests and did not find any cancer. They drained the fluid and sent her home without a diagnosis but with advice to seek help in the City (which I knew she would not do).

About 10 days later, Heidi called me with the really good news that some of her exams had come back and that she had tuberculosis...pretty advanced but still treatable. So we contacted her husband and her sister to let them know, gave them all the instruction about where they could get treatment and trusted that they would do that. The next week I asked several from their village if she had gone, tried to call her again, spoke with her daughter but still they did not take her. In their defense, she would have had to be carried up a steep mountain on a stretcher between 4 men, then rent a truck to take her the 4 hours to the hospital - at the cost of about $150. They have 6 children and very little food, much less money to rent a car. And they had tried...her husband had taken her 3 times into the government clinic, once to the hospital, and then to us. They had little hope that anyone would actually help them. 

This weekend, I saw Isabella's husband on the street in San Andres. When I asked him about her, he said that she was dying, that she could no longer eat and was in severe pain. We went together to the government clinic to ask if they might be able to pick her up in the ambulance and get her into the hospital. The doctor in charge said, no, that the hospital was full. There were no options. Isabella has asked Jesus into her heart, so I know that soon her suffering will be over. There is a pretty good possibility though, that her children may have tuberculosis. And, if they go to be tested, will they get treatment? 

God keeps confirming over and over the importance of getting this hospital up and running.  It seems pretty overwhelming most days but we wait on Him for we know that "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

 

It has been a few weeks since I have written. We were first in Switzerland for our son Joseph's wedding. It was wonderful! Jessica is  a beautiful addition to our family and we were honored to get to know her family. Jo and Jess will be here with us in Guatemala.

After the wedding we went back to the US for 10 days with all of our family. We have 7 grandchildren now (all under the age of 6) plus Abi and Grace. It was joyful chaos from beginning to end....a privilege that we do not often have.

But back here in Canilla things are moving! The closing date for the hospital property is the 8th of May and I can thankfully report that all $192,000 has been gathered. God is amazing and we stand in awe of His miraculous provision....in just 6 months! Equipment is beginning to come as well. We have a trailer full of hospital beds, tables, nursery equipment, exam tables and medicines waiting to be transported to Guatemala. The x-ray equipment is already here in country and waiting to be transported to Canilla.

The school is growing daily and yesterday we received notification that the University San Pablo has approved our petition to open a branch here in Canilla. We will be getting the professional nursing program up and running as quickly as possible and there are dreams of a medical school here as well. The way that God has been moving in the last few months, nothing would surprise me!

Please continue to pray that we have wisdom to manage all that God has placed in our hands. We are daily reminded that we are owners of nothing but in charge of all that He gives. We need lots of wisdom, discernment, and grace!

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5.



Hospital Adonai is finally starting to come together after it has been a vision for so many years. The plans have been drawn and are in the final stages of approval with the government. In November 2013, the ministry took a step of faith by putting a down payment on a piece of property that we believed was the correct location for the hospital to be built. The final payment ($186,000) is due in May 2014. We have nearly $150,000 (the majority of that coming from DOCS for HOPE) at this point in time - an absolute miracle! We are also praying for financial provision for building materials so that we can begin construction as soon as possible. The total cost for this is estimated to be around $328,000. Phase one will include outpatient clinics, x-ray,  lab, two surgical suites, a delivery suite as well as inpatient capacity of twenty. God is really moving here, and we are more than excited to be part of it and to watch in awe as He brings the pieces together.                        

 

DOCS for Hope are a group of Family Practice doctors from Iowa who have recently committed to AIM and to be part of opening and running the hospital. Starting in January, they have been rotating through Guatemala to get a feel for language, clinics, and the true heart of the ministry. Please pray for them as they continue to come and visit throughout this year! Check out their website at docsforhope.org. They also have a couple of blogs from the doctors who have come down already this year - Epperlyadventures.blogspot.com and McQuillen'sfor hope.blogspot.com - to see their perspective on what God is doing here.

Instituto Adonai opened in February 2014 and is in session now. In this area, God has done so much more than we ever imagined. Aaron and Katie were joined by Greg and Helaine Walton, (a South African missionary couple) who committed to help start the school, and in the process, it has been completely transformed.  It is pretty amazing how God placed the vision in Katie and Aaron and then supplied this couple, who have had 15 years of experience within the Guatemalan educational system, alongside of them to guide and train them. Currently we are running a pre-medicine diploma program that prepares students to enter into medical or professional nursing school. There is also an English school in place that is being run by volunteers—some are just rotating through while others are here to stay.  And we are hopeful as we begin to talk with the University of San Pablo about opening a professional nursing program (the equivalent to RN) here as well. Please pray that God opens those doors as we will very soon need a qualified nursing staff! Education has proven to be such a valuable tool in our region to reach out to the people, so we are excited to see what this new area of ministry will bring.                                   

  Personal Update  We are happy to report that all is well in our family, even in the midst of adjustments to so many changes! Joseph and Jessica will get married in Switzerland in April, something we are all very excited about. The family is planning a trip to the States around that time as well. Everyone is looking forward to this time to come together as a family!

It seems that 2014 swung us into full transition mode. Many have come to visit and learn more about what God is doing here. It has been a gift to get to know so many people with hearts that desire to serve Jesus. So, while we have been essentially waiting on the timing and provision of God, we have been plenty busy! During AIM’s transition, every day looks a little different and things are constantly changing. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this season of our lives!

Change has almost become routine around here lately—what an oxymoron that is. In a time of such transition, there are many people coming alongside AIM, some visiting while others are here to stay. Rotating through, there are so many different kinds of people with different gifts—from teachers to doctors (namely DOCS for Hope members), engineers to pilots, and everything in between. God is bringing together a very diverse group for this “big picture” vision of school and hospital functioning together and sustaining each other. Everyone is trying to find their roll and many are changing rolls. Honestly, it’s exciting and exhausting all at once. To actually be part of something of God and to know that his hand is on it is extraordinary. That’s what it feels like to be in Guatemala working with AIM right now. God is bringing people together who have vowed to be faithful to him and is putting their promise to the test. Day by day, He is piecing this vision together.

But do you know what is hard about this time? It’s that life is up in the air for almost every single person here. No one has the slightest idea what is going to happen or when it is going to happen. No one knows how or when God is going to provide, how or when he is going to reveal himself and his full plan to us. In many ways, we are truly practicing faith without seeing right now.

 “And without faith it is impossible to please him…(Hebrews11:6a).” So while faith is super hard to live out, Hebrews says it is literally impossible to please God apart from it. And that is what we live our lives for—to please our Creator. So faith has to be a natural extension of that.

Last week on the way home from clinic, we stopped the car in the middle of the road to find our once round tire as flat as a pancake. What an interesting time I knew we were in for when I looked at the four of us and decided in my mind that none of us had probably ever changed a tire in our lives. Out came the car manual, which may as well have been written in Morse code—our Spanish automotive repair vocabulary was surprisingly limited. We awkwardly looked for the jack (conveniently called “el gato” in the manual?), found it, and got to work. Half an hour of sweating later the tire was changed and we were on our way. It was not a particularly smooth or graceful process, but we just kind of figured it out as we went and got it done. For me, that’s kind of how faith is. It’s messy. I don’t really know what I’m doing most of the time—I just tell God that everything is His, pray a lot for discernment and wisdom, and use the Bible as a roadmap. It’s usually not graceful; it’s usually challenging and uncomfortable. But God can use the not-so-graceful—He can use anyone that comes to Him with an open heart.  “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9a).  

In the end, we are just here to serve God the best that we can. We are instruments for Him to use, and gladly so. Please pray that our faith and dependence on God would come more and more naturally to us everyday, that it would be as easy as breathing to put complete trust in Him—a time of dependence on God can mean a time of spiritual growth. So glad that we serve a God who is always faithful!

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
    a time to be born, and a time to die;
    a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what its planted;
    a time to kill, and a time to heal;
    a time to break down, and a time to build up..... Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

So much of the time in our Christian walk, we wait. We do what is before us, but it often seems that we just plod along, persevering through circumstances that are difficult or mundane. But always there is a sense that something will change. We find ourselves in a season of change now....big changes. We see God moving in amazing ways, ways that are so much bigger than anything we could ever imagine. If we just look at our immediate circumstances, we become overwhelmed, thinking "ahh, there is no way God..." But when we surrender and do that which is before us, one step at a time, He is always there, leading, guiding, and giving to us that which we need.

I was talking to a gentleman yesterday about just that and I remembered back to our initial trip to Guatemala when we made the decision to come, sold all of our belongings and packed up a bus to drive through Mexico. Every single day of that trip was packed with difficulties and challenges, which were way out of our "comfort zone." But in each of those times He was there to sustain. The very first day that we left our home in Illinois, as we traveled through Oklahoma, it began to snow. We watched car after car slide down on either side of the road and we watched our son Aaron in the rearview mirror in our truck and attached trailer fishtail all over the road. When he radioed up to us and said, "Dad, I can't do this!", Duane looked at me and said, "Leslie, you drive the bus." Never in my life had I driven a bus - much less in the middle of a snow storm! But somehow - by God's grace, we made it to the hotel. When we turned on the news that night, they announced that we had just driven through the worst snowstorm in Oklahoma history.

I have remembered God's faithfulness in that moment so many times in the last few weeks. That is a little how we feel.....driving through circumstances that we have no experience for, with no knowledge of how to do it. But we feel His presence, His hand upon us, so we press on.... knowing that it is only by His grace that we are able to finish each day. Graham Cook says it this way, "there are no longer good days or bad days....just days of grace." May you feel His grace upon you today as you face whatever comes your way!