The Ministry of Village of Hope

For those of you who are not familiar with Village of Hope (VOH), we wanted to share about their ministry and how we got involved.

From the Village of Hope Facebook page...

“The purpose of Village of Hope is to provide family, faith and a future to the least of these. We are doing this by providing holistic orphan care to special needs orphans, primarily focused on those living with HIV/AIDS in a family style setting. Each family style unit will consist of house parents as well as 6-8 children in the home. Our hope is to create a family unit as God intended -- a family to provide life-long support as well as teach the children to have life values. The goal is to avoid institutional living and prevent children from being thrown out on the streets when they are 18. Because adoptions are closed in Guatemala there is little hope of the children ever being adopted into families of their own. One part of our vision is to develop relationships in the Guatemalan Evangelical churches, to come alongside of them, educating them on God’s heart for the orphan, as well as open their eyes to the gift of adoption.”

It has been a privilege to serve at VOH. Our first trip was in April of 2013 when 3 of us signed up for a Mother/Daughter mission trip. At that time VOH was still in the process of completing the duplexes and getting ready to welcome children. 16 moms and daughters from coast to coast met in Guatemala for the first time to spend a week painting, reaching out to the local school and community, delivering food to families in the community, washing feet and giving new shoes to a neighboring village, and getting to know the Block family (the missionary family that founded VOH). When we returned home we knew we wanted to take a team back and we of course wanted to meet the children that we knew would soon call VOH a home.

So in April of 2014 the Lord brought a team of 16 together, again from coast to coast. It was another unforgettable week. We assembled furniture and varnished, completed a landscaping project to bring beauty to the grounds and the duplexes, served the homeless in Antigua, delivered food to the community (seeing many of the families we delivered food to on the first trip), and built relationships with the children now living at VOH.

Each of the children had come from tough situations. Each story unique yet equally heartbreaking.  But all that changed when they came to VOH. Here they found safety, food, shelter, love, medical help, and HOPE. They were introduced to a Heavenly Father who loved them and a Savior who died for them. They found a home where there is a Dad and Mom (Guatemalan house parents) who would actually be a Dad and Mom in their lives. The stories of their lives began to change from hopeless to hopeful. These are the children we met and grew to love that week. We also got to spend time with the Block family and staff at VOH. We saw people passionate about children in need and the spread of the Gospel. We knew this was a ministry we wanted to be a part of on a regular basis.

With our desire to partner with VOH and deepen our relationships with them we returned 6 months later to continue to build friendships and serve alongside the missionaries. And the pictures and updates from that trip are in the posts below.

We already have a trip planned for April, 2015 and can’t wait to see everyone again.

If you would like to know more about their ministry please visit their Facebook page or Lifesong for Orphans.

And please remember VOH in your prayers! ~Christine

Friday at VOH update

[see pictures in previous post]

Friday was our day in Antigua. We started off zip lining through the beautiful scenery which consisted of lots of trees and an amazing view of the volcano, smoke and all! We got to experience God's amazing work through his gorgeous creation. Afterwards we took lots of pictures in front of the view of the city below and the 2 volcanos in the distance.

Next Julio and Byron took us to a new spot. We stood on a hill overlooking the city of Antigua and the volcano with a large cross behind us. After enjoying the amazing view we headed to lunch at The Sky Cafe. We were so blessed to have a day committed to relaxing and getting to know Julio and Byron better. Seeing God's creation on such a massive scale reminded me that our God is so great, He is the source of our strength. (Psalms 84:5a "blessed are those whose strength is found in you...") ~Kailey

When we returned to VOH it was already time for dinner. I don't think any of us were ready to eat after such a huge and delicious lunch, but we all managed to eat a bit more because the food at VOH is always delicious too.

We then made preparations for movie night with all of the kids. Jen had some more crafts ready for the children when they arrived. All of us sang the Happy Birthday song to Julio for his 25th birthday, in English and Spanish -- and in the Spanish version we all counted to 25 with great applause. 

Byron and Julio set up a screen and projector for the movie, and after a bit of scrambling around, plugging in, unplugging, and reconfiguring the wires every which way we finally got the movie playing. We watched God's Not Dead in Spanish with English subtitles so everyone could enjoy the experience. The movie emphasized that our Living God guides and cares for His people in the midst of a culture that denies Him, and that He calls us to be light in this dark culture. Some of the toddlers and babies dozed to sleep during the film but the elementary children on up watched with rapt attention. We all ate popcorn prepared for us by the young ladies in our team. After the movie came to an end, we had a special time with the VOH young ones and staff. We were able to pray for them and tell them how much we and the Father love them. ~Rafe

After Rafe prayed I shared with the children that Kelsey and I made our first trip to VOH before the buildings were completed or any children were here. I shared how we worked on their homes and prayed for the children that God would bring. Then we met them for the first time in April and they were the answer to our prayers. I told them it was special to see them again and they have a special place in our hearts and that’s why we love them. Lord willing, a team will be back in 6 months to see them again.

After that Julio said that they wanted to tell us something too.

One of the fun-loving house dads, followed by sweet 14-year old Warner, 6-year old Vilma (she completely stole our hearts), and the precious new house mom all shared how thankful they were for our team; how we showed them the love of God, and how they could see Jesus in us as we loved them.

It was an emotional evening as we shared our hearts and realized what a special bond was formed between the team and everyone at VOH. Next came the tearful goodbyes and hugs. There were few dry eyes as we embraced one another and shared sweet sentiments.

There are more stories to tell and I will ask the team (hint, hint) to send me their recollections of our trip so we can continue to share more of the trip with you.

We would love to hear from you, so please leave the team a comment or a question about the trip! I moderate all comments so if you would prefer I don’t post you comment publicly just let me know.

Praising the Lord for a great time in Guatemala and safe return! ~Christine

Home!

Thank you for your prayers! We are home and look forward to sharing more about our trip with you!

I know we still owe you a post about our last day but since I need to get some rest that will have to wait until tomorrow. But here are a few more pictures from Friday. ~ Christine and team

To learn more about how to partner with Village of Hope-Guatemala please go to: http:/www.lifesongfororphans.org/countries/guatemala/

Friday at VOH

Day 5

[Guest Post]

This was the team's last full day in Guatemala. They spent the day in Antigua, watched a movie with the kids at VOH, and had a tearful goodbye...



They will be leaving Saturday morning, so please keep them in prayer as they travel back home.

-For the Guatemala team

To learn more about how to partner with Village of Hope-Guatemala please go to: http:/www.lifesongfororphans.org/countries/guatemala/

Thursday at VOH

Day 4

Isaiah 58:10-12

  "If you pour yourself out for the hungry
  and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
  then shall your light rise in the darkness
  and your gloom be as the noonday.

  "And the Lord will guide you continually
  and satisfy your desire in scorched places
  and make your bones strong;
  and you shall be like a watered garden,
  like a spring of water,
  whose waters do not fail.

  "And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
  you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
  you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
  the restorer of streets to dwell in."

This passage in Isaiah is posted on the mirror in our bedroom at VOH. I had not read it until this morning, and as I read them, memories came to mind of visiting the Antigua homeless the night before, giving them soup, tortillas, and praying to the Living God for them. These verses remind us how much the Father loves the hungry and the afflicted, and how He desires His children to show mercy to those in need. At breakfast our team read these verses this morning, to prepare our hearts to visit the homes of "afflicted" moms and children in nearby San Lucas. "Lord, please give us the grace to pour ourselves out for the hungry and afflicted."

[Thank you, Rafe, for sharing the verses and thoughts above!]

This morning we went out for the weekly food deliveries. Each family receives a bag of food, prayer and faithful friendship. The Blocks will sometimes help with other needs but mostly it's about relationships -- with the families and with Jesus. This is a special time as some of us have seen these families 2 or 3 times now. When Todd and Amy first visited the community they were met with resistance because missionaries before them had made promises that were not kept. It took many visits for the families to trust the Blocks. Our first stop was a new family, a 19-year old mom with 2 children. She lived with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. It's hard to see their living conditions, and to smell the rotting garbage as we entered the house. Much of it had little covering and must be wet in the rains.





Next we drove to another area and visited a woman and her mom, both with stomach problems. The mother also suffers from depression. All kids love Rafe so it was no surprise that he again found a friend, Luis. 

Our third visit was a mom with twin babies and 2 sons. Dad had just come to faith. They asked us to pray for the health of their family. As with most of the families we visited, this family was living with others; however, the Blocks were able to help them purchase building supplies and they are now building a home. It's not a home like we would think home and it may even have dirt floors, but this simple cinder block home will give them a space for their family.


[Twins]

[Praying for Dad]

The fifth family we visited included a girl who is confined to a wheelchair and is believed to have cerebral palsy- Yessica or as Amy calls her, Princioso Yessica. And she is a princess with her beautiful smile and joy-filled eyes. I can't even type this without tears. I remember praying for this girl before I even met her and seeing her each time is a joy for me. She understands a lot of what is said and she has a mom who loves her and takes care of her as best she can. Needless to say it is difficult to have a disability in these living conditions. We did not get to see her mom this trip because she had work today. A few weeks ago one of the Block's sons took Yessica out for a meal. She had never been out to eat in her 20 years. And where did she go? Pollo Campero of course!


[Yessica]

Next we visited a mom with 9 children. They praise God they were all heathy since there was a cold going around the village.

We had hoped to see Corinna, the girl who had the clubbed feet, but she was most likely at school. She has special shoes and though she still uses crutches, she can now walk.

Next we visited Rolando, his mom, and his 4 children. His wife recently left and he is doing his best to care for his girls. He asked for prayer for this situation. He loves the Lord and clearly loves his children.


[Dad and one of his daughters]

Our next visit was to a woman with 12 children and several grandchildren who on our first trip in April of 2013 would not let us on her property. She still has a hard time trusting but through the faithful visits of the Blocks she now welcomes us onto her property with a smile.


[Mom who now welcomes us]

Lastly we visited Jessica, a 15-year old girl who lost her father 3 years ago when he ran out into the street to retrieve a soccer ball and was struck by a car. One of the last gifts her father gave her mother was a sewing machine. With her sewing skills, her mom has been able to find factory work; Jessica received a scholarship and has been able to stay in school. She graduates in just a few weeks and hopes to go on to be a Spanish/ English secretary. The Blocks are truly family to her and she poured out her heart to Amy and Addisyn, Amy's daughter, about her sadness over the fact that her dad will not see her graduate and her fears about being able to continue her education. This special young girl asks every team to write down their names so she can pray for us. She is a treasure!





[Jessica]

In the afternoon we went into San Lucas for lunch and purchased a few things in the market. Back at VOH there were soccer jerseys to be hung, Casa 4 to clean, some dirt that needed to be moved, and one last handprint needed for a special quilt project that is being completed by another team.





We never did the landscaping after all, but we did see the completion of our projects in Casa 4 and were able to help welcome the new house parents into their new home. 

And then one of the highlights of each day -- our time with the kids here at VOH. Today Rafe shared the story of Joseph and once again brought it around to the Gospel. Rafe is a great storyteller and had the attention of young and old! He encouraged everyone to trust that Jesus can and does bring good from even our most difficult circumstances. 

Crafts have been fun all week but Jen outdid herself today. There were stations with t-shirts. They could be decorated with pens and beads with the help of Kailey and Korissa; sock and hand puppets with Connie, Jen and Aidan; bandana bags with Alle and Kelsey; hand knitting with Jazmin (which was a huge hit among the ladies), and lastly, Rafe and I were roamers. Once again the kids, house parents, and teachers all joined in. At the end of our time we went outside with the rocket balloons (they love rocket balloons!), beach balls and hacky sacks. It was a great time especially since we have gotten to know the kids better each day. Each of these kids have touched our hearts in a unique way and we can't imagine having to leave them in just a couple days. 

[T-shirt decorating]

[Hand-knitting]

[Puppet makers]

[Rocket balloons]

Shortly after 9 pm we saw the newest member of VOH, a precious 7-day old baby! Praise Jesus this little one has a home!

Tomorrow we will spend the day in Antigua and plan to zip line over the beautiful countryside. After that we will have lunch in the city and spend some time in the market.

Tomorrow night will be our last visit with the kids. The house parents will be going out for the night and we will help watch the children. We depart bright (or maybe dark) and early Saturday morning. Hope to send out an update tomorrow night before we leave!

Please keep us in your prayers! Love, Christine and team

To learn more about how to partner with Village of Hope-Guatemala please go to: http:/www.lifesongfororphans.org/countries/guatemala/

BTW - thank you to our editor back home who is posting all these updates. We appreciate it!

Wednesday at VOH

Day 3

What a great day! After breakfast we participated in El Dia de Los Niños. It started with a parable acted out in a skit about colors. Each person or color thought they were the most important but they learned that all colors are important. And so it is with the body of Christ. Good lesson for us too!

[Skit for El Dia de Los Niños]

After that there were games of tossing rings on cones, shaving cream off a balloon, rolling dice and doing what it said (Alle and I got bailar!) and the grand finale -- a piñata. It was a special day with the kids and we loved being a part of their celebration. And we ended with food as all celebrations should -- popcorn, M&Ms, peanuts and a juice made from the leaves of Guatemalan rose petals.

After lunch we had various projects to do. Connie & Alle helped Todd in the officina, Christine, Kelsey & Kailey finished a handprint project with some of the kids, and Rafe, Jen, Jazmin, Aidan & Korissa continued the prep for the arrival of the house parents for Casa 4. This was very timely as they arrived this afternoon! And when the Lord brings kids to Casa 4 they will be ready. Until then, the house parents of Casa 4 will be helping the other 3 sets of house parents. We are still waiting for the arrival of the sibling group who will join the family in Casa 3.

About 3pm we started on our 1-mile walk to Chituc. When we arrived there were no children. But soon a few showed up and Julio asked them to tell their friends. We took a few pictures and once we had 10 we decided to start singing in hopes that more would join us. All of a sudden it started raining so we took cover under a nearby tree. We sang Yo Tengo Gozo, Rey de Reyes, Este es el Dia and Padre Yo Te Adoro. When we asked the kids if they like to sing, they said no. But of course once we started they joined in and did a great job. Praise God it cleared up! 

[Singing with children in Chituc]

A few more showed up as Rafe started sharing the story of Joseph from the coat and being sold into slavery to being reunited with his brothers in Egypt when they came to him for grain. The kids were very attentive and answered Rafe's questions throughout the story. He then shared how Joseph was similar to Jesus and gave the Gospel message. By the end of Rafe's story we had 20 kids. 

Next Jen told the children about the craft we had for them, which was bracelets. She shared how there were many colors and like Joseph's dad loved him we are giving to you this bracelet to remind you that Jesus loves you. Both the boys and girls loved the craft. And you must know what happened next...soccer! Some of us played soccer and some hung out with the kids. As we said goodbye, Connie handed out rubber band bracelets. The kids surprised us by lining up and patiently waiting their turn. All in all it was a sweet time.

[Julio our team leader]

[Boys...]


[Boy's house]

After dinner we prepared for our trip to serve the homeless in Antigua. Julio told us about the 4 locations we would visit, to stay in groups, and be ready to go when when called. But nothing could have prepared us for the torrential downpour, with thunder and lightning, that started shortly before we left. It was truly crazy. The water coming over the roof of our porch was literally a wall of water. Rafe prayed for our safety traveling down the hill to Antigua and for our time with those we would meet. By the time we walked from the kitchen to the van we were wet -- our shoes and socks were soaked. As we pulled out of the compound the dirt roads were rivers. The windows were fogged up and Julio was wiping the front windshield with a sweatshirt while we trusted that Byron, our driver, had some visibility. We guessed that there may have been maybe 1/8 mile visibility it but it really was only as far as the illumination of the head lights. It was unlike anything we have experienced. We may have floated for awhile. Before we even arrived in Antigua we saw answer to prayer. As we came around a blind corner the traffic in front of us came to a stop. We were able to stop in time to be the first car not involved in a multi-car accident. And praise God we weren't rear-ended. The ride to Antigua was an adventure in itself!

But once we arrived in Antigua it stopped raining. We met Mark and Dayle, the missionaries who go out every night to feed the homeless, then we set out with soup and tortillas. Due to the rainy weather there weren't as many people out as we expected but we did find several people to give warm soup and prayer. We finished our evening praying for Mark and Dayle, the leaders of the street ministry. Hopefully we can share more stories later (because it's late).

We leave first thing in the morning to deliver food bags to the families in the community. It will be another full day and we look forward to sharing it with you!

Praising God for His protection and presence! 

Love, Christine and team

To learn more about how to partner with Village of Hope-Guatemala please go to: http:/www.lifesongfororphans.org/countries/guatemala/