As we began the second week of our outreach, we commuted about 30 minutes to Antigua during the day, and stayed at the Brauns condo in Guatemala City at night. We planned to serve alongside Dick Rutgers and share in some of the ministries he was involved in. This was primarily at Hermano Pedro, a Catholic run orphanage/institution which has roughly 240 handicapped residents of all ages. Children, teens, and adults are kept in separate areas of this massive building. In addition, it is also a working medical clinic and hospital.
We met Dick Rutgers outside Hermano Pedro and he shared some information about the facility. He then began to give us a tour and about halfway through, he mentioned that Mondays are the swim day for the children, and if we chose to, we could each take a child in the pool.
Prior to this, we had discussed as a team in devotionals how there is sometimes a moment that Christians can hesitate or choose not to be personally invested in a ministry or activity. This was one of those moments. Would we choose to be spectators, just observing the children and facility, or ‘go for it’ and actively interact and love them? We chose the example of Jesus and again He honored our choice. We plunged right into the pool - played with balls, laughed, sped the children through the waves, and bounced them up and down. It was such a joy, but a responsibility we took very seriously. We had to make sure we kept their heads above water and that they were not in any position that caused pain. Their bodies may be twisted and not working, but their smiles and eyes told another story. These kids loved to play, just like any child would.
Hermano Pedro was a clean facility with enough staff and volunteers to meet basic requirements. However, they do not have the manpower to offer the quality of care that the residents really need – especially playing and giving attention to the children. Many of the children are put in their beds at noon and stay there until 7am. Some more difficult kids are left in bed 23 to 24 hours a day. As if that information was not sad enough, it was heartbreaking to see some children in the ward who were terminally ill and had been abandoned by their parents.
After the swim time, we changed and prepared to take a group of the teenage girls to Pollo Campero (a fast food chicken restaurant chain in Guatemala) which was a special treat. Each of us was responsible for one girl and pushed her wheelchair out of Hermano Pedro, through central park, over the cobblestone streets of Antigua, and into the restaurant. Once there, Dick ordered for each of them and we fed them their food. A couple could eat their meals unassisted, but the majority needed it finely cut up and spoon fed to them. Others had to be bottle fed. No matter how they ate, they were all so happy and let us know however they could - through smiles, grunts, and chirps
It was a humbling and wonderful experience. It was also a powerful witness to the tourists and people of Antigua to see a convoy of wheelchairs being pushed through the city. We received a lot of smiles and stares.
Later, we returned to Hermano Pedro and had time to play with the younger residents while most of the teens and adults went to mass. Some of our team went to the malnutrition ward to hold and feed the babies. Many of them had cleft lip, cleft palate, or both and were unable to receive adequate nutrition. Thankfully, they will all be receiving the operations needed to fix this condition once they have been stabilized and “fattened up” a bit.
Others of us decided to play with some of the more difficult, overlooked children. James and I took out Samuel or Sam Sam as he is called, who has autistic behavioral traits. He wore a helmet because he banged his head into the steel crib where he spent his life. Dick told us he thought that if Samuel had been given the attention and interaction he needed years ago, he may not have developed the severe behavioral problems that he exhibits now, and that even now he believes that the right care would allow Sam to live a relatively normal life. It was eye-opening to recognize the devastating effects of living alone without love.
When we took Samuel out of his crib, it was like throwing a switch. From a head-banging case to a nearly normal nine-year-old in two seconds! However, it was like he was on a behavior loop. He went straight to what he thought was our destination – the physical therapy room. He was so intent on his routine; he failed to notice his freedom. After repeating his actions over and over, he slowly allowed us to walk him around and would occasionally seek out hugs or want to be picked up. We enjoyed our time with him very much. Something else noteworthy was that almost immediately after we took him out, a nurse came up to us and wanted to put him back in his crib. We were shocked, and reminded how all people really need to experience love, and how these children need to be viewed as people, not just patients.
Soon it was dinner time and we helped feed some of the residents their brown mush. While I (David) was standing at Samuel’s crib, the boy in the next crib grabbed my arm and pushed the volunteer away that was feeding him. He must have seen my interaction with Samuel and wanted attention as well. So, I fed Irvin and he would cry if I got too far away. In fact, he pulled me halfway into the urine-soaked crib to be near him and comfort him. I stayed with him the entire meal and played with him a bit before we had to leave.
Dick was a great example of someone who invested in the lives of people. He knew each of the residents by name and when he was around, their faces lit up. He really loved each of them, and would always take as many kids out of their beds to play as he could. He saw the person, not the deformity or condition. This reminded us of the teaching in John 10 about the sheep, the shepherd who cares for the sheep, and how the sheep know their master’s voice.
The next day, Dick took us to a small Christian school in Santa Maria De Jesus, which is a Mayan community close to Antigua. Originally founded to help disabled children, the school began to take any child overlooked by the government education system. It has given kids a second chance, and we enjoyed interacting with some of the students and meeting a few of the dedicated teachers.
After a brief stop at the YWAM Antigua coffee house, to see a former Mercy Ships crewmate, we headed back to Hermano Pedro and played with the children again. Soon it was time for lunch, today with the younger children. We repeated the lunch adventure a second time at Pollo Campero. The children were also very excited for their outing and required the same feeding responsibilities as the day before.
After lunch, Dick took us to the town of Chimaltenango. We toured the shop where the ministry repairs, customizes and even builds their own wheelchairs, providing jobs for some disabled workers. There were many wheelchairs in various areas, from the ones used only for parts to the ones cleaned and repaired and ready to be distributed and all stages in between. Dick told us that they would like to put out many more powered chairs, but each chair requires several days of maintenance annually which means they need a person who will specialize in power chair maintenance before those needs can be met. We prayed for Dick and the ministry and asked the Lord to send the needed workers.
Later we drove to Dick’s house where street kids come to play and get a meal every evening. We hung out with them and decided to order ten pizzas to feed everyone. We invited some of the neighbors to join us, as well as more teens and kids. Ten pizzas were very quickly demolished. Again, it was evident that the kids felt Dicks love and returned it in their individual ways.
Wednesday was a travel day. After a couple hours in Antigua, we boarded a double decker Litegua bus for the six hour trip to Puerto Barrios. Despite overhead speakers blaring movies dubbed in Spanish, the trip was nice and we enjoyed seeing more of the country. We were met by Paul Tonetti (a former Mercy Ships crewmate) and he immediately took us to the small house where we would be staying. After dinner, we got a tour of Shofar Stereo, the Christian radio station where he serves as general manager.
The next day we took a small boat up Rio Dulce (Sweet River) and enjoyed the sights and fellowship with Paul. We stopped in Livingston (a small town founded by African slaves), swam in the warm river, and enjoyed a natural hot spring. We also explored a cave, saw a fort on the banks of Lake Izabal, visited a Mayan craft shop, and had a nice seafood lunch at a waterfront restaurant.
When we arrived home, we changed and met a youth group of college age Christians who had come up from Puerto San Jose. We all went out to a local place for dinner and shared testimonies and stories together. They were very enthusiastic for the Lord and some of them previously had done a DTS (Discipleship Training School). After dinner, we treated them to ice cream (helado) at McDonalds and had more time to talk and interact. Then it was back to the radio station where we joined them for worship and a short message. It was so beautiful to hear these passionate youth sing praises in Spanish..
The next day was the radio station’s planned outreach event, scheduled to take place in a local park for the street kids and Christians of Puerto Barrios. After breakfast with the youth group, we went back to the radio station and shared dramas between our two teams. They really liked Prayer Warrior and we spent a couple hours teaching it to them.
It was truly a day of Jesus being proclaimed! The event featured a Christian rap team, the Puerto San Jose youth group, and our team as the three primary acts. There was also a girls dance team, emcees, and event organizers speaking and sharing. Intercessors from local churches surrounded the bleachers lifting up the event in prayer. Dominos Pizza and other restaurants donated food. For smaller children, the organizers had piñatas filled with candy. In total, the program was planned for three hours. A local Christian man donated a huge sound system and the city municipality agreed to turn the power on at the stage for free.
The plan was to have a live broadcast of the event on the radio, but computer problems prevented it. As the service began the steady rain did not deter people too much; they just huddled on the stage or under umbrellas waiting for it to dissipate. Over 300 people of all ages turned out for the event.
We were scheduled to come on about 45 minutes after it started. Our team (called Wobble) performed Ragman, and then had a short break while the youth group performed a drama. Roland followed by sharing a testimony, and then we did Prayer Warrior. James closed with a message (translated by Tyler) full of verses and illustrations of spiritual warfare, the lies of the enemy, and God’s true intention for our lives.
More than coincidently, during our time on stage which focused on the reality of spiritual warfare, Willem (who was in the back of the stands praying for us) noticed a man nearby suddenly start shouting lies, swears, and mocking the message. He began to cause a distraction around him. Willem and other Christian organizers began to fervently pray that he would stop his verbal abuse and tirade. As James continued to preach, he suddenly stopped shouting and jumped off the back wall and left. We believe that the Holy Spirit stopped whatever demonic attack was manifesting. Praise God, we are victorious through Him!
It was a wonderful evening of fellowship, encouragement, sharing gifts, and teaching. The organizers felt relieved and happy it had gone so well, despite the rain and any minor setbacks. We helped clean up, pack everything, and then headed home for a late dinner.
The next morning we shared one more meal with the youth group, said our goodbyes, visited the radio station a last time, and then caught a Litegua bus back to Guatemala City. The Brauns picked us up and we had a final dinner with them. Early the next morning Roland, James, and Willem left for the airport, followed a few hours later by Jolyn, Susan, and myself.
Our time in Guatemala has ended. But we will never forget the sweet fellowship and ministry we participated in. This Guatemala trip took place because God asks us to go forth into the nations; and out of our love for Him we responded to this command. May all we have done in His strength bring glory to His Kingdom. Thank you Lord! Thank you for your prayers and support as well. You were all part of the unseen team that helped equip and enable us to do mighty things in His name.
Bless you all -
Love and appreciation,
David, James, Jolyn, Roland, Susan, and Willem
May we remember to keep praying for:
• Strong Tower Ministries (the Brauns and the Comstocks)
• The people of Liquidambo and San Antonio (including the Christians and the pastor of the church we worked on)
• Veronica (a girl in San Antonio who has a severe and inoperable heart condition)
• Dick Rutgers (the wheelchair ministry and all those at Hermano Pedro)
• Paul Tonetti (Shofar Sterero 95.1 fm in Puerto Barrios)
• The Puerto San Jose youth group
• Ginnie Speiser and those at the Antigua YWAM base
• Ginnie Walker (full time missionary) at the special needs learning center
• Our other brothers and sisters who toil daily as missionaries in Guatemala
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