Our Student Teachers had quite a day!

  Thank Heavens that Carmen Marie was here today. We had to evacuate everyone from  the center. Fortunately, our Student teachers were there to help  move  the 11 wheelchair kids to my house.

God is Good!! 

Fidel Salazaar

Sandra Benitez

Yader Gonzalez

Carlos David Lopez

I am in the middle of reading "Why Jesus"

   Currently reading the chapter on pain and suffering. The Author, Ravi Zacharias, has written extensively on this topic many times.  Most great Apologists and Theolgians have also taken a crack at it.  I most enjoyed the quote below by the Scotsman and writer James Stewart:

 It is a glorious phrase – “He led captivity captive." The very triumphs of His foes, it means, He used for their defeat. He compelled their dark achievements to subserve His end, not theirs. They nailed Him to the tree, not knowing that by that very act they were bringing the world to His feet. They gave Him a cross, not guessing that He would make it a throne. They flung Him outside the gates to die, not knowing that in that very moment they were lifting up all the gates of the universe, to let the King come in. They thought to root out His doctrines, not understanding that they were implanting imperishably in the hearts of men the very name they intended to destroy. They thought they had defeated God with His back the wall, pinned and helpless and defeated: they did not know that it was God Himself who had tracked them down. He did not conquer in spite of the dark mystery of evil. He conquered through it." -- James Stewart, Scotland

Welcome to the New Director Roberto Martinez Porras

 Dr. Roberto Martinez has become the director of the center: Centro Residencial Psiquiatrico y Neurologico (CRPN). It is there that Cadanino focuses most of our work and resources. We have 5 employees to manage and he has about 50 employees to manage. At Cadanino we go home after work and worry just a little. Dr. Roberto goes home and worries and manages a lot: 24x7 he is responsible for all aspects of the center. As a residential living center with complicated kids, he can get a call with a problem any time: night or day.

  His wife just gave birth to their second child. He has a great and loving Christian heart.  In addition
to his kids and our center (CRPN) he has a private practice as well. Needless to say, he is a busy man. I hope he finds time to sleep some!

Our Father Which Art...... is his Father too

 One of our orphans is slowly dying from stomach cancer. He was saved from an intestinal blockage which nearly killed him  about 8 months ago.  The doctor's proceeded  with a three phase chemotherapy treatment that is often successful, but not in Juan Pablo's case.  The tumors have spread and continued to grow.   The treatments were really quite  commendable and amazing when you consider how poor this third world country is.  The medical staff truly gave him excellent treatment especially when compared to that which is generally available here.

   Pablo is a dear warm and kind man. He is an orphan and has lived most of his 44 years in various institutions and foster homes. He almost always has a smile and an outreached hand to welcome you.  In spite of very low intelligence he remembers people and maintains a bit of a running dialogue with visitors and his care givers.


  Please pray for him and his peace with the Lord.   We are trying to locate a Hospice type arrangement for him during these later stages of his wasting disease. I am going to post a bit of the feedback and insights we have had from a post that I placed on a Missionaries website here in Guatemala. I will also try to update this blog or another more private one as his condition and the support community  evolve.

  This is what I posted to the Private Yahoo Newsgroup"

   
  "----Original Message-----
Sent: 3 Aug 2012 18:33:58 GMT
To: Intermissions@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [Intermissions] Question about Cancer Care and Hospice in Guatemala

 

Does anyone have insight into available options for local people to deal with late stage cancer? We have a man in out center that is about 45 years old and has not responded to cancer treatments. He is developmentally challenged as well. His name is Juan Pablo. We are looking for solutions to show the Lord's love as he prepares to leave this world. We believe that we can secure donations to give him decent care and a relatively pain-free last few months. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

Jamie Waller

jamiewaller@gmail.com
43565671"

 
  Various people have given me feedback, but for the most part there is little in the way of Hospice type care here in GT.  We continue to look for solutions:

  One email was sent that I found quite interesting. I quote below nearly in it's entirety:

" think too many times we expect to find things here like we would in the states. We have to keep in mind we are not in the states. We take for granted what our country does do and focus more on what they do not do.

When you think about it we as a mission community are trying to export compassion. We bring our convictions of caring for the poor and those in need to a place that those are just as foreign a concept as we ourself are to them. I think many times in missions we have wanted to be the answer to the issues and we have not imparted that vision. I think that is why he said to go forth and preach the gospel and make disciples. In the process of making disciples we are able to impart the vision God has given us. Plus in this same process God imparts his vision into the hearts of the people.
I think we need to slow down learn the culture we are in and understand its quarks and work from within that to bring change and transformation. 

So you have to ask how does your community deal with this season in this mans life? What do they see as an honoring way for him to spend his last days? Then you have to ask the Lord is the reason you know him is to walk this out with him? Maybe this is your ministry call for right now? You have to ask God that question and obey his answer. 

I am walking this out as we speak in the Mayan community of Cerro De Oro. I do not claim to have victory over this area just have some insight with my own dealings in recent weeks."

     We are also currently working with Dennis McCutcheon and trying to meet with Christian Hospice International that may have some representatives in the country presently. 

Please pray for Juan Pablo. 

Summer 2012 Newsletter

Cadanino Summer Newsletter  -  2012



Just a brief note to update  our friends who care and think about, “Cadanino”.  As you know,   we totally rely on the love of Jesus Christ and God’s people in order to have a positive impact in the lives of the children and caregivers here. Our goal is to deliver the hope we have in the Gospel message here in Guatemala to the Children, the Caregivers and the Culture. The Three C’s.
  The true joy this year has been the visiting Angels from our Church - Casa de Libertad.
Nike Borges and her prayer group have visited continuously throughout the year. They have helped with medical missions programs and days of happiness and joy.  They have done so very much to  encourage the children and our  staff. Their presence is so amazing. They are Prayer Warriors and live the Gospel in our midst. They volunteer to spend their free time and witness and love on, “the least of these”. Their love for Jesus Christ brings to life the Gospel message and has  incalculable impact.
Bless them all and please pray for them. Though there are some who visit only occasionally; a shout out of special thanks: Nike, Chochi, Alina, Beatrice, Lisette  and several of their teen  and adult children.  
 Our friends from  The Village Church returned this year. Kelli, Chris, Kris and Heather were an enormous help. Vera guided them and always seemed to have the solution and resources at precisely the right moment.  Since Kellie knew the needs of the kids, she really was able to fine tune the work to meet the needs of the wheelchair kids. There were many happy faces to see them when they arrived.


Cadanino  Children:

Hector is seven and starting to stand up and walk. The missions team from the Village Church outfitted him with leg braces and special shoes. He had surgery a year ago to release his Achilles  tendons and surrounding muscles so that his feet would move in a semi-normal manner. He is alive with wonder and tries to go into the areas where  the big kids are playing.
Hector is one of our success stories.

Ingrid is making progress as well. She can stand for longer periods of time and take steps with great help or the specialized walker.  As I write this, I realize that what some readers may recognize is that this is what we have been saying about her for 12 to 24 months. So the progress is very very slow and only perceptible when spending time with her. She remains in her Autistic world and only comes out a bit. The effects of neglect and institutionalization have manifested themselves in her exclusively inward focus. She waits for the world to come to her. Sometimes when walking with her, I can feel her try to pull in a direction because she may have a sense of interest  in some sounds  or not want to continue with the exercise. Helping her to advance in indepence is  an exceedingly slow and seemingly unrewarding process.
It gives me  time to think about how patient God is with all of us. He sees us make little progress for days and years on end and yet He does not give up on us.

Suzy is Okay. Just Okay (and that may be pretty good). She can hold her head up a bit longer and roll over better. We are concerned about her weight and continued upper respiratory infections. We are in discussions to have her transferred the Hermano San Pedro in Antigua. They  offer  specialized care commensurate with the challenges Suzy presents.  The medical staff and equipment are far more aligned to the Cerebral Palsy she has.   She remains the darling of the center and everybody adores her. She has the most expressive eyes I have ever seen and her smile could launch not just one thousand ships. but one thousand and one ships.

Anahi is making little progress. She received the same operation that I mentioned above that Hector responded to. She is extremely prone to colds and the flu.  In the three and a half years that I have been here, she has been the hardest child to reach.  In my early time at the center she was a child that I gravitated towards.  She was the smallest and easiest to love on. In spite of a fair amount of time and attention, she never appeared to bond with me or others.  Perhaps some cognition is present, but it is hard to identify. You may remember that she is the child where we believe her Father is also her Grandfather.  Profoundly low intelligence and severe autism makes it difficult to relate to her.  Again, I think of God when I hold her and pray with and for her. I thank God for her precious life and ask for His Guidance.

With the new management at the center all children are receiving more care and attention. Some of my personal favorites are Yolanda, Manuel de Jesus, Cintia and Sandra. They are the lost and forgotten children. They may have reflujo and/or PICA. This often creates profoundly bad breath and or particles escaping from their mouths that are truly nauseating to most of us.   The solution previously had been to keep them hidden in an isolation area. Now that they are out and about and more independent they are growing and responding. There is a new Teacher who is working specifically with this group. It is such a Blessing.  Los Olvidados  (The Forgotten) is a population we need to reach.  

  A new Federal Government came into power in January. They have been making many major changes in the employee base of virtually all government institutions. They are thoughtful and caring people- at least the ones in the social services part of the government.
While patronage appointments are prevalent, they are at least attempting to place capable people with appropriate skills at each level. We have been Blessed with a new Director who is Doctor of Psychiatry. A man with a great heart and enormous intelligence. He has been a breath of fresh air and much anticipated. We are extremely happy to have him here.

  This mission and ministry is really about the Kids. It’s about how to bring God’s Love into their lives.  It’s about not forgetting them.  The Church and most of us have relied on the government to take care of the widows and orphans.  We have relied too much on the state to solve the entire lives of the complex people in our society. We as believers (and non-believers) need to take love and care back to this population. With their basic needs provided for by the government, we have a unique opportunity to impact these lives.

Fotos Carrera Junio 24 2012 Guatemala Por Corazon

Carrera Aqui en la Capital  Carrera GNC "Corre con el Corazón", 5 y 10K

Domingo, 24 de Junio. 8:00 a.m.

Domo, Zona 13. Guatemala
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Fotos from Fundaninos y Casa De Libertad