International Christian Hospice News Letter

August to September 2011

Continuing in Guatemala

Pastor Francisco Ilias from Honduras ( ICH Central American Director) joined us for 3 days of work in Guatemala City. God has blessed him with many connections and we presented hospice training to 112 people from 3 different churches. It is always so amazing to see the Body of Christ at work in surprising places and ways. At one of our trainings we met Dr. Luiz Granajo who runs a medical clinic with 5 other MDs in the outskirts of the city. They serve the poor in Jesus’ name and he told of over 200 salvations through the ministry of his clinic over the past year. He shared that he has cared for many people with terminal illnesses and hospice care is a huge piece of what his staff does. We thank God for the opens doors for ICH work and look forward to working with the medical staff in hospice support training in the future. Thank you, Pastor Francisco, for your ongoing work in Central America, for ICH.

It is always fun to have “reunions” away from home! Richard and Barbara Banis flew into Guatemala to be a part of ICH internationally. Rich and Barbara serve on the ICH Board of Directors and Rich is our Financial Director. They now live in Asheville,

N.C. but have served for 28 years as overseas missionaries. We appreciate their friendship and hard work for ICH as well as the wisdom and experience they share with us. The photos above are of Rich and Barbara and our friends Paul and Ruth Philipi who have served as missionaries in Guatemala for 55 years. In our visit with the Philipi's we descovered that Barbara's brother had graduated with Paul from Moody Bible College. It truly is a small world! God teaches us again just how we are all connected through the body of Christ.

Vine International ( Medical Equipment & Supplies for Guatemala )

Dennis & Cindy McCutcheon

What great fellowship for the 6 of us as we got together with mutual old friends, Dennis and Cindy McCutcheon, who serve with Vine International in Guatemala City. Dennis and Cindy serve over 120 missions and other medical ministries in Guatemala by receiving containers (which originate at Vine base in Knoxville, Tenn.) of medical supplies and equipment. They negotiate with the port authorities, transport and unload containers in the Vine warehouse, then disperse whatever the Lord sends to them to those in need.

Do you enjoy sharing hugs, giving encouraging smiles or blowing soap bubbles? So do the residents of My Sweet Refuge Home for the Elderly. These 36 “grandparents”, affectionately so called by the 12 staff members, were a delight and blessing to us! One dear blind lady told us,
“ They are so good to me! They help me dress, feed me and take care of me!” Another elderly resident patiently did hand exercises with a fellow resident suffering with contractures caused by a stroke. We were able to pray with Everardo, a new resident who just arrived. Like many of the Grandparents upon arrival at My Sweet Refuge he was malnourished, failing in health and depressed. The staff told us that most of the folks arrive in similar condition from either poor homes, abandonment or off the street.

We were so impressed with the compassionate Christ-like staff. They shared with us during our ICH training session with them that over the past 6 months 11 residents have died and 8 of those came to know the Savior in their final weeks of life. Praise God that goal of Christian Hospice is alive and well in these servants who have a heart for those who are often the forgotten ones!

In the final days of August we welcomed 2 more members of our third team to Guatemala. Linda Craig, Hospice RN from Taylorsville, N.C. and Arleen Jennings, MDiv in counseling (also Ron’s sister) joined us as we returned to Chocola for ministry work with Dr. Sergio. Here are some events of the week.

· Prayer and ministry with patients in the mission hospital
· 3 clinic days in San Antonio
· Eye clinic screening and over 90 patients served
· Meeting with Quiche (key-chay) Pastor Eligio to present 40 Bibles which were donated by Deanie and Devon Shelton (Deanie was on our first team in July and saw the need).
· Visiting the village of Xojola to learn about the community development program started by Pastor Eligio. One of the team members described him as a “visionary”. He is initiating a program for the people in his own Mayan region to improve education, health care and microenterprise all Christ centered.

A young woman named Veira came to have her eyes checked the first day of our eye clinic. We were pleased to give her the reading glasses she needed and eye drops for irritation. But God knew she needed much more. As we do with everyone who passes through the eye clinic we directed her to our final station to receive her drops and prayer offered by a team member. Arleen was giving this special attention to each patient that day. As she began talking to Veira Arleen learned that she had not heard the Gospel story nor made a decision to follow Jesus. She eagerly read with Arleen through Billy Graham’s booklet in Spanish “Steps to Peace with God.” At the end Veira humbly prayed to receive Christ as her Savior. Arleen promised that she would have a Bible for her if she returned the next day. Veira came to the clinic at the appointed time the next day and received her new Bible which Arleen prepared with highlighted scriptures to help her in her new faith. Veira told Arleen that her job was the only support for herself, her husband and 2 children. Mario has been ill and out of work for several months and they could not pay for any more medical care. She said that last night she told him about her decision to follow Christ and he was very interested in her new faith. She made an appointment for Mario to see Dr. Sergio at the clinic the next day and she was so excited that our team would be there for a third day so we could meet him. God also knew she needed a local Pastor and church family to welcome her in. At that moment Pastor Mac, who had an eye exam the day before, came back by the clinic. He graciously talked with Veira, prayed with her and they shared phone numbers. The following day Mario came to the clinic alone because Veira was working. As he was waiting for his appointment with Dr. Sergio the time seemed perfect. Ron and Arleen introduced themselves to Mario and took him aside to pray with him and share the best news he had ever heard: “God loves you and wants to give you His presence and peace.” Mario was ready and without hesitation prayed to ask Christ to be his Savior and Lord. Wouldn’t you know it, Pastor Mac was in the neighborhood again and we introduced him to Mario. None of this was by accident. God loves us and as in the parable of the one lost sheep, our good Shepherd leaves the ninety nine in the fold and goes out in search of the one lost lamb. Pray for Veira and Mario with us. Pray that their whole family will come to Christ and also for Mario’s health.

Yesenia Valesqez has worked with us in the ICH Ministry for four years. A former student and now graduate of SETECA in Guatemala City Yesenia is now working for the Law & Justice Mission also in the City. This Mission works with widows, orphans the under privilaged to provide legal counsel and Christian support for the individual and their families.

The staff begin their work week with devotions on Monday morning and we enjoyed joining in. This is a great ministry and a tremendous need in Guatemala and other developing countires.

A special thank you from our ICH team to Union Church of Guatemala City. We were given the opportunity to share with a group of 60 in Sunday school about hospice and end-of-life issues. Union Church has a unique opportunity being an English speaking church in the capitol of a Spanish speaking country. It ministers to missionaries, foreign diplomats and business people who need fellowship in their own heart language.

Honduras in September

Rich and Barbara continued the journey with us to Honduras. We had a special time of fellowship and encouragement with ICH co-workers, Pastors Francisco and Wilmer, and their families in the San Pedro Sula area. Due to a strike of medical personnel in the government hospitals we had to postpone the hospice training which we were scheduled for in the Tela Government Hospital. Public education and medical care are very unstable in Central America. Government funds to pay nurses and teachers typically runs out or "mysteriously disappears” after the first 6 months of each yeat. So the workers go unpaid but as you can imagine most workers cannot continue for nothing. Therefore in the 7th and 8th months of the year “strikes” are the result and public schools and hospitals shutdown. Literally the doors are closed. The buildings are vacant. Last year the students in public schools only attended 100 days all year due to this problem. A young woman we know who has a brain tumor is still waiting to be seen in the hospital for evaluation for surgery. Peaceful demonstrations occur in the streets as workers march and burn tires which blocks traffic causing most commerce to halt in an attempt to impress the government. Those who suffer are the children, the sick and the people who really want to do their jobs. Private hospitals and private schools are few and expensive for the average person. This is an example of the cycle that keeps education and healthcare poor in most developing countries. Thus the need is great for medical teams and mission hospitals!

Our final point of ministry in September was with a family we met in April. Dennis was injured in a construction job and had both arms and one leg amputated. Maria is unable to work outside the home with 6 children and her husband to care for. The first time we met them they expressed their deep faith in God as the One who knows their situation and will provide for their needs. Mario and Maria both expressed desires to serve in their church. We were so impressed with them that we could not get them off our minds. God gave us some ideas and, praise Him, we were able to revisit them with gifts. Susan’s mother and sister were always great seamstresses. With their donations we were able to purchase and carry a portable sewing machine to Maria. Ron spent many long hours in his garage workshop developing and adapting a type of mechanical device for Dennis’ arm stubs. These will enable him to feed himself, brush his own teeth and grip objects. Ron and Dennis worked with the prototype and some fitting and adjustments will be necessary but they were excited and much encouraged about the potential. We also delivered children’s supplies for the neighborhood Bible club Maria teaches on Saturdays. We were very happy to hear Dennis’s news that the construction company has given him a job as a supervisor. What a sweet time of fellowship we had in their humble, dirt floor home! Their lives shout of God’s faithfulness and goodness even in the face of disaster and impossibility.

Thank you to all of you who pray and support us as we take hope and comfort in Jesus’ name to a world that is dying without Him. We could not be working in the calling from our Father without you all praying and giving as He has called you to do.

Serving Him with you,
Ron and Susan
803-781-0656 intlchristianhospice@yahoo.com

Tax receipts given for donations received at:
ICH
303 Madison Heights Dr.
Marshall, N.C. 28753
828-242-3090