Each and every year we are blessed by the hand of God. It always amazes me at how much we can do with the little we have to work with each year. Each year as we offer up the donations to God and give HIM the glory, miracles happen. The peanuts we have to work with miraculous seems to turn into filet mignon, and it just seems like our dollars go further and are able to make such a larger impact with the little we have to work with. When you put God first, and give HIM the glory, watch in awe at what HE will do!
We ended 2022 with a free concert for the community giving God the praise and thanking HIM for what HE has done in 2022 and what He is going to do in 2023. When this year started, this land we purchased was nowhere near flat. As you can see from the banks, we had to cut and move a small mountain to level the lot as in the original photo below. The land was brought up level to the top of the septic tank access you see sticking out of the ground. Additionally, we were able to install storm drainage and a sewage system for our clinic. It is costly to move dirt around and put stuff in the ground you can’t physically see. As an engineer I know these things have to be done, but it is hard to explain these costs sometimes to donors who like to see money spent on tangible things you can see.
Let me assure anyone with doubts, every penny that is given has a higher purpose that is not measured in Earthly tangible things. We had over 300 in attendance for the concert, and over 20 accepted Jesus during the invitation! Had we not spent the money to level this land, we would not have been able to hold this crusade and concert. As with everything we do, our goal is to lead folks to Jesus. In this case, God used dirt and level ground, so that folks could hear the love of Jesus through music and preaching to come to HIM.
Over 1000 vegetable plants were distributed to the children in the community in 2022, in an effort to teach them how to grow and harvest their own food. This created a spark of interest and pride in the children to care for their plants and produce food for their families.
Below the children are showing you the egg plants and papaya trees, they are growing. The papaya trees will continue to grow and produce fruit over and over.
In 2022 we provided several thousand pounds of emergency food for various families throughout the community who literally had nothing to eat. I will never forget on one of my last nights in Guatemala on a recent trip, one of the young boys asking me for money to buy some food. We made a plan and now monitor and provide food for families in crisis. What good are we as Christians if we let a child go to bed hungry while we enjoy a good dinner ourselves…. yet so many still do. We need more folks to catch a burden and help us in so many ways, this just being one of them.
In 2022 we had several children and adults with medical emergencies that needed a hospital visit, and we were able to help. One little boy close to our hearts is Juanito. He has various health problems, one being a hernia which needs surgery soon, however he recently had to be hospitalized because he got covid pneumonia. Praise God we were there to help his family who otherwise would not have had any options to get help. Today, Juanito is doing great and will soon have his hernia removed. I am also blessed to have an incredible partner in Giovanny and Evelyn who also share our same heartbeat of sharing the love of Jesus to these children. They often bring numerous children into their homes providing hot meals and baths for the little ones like Juanito.
In 2022 we had over 6000 patients come through our medical clinic, on average about 500 per month from all over this region. We have an incredible staff that loves the Lord, and it shows through how they care for their patients. We have seen patients healed in the name of Jesus that could not walk due to medical conditions, we have saved several lives that were in eminent danger of death due to medical conditions they came in with. Countless numbers of stitches that were administered and removed. Countless numbers of medicines we were able to provide, rashes, strep, fevers, RSV, staph infections, MRSA, etc., we have seen it and have treated it. The clinic is open to everyone and is free to those in need that we have pre-screened, and for everyone else is equivalent to about $1.50 which we use to help purchase medicines. God always provides for our needs, and no one is turned away.
In 2022 I really have no idea how much baby formula and nutritional milk supplements for expecting mothers we have given out. What I can tell you is that we have ended baby and childhood malnutrition in this village! Because of this work, you will not find a sickly looking, skin and bones baby anywhere in this village. We praise God and shout HIS glory to the heavens for this accomplishment! God is so good!!
In 2022 we put the finishing touches on the medical clinic in order for us to do everything you just read about, and a whole lot more which we can’t publish for privacy’s sake. What started as an abandoned mud hut is now one of the most modern and beautiful medical facilities in the area. This year we completed the facilities and installed AC units, a covered courtyard area, installed a glass front door, and had custom cabinets made for our supplies. As you can see, we have also started on the 2nd floor! God is so good!!
And finally in 2022, we started construction on our first Center of Dreams Project on the second floor above the medical clinic. This is phase one of a multi-phase project to develop a larger campus behind this facility. These facilities will allow us to continue to meet all the physical and medical needs of this community and allow us to expand into new areas like a dental clinic, sonogram and imaging clinic, and other specialized areas of medicine. And what I am most excited about is our Center of Dreams Project. This project will inspire young minds to have a dream, and Lord willing, give them the tools through education and motivation to reach those dreams in a Christ centered environment.
When you inspire young minds to dream, and you give them the motivation and tools needed to make those dreams realities, it changes their lives. I have said before, poverty is a mindset, it is a trap of satan to keep someone in bondage. You change the way someone thinks, you spark a dream, and help guide them and encourage them, and give them the tools they need, watch what God can do. I know, as I was once trapped in this same mindset during the 2009 recession when our world fell apart financially. Praise God, He shook me out of that dark place and today, because of the spark and dream that the Holy Spirit gave me, just look at what HE has done and IS doing! That is why this is called the Center of Dreams. So many folks go through life not having any dreams or ambitions. They live day to day and don’t have any future goals.
On this New Year’s Day, January 1, 2023, may I encourage you to ask God to give you a dream. Don’t make another New Year’s Resolution you aren’t going to keep, rather ask God to give you a dream, give you a purpose for the rest of your life. And let me tell you a secret, don’t be afraid to DREAM BIG! We are DREAMING BIG in 2023!
Clinica Sus Manos or His Hands Clinic was once a dream and is now a reality. Centro de Suenos de Sus Manos Int. or His Hands International Center of Dreams was once a dream and is closer to becoming reality every day. In 2022, God made this happen also. He takes our little basket of bread and fish we offer up, and in return makes miracles happen. Our money and supplies miraculously keep going further than what is humanly possible.
We are praising God the walls are up. We operate on faith debt free, always have, and always will. Now we need to put a roof on and close it all in. Because of what God has done, we have already inspired dreams through our projects. When we say we are going to do something, we step out in faith and do it, and the folks of this village have seen time and time again God’s faithfulness.
We need roughly $40-50k minimum to finish this project with the construction and all the kitchen equipment, fixtures, furniture, equipment, computers, and classroom supplies to get this facility up and running. Then we will need at least $3k monthly to run it. Would you pray about what part God may want you to play? You will be helping to inspire dreams and changing lives for eternity. These 4 little boys below have been watching us, and also waiting for this project to be completed, so their dreams can begin.
Will you be a Dream Partner? We are asking folks to partner with us in praying, giving, and going. Praying for God to use us to make an impact in their lives for eternity, praying God will break the bondage of poverty satan has them trapped in. Giving, by making a financial commitment to support us on a monthly basis, or however He leads. Going, by making a commitment to physically coming to the mission field and investing your time in these children’s lives. This New Year, 2023, dare to dream big for God!
Please visit the Donations Information tab on our website to find ways to give.
May God inspire you to Dream Big for HIS glory in 2023!
