This Christmas our children were blessed to have three different groups of people donate gifts for their Christmas.  The first group was led by some friends of our from our church small group.  They spoke with friends and family member and raised fund to not only buy Christmas presents but to also have dinner and a piñata. We wrote about it before and you can read about the wonderful evening here.

On Christmas eve, we brought the rest of the presents over and celebrated Christmas with all the children.  We started the evening reading about the birth of Christ and explaining that this is the true meaning behind Christmas.  The gifts and presents, while exciting and fun, are meant to symbolize the greatest gift of all: the birth of Christ.  Diana did a wonderful job reading the story with passion and excitement and afterwards, we prayed with all the children.  Then after a brief photo session, we dove into the Christmas gifts.

The second group of gifts also came from our church, but this was organized by our Operation Christmas Child program.  If you aren’t familiar with it, church members fill a shoe box full of items for either a boy or a girl of a specific age.  Then these christmas boxes are delivered to children who might not have gotten a present.  Best of all, they include a personal note in the box, sharing about their families, favorite Bible verses, and what Christ means to them.  It truly is a wonderful program that puts smiles on faces of thousands of children around the world.  Thankfully, this year the program leaders selected us as one of the groups that would be receiving these gifts.  We picked them up from church and brought them over to the children on Christmas Eve and they loved them!  It’s amazing how much stuff can fit into a shoe box.

The third set of Christmas presents came from Diana’s sister that was in from Spain.  She and her husband graciously donated some gifts for all the children.  When we handed out these gifts all of the children were in awe of what they received, but no one more than Willie.  He received a plastic yellow truck and when he saw it he couldn’t contain his excitement.  He repeatedly went around to all of us showing his bright yellow truck with a smile that stretched ear to ear.  Even after handing out the other presents, he always went back to the truck and even when we left a few hours later, he was still running up and down the halls with it.

To us it’s always amazing how such small things can have the biggest impact in the lives of children.  While they of course love the gifts, what truly brings a smile to their faces is to know they aren’t forgotten.  They realized that there are people beyond the children’s home that love and pray for them.  That’s the greatest gift of all: to share hope, peace, love, and comfort to children that sometimes feel abandoned and ignored.

We would like to publicly thank all of the people that were involved in making this such a wonderful Christmas for our children.  People sacrificed time and money to bring a smile to our children’s faces and we can’t be more thankful.  I would also like to thank Diana publicly for contacting, planning and organizing the three different groups of presents.  She was the catalyst for all the gifts the children received.

Thank you all and God bless!

Here are some pictures from our Christmas

We are always looking for unique ways for people to support our ministry and with the help of a few friends (Susie, Christy, and Mary Louise), we have come up with the best yet: our Online Gift Catalog.  If you are looking for a unique way to give a gift to a friend or loved one, look no further than our gift catalog.  Our gift catalog has multiple gifts at different prices that all benefit the children of Hope For Tomorrow.  It’s a perfect way to give a gift that will not only bring a genuine smile to the recipient’s face but also impacts the lives of orphaned children in Guatemala.  Not to mention it saves you the time and trouble of searching for something he or she probably already has.  It’s a win win!

After choosing your gift, you also have the option of personalizing a card that explains the impact their gift has on our ministry.  It’s easy to email or print and is the perfect complement to the gift you have given.

To see our gift catalog, just click here or go to www.hope4tomorrow.net/gifts/

Of course, you can always continue to make an online donation or sponsor a child.  Our online gift catalog is just one more way  for you to support our children.

One final idea is to combine a Hope Birthday with our Online Gift Catalog.   The next time you have a birthday or anniversary party, instead of requesting gifts, point people to our online gift catalog and have them purchase their gifts for you there.  A Hope Birthday and our Online Gift Catalog is a match made in heaven!

This past week we had a few of our friends from church come over and celebrate Christmas with our children.  Two couples, Pablo and Wendy, and Byron and Jennifer, came by Friday afternoon with a few surprises.  They started off with dinner from Burger King, which the children just loved.  In fact, it was Juanita and Willie’s first cheeseburger ever, and they didn’t quite know what to do with it!  After dinner, they brought out a piñata for everyone to enjoy and one by one the children took turns whacking the paper mache Smurf.  Finally, for the main event, we moved to the living room where one by one the couples gave each child a Christmas gift.

The evening was quite special, not because of the food or gifts or presents, but because of the interaction between the children and our friends.  It’s not too often that Guatemalan’s come by and visit the children, but when they do, the connection between the two groups is always very special.  They understand each other cultural which is so important.  They speak the same language, share the same jokes, know the television shows, remember the same games they played when they were younger.  This, more than anything else, make these moments so important and inspiring.

So thank you to Pablo, Wendy, Byron, and Jennifer, and to all their friends that donated to make the evening possible.  It was wonderful!

Our friends took some pictures while they were there and we wanted to share them here.

If there is one child that exemplifies all that we desire for our children, it is Carlos.  He is a living testimony of how the Lord can transform lives if we would just believe in them and give them a chance to shine.  In such a short time we have seen Carlos achieve goals that people thought were unobtainable, such as walking.  However, as Carlos gets older, our next concern for him is his continued education.  He is now at the age where he should be starting first grade.  Unfortunately, in Guatemala the school system isn’t set up to include children like Carlos.  Rather than include children with disabilities, they segregate them into other schools that only focus on children with special needs.  There is a movement to change this and in fact a law has already been established to encourage schools to include children with special needs, but progress is slow.  As we look at Carlos and the incredible intellectual potential he has, this situation broke our heart.  Would this be the end of Carlos’ education?

We discussed this very issue during the most recent visit of co-founder Jennifer.  After a few days of thinking and praying, the Lord placed on our heart the idea of walking down to the Christian school that the older children attend and asking them if they would be open to the possibility of allowing Carlos to study there next year.  Of course, we knew exactly how crazy of an idea this was.  Not only were we asking this school to step into new territory, but we were also asking them to take responsibility of Carlos, to manage and deal with the questions and concerns other parents were sure to bring up, to make drastic changes to their curriculum and program, and to possibly hire on another teacher…and all of this just to accommodate one child!  But “what is impossible with man, is possible for God”, and in faith we ran down to the school.

Without a moment to spare, Jennifer and I walked into the school offices as they were about to close down for the week.  The elementary principal was about ready to leave and actually wanted to meet with us the following week, but Jennifer was leaving on Sunday and I was heading to the States on Tuesday.  It was now or never!  Thankfully, the principal agreed to meet with us and we opened up our hearts and began to share about Carlos, his situation, and just how incredible he was.  We spoke of his determination and how he had overcome such big obstacles like walking.  We shared about his intelligence and how bright he is.  Anything and everything we could think of we shared trying to persuade this elementary school principal to be open to the possibility of Carlos studying there.

As we finished up, the principal, tears in her eyes, leaned forward and said, “this is God’s timing.”  She explained that for the past 3 months they had been praying and considering opening their school to children with disabilities.  In fact, they already had a teacher on staff that is trained in teaching children with special needs!  The only problem was that the school had a potential child but at the last minute they backed out and were currently without a child that could come.  But now, in God’s timing, we came talking about Carlos!  Talk about an exciting moment!  To see two organizations with the same vision and same goal to be brought together in God’s timing.  It couldn’t have been more perfect.

Unfortunately, it was far from a done deal.  The principal and teacher were completely for it, but, as in any school, they have to answer to a board of directors that ultimately has to decide one way or another.  We left that meeting cautiously optimistic.  The following week, I went to the States to share with churches and small groups about our ministry and I was sure to share about this incredible story.  But most importantly, I wanted people to be praying for the school and the board of directors.  This would be a huge decision for them, one that financially and socially might not make any logical sense, but with an army of people praying we were confident that the Lord would prove his faithfulness again.

Three weeks later, I was back and we were at the children’s home sharing pictures from my trip with the children when a phone call came in from the school…Carlos had been accepted!  Next year, Carlos will be officially enrolled in a first grade class!  We were all extremely excited and overjoyed with the incredible opportunity Carlos is going to have this coming January.  But this isn’t just good news for Carlos, this is great news for all children with special needs.  God is opening doors in Guatemala and is going to use children like Carlos to transform education.  Carlos will be at the forefront of this incredible change and it will benefit hundreds if not thousands of lives in the coming years.

Over and over again, we have seen the Lord do amazing things in the lives of our children.  These children are so much more than just “orphans” in the hands of God and are capable of achieving the impossible.  This is just the beginning!

After driving more than 3000 miles over two weeks, I am back, and what an incredible trip. Over the entirety of my travels I saw the Lord answering the prayer requests I had asked people to be lifting up. I had wonderful travels to and from the States and even as I drove from State to State, I saw God’d protection. Each visit with the churches and small groups that had been lined up went off wonderfully and it was a pleasure to share with them about our ministry and children. Honestly, things couldn’t have gone better. And despite the long trip, the late nights and early mornings, and being away from my beautiful wife for an extended time, I returned from the US refreshed and rested. Thank you all for your prayers and support during this trip. Thank you for helping to set up the numerous meetings and speaking engagements. Thank you to all the host families that allowed me to stay the night in their homes. Finally, thank you to all the churches that gave me time to share about our ministry. God bless you all!

See a recap of my travels, photos, and even an interactive map.

August and September Recap

August and September were activity packed months for the children of Hope for Tomorrow Children’s Home.  It started just a few days after we took the older children to the movies in July.  Since we didn’t want to leave the little ones out, together with our volunteer Kristina we organized a trip to Islaventura, a gigantic play place that we have taken the children to in the past (see pictures of our trip to Islaventura here).   The preschoolers had a blast climbing and running around the three story high jungle gym, especially Carlos who feels at home since there are so many places for him to grab ahold of.  This was also a great environment for us to interact with Rosa and Diego since they had just came to our home a few weeks back.  Both of them had constant smiles on their faces and it was evident that they had never experienced something like this before in their lives.  After we returned, the older children were a bit jealous, but we graciously reminded them that they went to the movies just a few days before.  “Oh, yeah, you’re right,” they replied as they recalled the trip.  While it’s fun to do activities with all the children together, it’s also good for us to be able to split the children up and do age appropriate activities with the different groups as well.

The following week, our second oldest Edwin, turned 10 years old.  To make the event unforgettable Kristina lovingly paid for a clown to come to the party.  It was something we had never done with the children and we knew it would be a hit.  However, when the clown came to the home dressed up with his painted face, red nose, and big shoes, Edwin ran away screaming!  He hid behind Blanca, noticeably shook up, as Clown Peace rolled his suitcase of props into the living room.  Diana and I both looked at each other wondering if we had made a huge mistake.  If Edwin didn’t like the clown then the entire party would have been a disaster.  But the clown, very professionally began his show and little by little, Edwin warmed up to him.  It was obvious that this wasn’t the first time the birthday child had been scared of a clown.  Within a matter of minutes, Edwin was volunteering to be the clown’s assistant and spent the show helping him perform “magic” tricks.  Edwin felt like the king of the afternoon, exactly what we wanted!  All of the children (and adults!!) had a blast and it was wonderful to hear, weeks after the party was over, the children still singing the songs they had learned with the clown (see pictures of the party here and watch videos of Edwin’s party here).

Independence Day Parades and Activities

A few weeks later we were in the month of September and all kinds of crazy took place.  September is usually a busy month because Guatemala celebrates its independence on the 15th and most schools have some sort of patriotic activity with their students, be it a parade or presentation.  The school the older children attend has a first class marching band and the entire school participates in some way.  The first graders, where Lidia is, dress up as different representations of cultural aspects of Guatemala.  This year, Lidia was the Guatemalan flag!  The second graders on march normally behind the band, but the students with the highest grades become flag bearers and have the special honor of carrying the different flags in front of the other grades.  This year, we are proud to share that Amelia had that honor, as she had the highest grades among her second grade peers.  It was an incredible feeling to watch Amelia, wearing white gloves, walk with her head high as she carried the flag and led her class in the parade (see pictures of Amelia, Lidia and the parade here).

During all these festivities, Miguel and his fifth grade class were back at the school getting ready for the typical market to begin.  All of the older classes split up in groups with some cooking and selling food and others, like Miguel, putting up decorations.  Everything from the parade to the market afterwards is a wonderful time for the children to not only have fun but also to learn about their country.

Continuing with the independence festivities, the following week our own preschool organized a market day as well.  The morning began with the preschoolers doing some dances common among the indigenous populations.  All the children get dressed up in cultural outfits and they even painted little mustaches on the boys!  After the dances, the children helped make and serve Guatemalan food like “tostadas” (hard corn tortillas with guacamole and cheese in top), “chuchitos” (potato based ball filled with chicken), and “atol de elote” (a thick corn drink that is hot and sweet).  Last year, when we did the market there were only 3 children that participated in the dance.  This year, with the addition of the new children, there were seven!  Oh, how we have grown (see pictures of our Hope Preschool Market Day here).

The special school activities came to an end with Edwin’s school and their presentations.  Like last year, Edwin participated in a cultural dance, but this year he was paired with a girl!  It was adorable to see Edwin and his partner dancing away.  By far they were the cutest couple (see pictures of Edwin here and watch him dance here)!

To the Park

As the month of September was coming to an end we did one final activity with the children, taking advantage of the fact the children were out of school due to the presidential election.  We always like to take the children on new adventures so this time we went to a huge park outside the city (see pictures of our trip to the park here) on the way to Antigua.  Unfortunately when we arrived it began to drizzle and we were sure it was going to ruin the morning.  Thankfully, within a few minutes it let up, the clouds parted, and the sun began to shine.  While we have gone to parks before in the past, this was by far the biggest and the children really let loose.  They were running around enjoying the freedoms on the great outdoors.  Lidia, bless her heart, fell down about a half dozen times, since the ground was a bit slick from the recent rain.  And being the rather sensitive person she is, she probably spent half of the time crying on Diana’s shoulder!

About half way through the morning we got a group basketball game together and it was fun playing as a family, passing the ball back and forth and helping each other score.  A little later, we played some hide and seek and during one round, Diana laid 2 year old Daniel on a tree trunk that was slanted at almost a 90 degree angle.  It was hilarious because he fit perfectly on the trunk and laid there as still as he could as he waited for someone to find him.  When someone did find him he would just giggle and grin.

Goodbye Daniel

September came to an end with a bittersweet moment as we took Daniel to his court hearing. After spending the past three months with us, it was now a judge’s decision on whether or not Daniel would stay with us or if he would go home with his family.  During Daniel’s time with us his family visited every moment they could and they were heartbroken when they had to leave.  The only peace they had was knowing Daniel was in a wonderful children’s home and was receiving great care.  By the time the court appearance came, it was evident that Daniel needed to be with his family.  Thankfully, after a short, but nerve-racking hearing, the judge ruled in favor of the family and Daniel could finally go home.   Tears of joy streamed from his mothers eyes as she embraced her son.  She repeatedly thanked us for everything we did for Daniel and all we could say is that it was a privilege for us to play such a crucial role in the life of this family.

The experience with Daniel has truly encouraged us and has given us a new perspective on our ministry.  We have come to see that we are not only called to restore the lives of orphan children, but also the lives of entire families.  To children that have been orphaned and abandoned, we have become their family.  One by one, with the direction and power of God, we are restoring their lives and giving them the opportunity to become the men and women God has called them to be.  But for other children like Daniel, that are only with us a short time, it is evident that they have been placed with us so we can help restore their broken families.  We have the opportunity to not only minister to the child but also the mother, father, aunts and uncles.  Many times the mistreatment that a child receives at home is because the parents themselves are hurt and burdened and we have the privilege to speak truth to their lives and watch as the Lord repairs the brokenness.  What an incredible honor and calling.

Most people don’t look very forward to their 50^th birthday. I was certainly one of those people. However, my 50^th birthday turned out to be a red letter day for me. Co-Founder of Hope for Tomorrow, Brenda Riddle worked with my family and friends to throw me a surprise party that I will long remember. Around 50 of my family, friends, and co-workers surprised me at the Alumni House at the University of Kentucky on April 28^th. We had wonderful hors devours, birthday cake, and a special slide show developed by my “longest” friend, Rita Rector. The biggest surprise of the evening was a special performance by my second family; the children of Hope for Tomorrow. They sang “Happy Birthday” to me in both Spanish and English. The children prepared a choreographed dance for me and each child introduced him or herself to my friends in Lexington. I felt so blessed to share this important day with my entire family. In honor of the occasion, Brenda asked that attendees make a donation to Hope for Tomorrow in lieu of birthday gifts. I am excited to report that my HOPE Birthday party raised nearly $2,000 for the children’s home.

This was not the first HOPE Birthday party in my family. When our son Kendall turned 11, he decided to forego gifts and asks friends to make a donation in his honor to Hope for Tomorrow. With the help of party-planner and steering committee member Diane Haynes, we had a carnival at my sister’s farm and invited his entire 5^th grade class. The children played “roulette”, corn hole, and other carnival games. In return for their success at the games, children earned tickets that they could “cash in” at the store we set up. There they could “buy” candy, toys, and trinkets with their tickets. At Kendall’s party, $400 was raised.

If you are looking for a creative way to celebrate someone’s special birthday, consider a Hope Birthday Party. It is a wonderful way to honor someone’s commitment to children in a way they will never forget. Please contact any of us on the steering committee if you need ideas!

Jennifer's 50th Birthday Invitation

Kendall's HOPE Birthday Party