It is almost exactly one year ago, February 1st to be exact, that we first took possession of the facility that would become the home and headquarters of Rocsana's Hope here in San Lucas, Sacatepequez, Guatemala. I will never forget walking into the house on the day we got the keys and how empty it felt...and it was truly empty, in every sense of the word. The older couple who had lived there for many years had relocated closer to their kids and they had removed all the furniture, appliances, and everything else you can think of from the house. We knew that we had a daunting task ahead of us and it was going to be a lot of work. But I ALSO remember thinking that the feeling of it being so empty was a feeling that was not going to last long, that once we started furnishing the house and receiving girls, it would not feel that way anymore...and I was right.
We were not able to stay in the house at first because we did not even have beds, and that took about a week and a half to shop for them, buy them, and have them delivered. So we stayed in an Airbnb until we got the beds and then finally got moved in the second week of February. We have come a long way since then. We now have a fully furnished kitchen complete with a new stove and refrigerator and all of the things needed to have and cook meals. We also bought a few plastic tables and chairs to use as dining room tables and office furniture. No need for wood for those things when we are just beginning. Then we turned our attention towards getting some of the girls' rooms ready which we did, complete with bunk beds, a wall and dresser storage unit designed for four girls, a small desk and some other storage units. We now have two complete rooms ready and we are hoping to continue to do add more of those as well.
It has truly been a journey, and sometimes not an easy one. We made the decision to come down and get started helping girls BEFORE we had all the funds we needed to do so. You see, we had a simple choice. We could wait until we had ALL the money OR we could raise enough to get started, get down there, and trust God to provide. When you do it the first way, it is much easier because you have all you need before you get started, but also if you do it that way, you have to wait much longer because of the amount of money that it was going to take, and all that time, we are not here and not helping any girls at all. So we took a real leap of faith and decided to simply trust God. Now I admit, there have been times when it has been really hard because we were scraping the bottom of the barrel, and I also have to admit that I hate that feeling. It is so easy to say the words "trust God" but wow is it ever more difficult when you are in a position where you actually have to live it.
We are in such a time right now. In my heart, I am praying and asking God to help us and provide the funds we so desperately need to continue our work. Oh how I wish it did not take money and help, but the harsh reality is that it does and we are 100% dependent on God and the obedience of His people to make it month to month. I will also say that I do not like the fundraising part of my job. That is by far the most difficult part of what I do but as the director it is incumbent on me to be the one to do everything God asks of me, to do my part, to raise awareness and the funds we need.
I believe in all my heart in what we are doing, and when I look into the faces of the girls that we are helping right now, it is all I need to realize that everything that we must do to be here and do this work is all worth it. We now have 5 girls that are a part of our program, and every single one of them is precious. We have gotten them all enrolled in school as this is the time the school year begins in Guatemala. I KNOW that we are truly making a difference in their lives...and I would not trade it for anything. And as hard as it is to struggle and never know if we are going to have enough to continue, it again is all worth it when the girls come up to me and say "thank you Papa Stan for helping me", as Gloria, our newest girl, wrote in a letter that I am sharing below.
Would you prayerfully consider helping us and being a part of us helping these girls? You can either give a one-time gift or even more, you can join our monthly team of people who sign up to give every month to help us do the work of the ministry of Rocsana's Hope. Both forms of giving help so very much and right now, January, is usually the hardest month of the year for our support. It is the month after the holidays and, understandably, so many are tapped out. But if you would simply pray about it, we would be deeply grateful. Please read the rest of this letter to see what God is doing and, if after praying God leads you, then you can simply click on the "Donate" link below to make a one-time gift OR you can also sign up to give automatically each month, depending on what God lays on your heart. But no matter what you do, I am grateful for the prayers that can offer on our behalf. I truly believe that makes a bigger difference than anything else we can do. God bless you as you seek His face and pray for Rocsana's Hope.
Note- If you do not see ;pictures and images that are in this newsletter, there is a link at the top of your email that says "External Images are not displayed: Display Now" Make sure to click on that "Display Now" link at the top of your email to see all the pictures.
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We are so happy to announce that Rocsana’s Hope has received the fifth girl into our program. Her name is Gloria and she is yet another story of deliverance from a life and future that had absolutely no hope.
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It is one of the most wonderful things we get to do in our ministry, and that is the time that we receive a new girl into our program. While Denise and I were in the United States, Gloria’s social worker contacted us regarding possible placement of Gloria into our program. She was essentially abandoned by her mother at birth and spent the first years of her life living with her paternal grandfather. At the age of 5 her biological father moved into the home with them. From this point on her story takes a very dark turn. She started being sexually assaulted by her father and her uncle at the age of 5 and this went on for roughly 5 years until she finally ran away, trying to escape the constant sexual abuse that she was enduring. She managed to find a lady who put her in contact with a social worker. Gloria told her story to the social worker who then had a physical examination of Gloria done which confirmed her story of what was happening. At that point she was put into an orphanage for the remainder of her childhood years. Not being able to return to those conditions which still exist, her only option would have been to hit the streets and from then on, who knows what would have happened to her? But this is exactly why we are here: to help girls just like Gloria who are most at risk, and whose only barrier between her and a bright future is an opportunity. She has found that with us and she is so grateful. She will be starting classes later this month for bakery and is already planning on getting into that business with Darling and Karely in the future. Actually all three of them will be taking the same classes together.
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With the help of some very generous friends of the ministry, we were able to purchase a commercial oven for our girls as they work towards one day having a bakery business here in Guatemala.
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Special Gift Helps Purchase Oven for Girls
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When we get asked sometimes what is needed for our ministry for the future, sometimes we share special needs like this one. A few months back it became clear that several of the girls were wanting to make plans to one day open a bakery and do that as a living. This included Darling and Karelyn initially but has recently also come to include our newest girl, Gloria, as well. So I took Darling down to a store in the city that sells commercial equipment for kitchens and cooking. We took a look at the ovens and we found one that Darling really felt would be good for their future business. After doing some more research we settled on one in particular. I took the step of sharing the need along with a picture of Darling and the oven on my Facebook page and mentioned that one day we would like to be able to purchase it for their future.
Lo and behold some amazing people saw that on my Facebook and so when Denise and I were home, these people gave a check to the ministry to cover the cost of purchasing the oven along with some accessories such as a cooling rack and a set of twelve baking trays.
We made it a surprise for Christmas morning. Their faces and tears were priceless. Thank you so much for being a part of helping our girls have a bright and shining future. We are getting there with each of our girls one step at a time and I ask you to continue to pray for each girl and her future.
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School and Classes Ready to Begin
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This is the time of year that all classes for the next school year begin in Guatemala.
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The school year here in Guatemala generally runs from the middle of January to the middle of October with their summer breaking coming after October and going through Christmas and new years. So this is the time of year when the new school year begins.
Rocsana, Karelyn, Darling, and Diana will begin the last parts of high school in a few weeks at a local school here in San Lucas. Gloria will begin immediately with her final years of high school in the city. These high school classes are on Saturdays only. Also during the week, the girls will go to trade school. Darling, Karelyn, and Gloria will commence classes at a school called Intecap where the entire course is geared towards teaching them how to open and operate a bakery business here in Guatemala. Diana also begins classes for hair, makeup, and nails, which is a huge thing here close to the city. She begins her classes in February also. Fabiana will also begin classes at the University of Guatemala City where she will begin preparing for a career as an art teacher.
We have been preparing for this since we opened and the time is finally here. Now that the time for the new school year has come it is very exciting and we are taking the next steps towards preparing the girls for a future that is bright and promising.
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