Rani's Adventures

July 12, 2006 This is Jim and I am currently in the United States. Rani has remained in Guatemala where he will stay for another week. He agreed to go to Xela yesterday to take a child I had met several weeks ago. He had no idea what he was getting into... but God did! Below is the story.

When I arrived in Guatemala in mid-June, Hector told me there was a family

who had asked for help that we needed to go visit. He told me this family had a 14 year-old boy with neurological problems since birth and we made arrangements to go visit. The family lived in Santa Catarina where we have a small mission outreach.

When we arrived the father, Miguel was waiting for us. He took us up to his house which was located on a remote section of the hillside, with a very steep and rocky path leading to it. Once there one couldn't help but notice the beautiful view of the Lake from this small two-room house. There were several small children running around, excited to see visitors, excited to see gringos; just really excited! We met the mother of the boy, Magdalena who was weaving some small bracelets that she sold wholesale to the Street vendors.

Miguelangel was sitting quietly in his wheelchair. At 14 years of age he was obviously very tiny and he was blind. The darkened room that he sat in was more like his prison than his house and he rarely left his wheelchair. His mother and father worked making handicraft items to sell to the tourists; indeed we had bought two greeting cards the father had made from his 11-year-old son just the day before! What a coincidence-not!

We talked to the parents and discovered that this boy had problems from birth and that the doctors had prescribed medication that had not been changed in 14 years! The family had talked to a doctor by phone three years prior and were given an adjustment in the quantity of the medication based on the weight of the boy. But the costs of going to the hospital for the transportation alone was more than this family could bear.

We made arrangements to set up an appointment with our neurologist in Xela and the appointment was set for Tuesday, July 11. The rest of the story can best be told by Rani, who accompanied Hector on the trip. Below is the e-mail I received from him on Wednesday, July the 12th, once he returned from his visit:

In our awesome Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,

Buenas Jim,

As you know, brother, we took Miguelangel to Xela Tuesday so he could be seen by the neurologist. You had not prepared me, and I had no idea about his condition before arriving to pick him and his parents up in Santa Catarina. His little sister, Maria Magdalena also came along(she might be two).

You already know, Jim, about Miguelangel's condition, but i'll detail it a bit here for others that i'm sending this mail to. Perhaps i can do this best by telling of my experience of this day:

When we arrived in Santa Catarina, i was driving and it was still dark so i couldn't see Miguelangel that well when he and his family got in the back seat. I glanced back and asked how old he was was. His mother(Magdalena) responded fourteen. As you can imagine i took a double take. I glanced back again and was at first thinking that i had misunderstood the Spanish. How could a boy of 14 years be so small? Then i remembered that you too had told me that he was 14. Ok, he's a little different than i was expecting. For some reason i thought he was going to be an 'almost normal' 14 year old with a slight neurological disorder. I was way off. Miguelangel has a severe neurological disorder that he's had since his premature birth. He only weighs 28 pounds. He can't walk or talk(although he laughs quite a bit), and he wears diapers. His eyes seem to rarely focus with awareness, he has to be carried everywhere he goes, and he has to be fed all his meals.

When we arrive at the doctor's office in Xela, i must have been distracted because i didn't see at first where he went. I could see the papa and the mother and the little girl, but where was Miguelangel?? Yes, i was a little shocked when i realized that he was on his mother's back. I still couldn't see him, however, because he was inside the perraje(see photo). Wow.

Hector checked us in with the office and then we all started a walk along the very busy highway to a roadside stand for some breakfast. I took some of these pics from on top of the pedestrian overpass.

As you know, Jim, visiting the doctor's office in Guatemala is really a "day at the office"! We arrived at maybe 8:30am and didn't leave to go home till 6:00pm. Of course we wait outside in the hot sun, but this gives me a chance to get to know Miguelangel and the family.

Now i ask you this question, Jim: How can God's glory be shown in the life of this child? I can't explain how or why, but i can say that it definitely is!!!!!!! Through Migeulangel, God showed his glory to me yesterday with a power that wanted to erupt my soul!! How can this be?!?!?!?!? An unbeliever might say "you see? How could an all-knowing, loving God be so cruel to allow this to happen to this child?" But as you and i know, as God's law is being written on our hearts:

That in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose!

I've known Miguelangel for two days now and i already love him so much! And i know, when he STANDS before God, he will become one of the greatest in heaven.

And i love his awesome parents who love him so much! They have so much love for him while raising 4 other younger children in conditions you are familiar with.

Later in the day as we stood outside the doc's office, Hector, Maria Elida(she went with us), and i were trying to express ourselves about the experience we were undergoing. Hector and i (the manly men) could only weakly express what we felt as we both fought back tears. Maria was the stronger - perhaps because she's lost 6 brothers and sisters. I now fight tears as i write you this letter.......but the tears aren't from sadness. They're from the glory i've been shown in the indescribable magnificence of God.

I guess the doctor said that there's not too much he can do for Miguelangel, except start him on some meds(a bit expensive on Guate standards)which we bought enough of for the first month, and perhaps into physical therapy(do therapists exist here in Panajachel?). He'll be able to tell us more after monday.......that's right - we have to get up early (you know how tough this is for Hector and me!) and do the whole thing over again on monday. The doc needs to do more testing and go over the results of the electroencephalogram.

Pray for Miguelangel(although i can't help but think that he needs prayers less than the rest of us....he seems closer to perfection than we do. do you understand this?), and our trip.

I pray that things are going awesome with you there as you drive closer to the Kingdom of God. God willing, we can both be here together soon.

rani