What happens when injury becomes a way for God to teach you? Check out Doug’s story to find out.. Doug recently fractured his ankle on a trip to Haiti with the ____ group. Get ready to be inspired!
When I first realized that something was seriously wrong (I’ve never rolled an ankle that bad before), the first thing that hit my mind was that I was in the poorest country in the western hemisphere. This resulted in a little bit of nervousness and probably to the extent of a little fear. The tunnel vision set in and I vaguely remember anyone helping to carry me over to the steps (Thanks to however that was. I think Paul was one). As I sat down on the steps, the second emotion set in. Frustration! Maybe a little bit of anger. “I raised $2,250 to come on this trip and now I have a broken ankle” was my thought. Grrr! “How will I carry out what I’m supposed to do here??!!!!”
Well off to the van I went and those emotions became intense. It hurt, but I remember thinking the chunk of ice wrapped in the bandanna was a huge blessing (thanks again, Paul). As we began driving I just didn’t know what to do. There wasn’t anything I could do. But the encouraging words from Jenn A, Laura, and Jedlaine helped significantly. After a few minutes of driving Jenn turned and told me that her and Laura had prayed for me. She could see the look of frustration on my face and the slight sense of pain and told me that they will take care of me and that this doesn’t have to steal my joy on this trip. I then began to pray inside, “Lord, I don’t why this happened but please have your way with it.”
Jedlaine’s actions also significantly resonated with me during all of this. There wasn’t a moment that went by, in the van and the hospital, when Jedlaine wasn’t lightly rubbing my leg or my shoulder and saying, “God is with us. Everything will be okay. God is with us.” I could see in his eyes and hear in his voice that he was going to do everything he possibly could to make sure that I was taken care of.
The trip to the hospital was a bit long, but about halfway through it I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace. No more nervousness, no more fear, no more frustration or anger. The pain was even beginning to subside a little bit. Not only was this the most sense of peace that I’ve had on the way to a hospital visit, but it was one of the greatest sense of peace I’ve ever experienced. It was then that I realized that God had heard all of your prayers for me. I continued to pray that my faith was in Him and I could hear him saying to me, “I got ya buddy.” Trust me, this sense of peace was not from me. I hate hospitals. I get anxiety just at the thought of them. This peace was from the Lord.
The next day while we were at the clinic with JudeLove (I don’t know if that’s the correct spelling), Jedlaine mentioned that he was afraid of doctors. He had a bad experience when he was about 8 years old and has been afraid of them ever since. He said to Krista and I, “Yesterday when we were going to the hospital, I was very afraid. But I did not want you to know that I was afraid. I know you are in a different country with different customs and that can be very scary, so I did not want you to know that I was afraid.” I was shocked to hear this. Honestly, he was as confident as could be. I told him he did not seem afraid at all. “I was” was his response. He was so comforting and encouraging the whole way through. We often illustrate “courage” with someone running into a burning building to rescue another or something along those lines. But when someone is afraid, yet they move forward with such bravery that they ease someone else’s fear…that’s courage!
I think back about the leadership council telling me that my accident didn’t weaken my spirit. That I was happier after coming back from the hospital and I “became younger” as one of them put it. This was only because of the sense of peace from the Lord and from all of the love I received. Love from you all and from the Haitians. There wasn’t a meal that passed when I didn’t have about 10 people asking if they could fix me a plate. There was a consistent offering of help. You all truly are servants of Christ. The man on the leadership council said this was one of my biggest life experiences. Ain’t that the truth!
As a final note, at one point after the accident, someone on our team told me that if I wanted to, I had a right to complain. I felt, so strongly, that the Lord was with me. I watched him continue to bless my place on this team despite what had happened. He blessed me with peace, love, and joy the whole time. How could I complain about that? Bondye Bon!
When Edy Josué Ruiz arrived at the rehabilitation center in 2018, his life was marked by loneliness and the pain of his father’s absence. He didn’t speak, didn’t play, and found refuge in silence. But God had a plan for him.
The rehabilitation center provided the support he needed through speech therapy, motor skills development, and psychological counseling. However, it was the love and faith he encountered there that truly transformed his heart. Thanks to the therapists and their dedication, Edy began to open up—he learned to speak, to smile, and most importantly, to find peace through his faith in Jesus.
Community leaders also played a key role in Edy and his mother’s journey. Through their constant support, prayers, and encouragement, they offered spiritual and emotional strength. The community became a fundamental pillar in his transformation.
In the highlands of La Nueva Independencia, lives Doña Everarda Carrillo Velasquez, a 67-year-old woman whose life has been shaped by hard work, unshakable faith, and a deep love for the land. For thirty-five years, she stood faithfully by her husband, who lived with Alzheimer’s for fourteen of them. Today, with her feet rooted in the soil and her heart lifted to God, Everarda keeps moving forward.
“God gives me strength,” she says with a conviction that comes from deep within.
Last year, Doña Florinda Jimenez, a member of the Leadership Council, encouraged Everarda and her son to join a Foundations for Farming course. At first, she hesitated “Me? In an agriculture course?” but something stirred in her heart, and she decided to try. During the training, she visited a farm focused on animal husbandry, and something clicked. She was especially drawn to rabbit farming, and from that moment, she felt called to raise animals herself.
Across the hills and valleys of rural Guatemala, you’ll find classrooms filled with potential. Children eager to learn. Teachers devoted to their calling. Communities that believe in the power of education to transform lives.
But too often, what you won’t find are the basic materials needed to make education truly effective.
