Meet Our New Children's Home Director Paola

Hello everyone!

We hope that you are enjoying the change of the weather and perhaps a slight summertime slowdown. I have some rather big news to share with you. I am ready with my coffee cup, grab yours and let’s have a visit! It is with much love and genuine gratitude of your love, prayers, and support that I must tell you that Shane and I are being called from service with Child Beyond International at God’s Grace Hogar de Niños in Guatemala. We are being called back to service in the United States that starts July 1. I will let you catch your breath and reread that.

Shane and I have known since the beginning of this year that God was moving us and we have been prayerfully stepping in faith closer to leaving Guatemala since then. There have been many tears, as this was not our plan. We have never had an exit plan from Guatemala. When we moved here, it was for however long He wanted us here. Never did we think that it would be after almost six years of life, growth, and acclimation that He would make it clear in three words that “It is Time”. Time to serve Him answering the same call to His kids, but in a different way, in a different place. In obedience and trust, we answer this new call. I am again, to God, to you, and to Child Beyond International, grateful for every little thing. There have been many “little things” that I have held in my arms over the past almost five years at God’s Grace Hogar. Each one of those little things have grown and have tremendous purpose for the Kingdom of God. It has been such an incredible opportunity to love and serve as your children’s home director, in every circumstance, through every hardship, for every one of these little things. Each of those little things aren’t quite so little in the big scheme of things!

We have waited to share this news so close to the date that we leave Guatemala not from uncertainty of the date, but because we have had several steps along the way to close doors and then open up new ones. All of these changes have made God’s path for us and those that will be serving the precious children and staff of God’s Grace Hogar very clear. This precious gift of time was needed so that I can now share the following news with you: Paola Rivera is your new children’s home director. You may recognize her as my assistant and social worker these past years. She is fantastic. If you have not met her, please allow me to introduce you to her. She lives in Guatemala with her husband and fur babies. She has been serving at God’s Grace Hogar since it’s inception. She has a tremendously huge heart for the children of Guatemala, more specifically for the children at God’s Grace Hogar. She has proven, time and time again, that she is fully capable of leading the team with love and care to the Glory of God. Her eye for detail and desire to serve the children in the hogar holistically will surely raise the bar even farther for childcare in Guatemala and at God’s Grace.