Prayer and Praise Update

 Early in February a group from Missouri met a lady named Reyna.  She had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and even though she had saw a doctor no surgery was planned because of the cost.  Thanks to Dwayne Owens and friends at Fellowship Bible Church in Rogers Arkansas the funds were sent and surgery was completed on Saturday.  The surgery was a success but it is suspected that the tumor was malignant.  Please pray for Reyna and her family as she recovers.

 We also met a 9 year old named Herbert.  He had recently lost his father to violence and his mother just delivered another baby.  They have no financial support.  The group helped clean the families home and provided adequate furniture.  Even though Herbert is still attending the ministry school he has turned to drugs.  Please pray for Herbert!!

March 9th will be a SPECIAL DAY!  The church “Mission Christiano-Vida Nuevo and Salvacion” will hold its first official service.  Our partners Richard and Chris Rice provide the guidance and resources for this spiritual oasis to exist in the ghetto of Santa Faz.  Mark you calendar to celebrate with them and pray.

I want to mention a young man named Manuel.  He was shot with random gun fire in his neighborhood.  His family has also not been able to rebuild their home since the flood of last fall.  Please pray that no infections come to him and that God continues to provide places for their family to stay.

On March 13 I will be having total hip replacement on my left hip.  I covet your prayers for quick healing.

We ask you to continue to remember the teams that visit the streets each week to minister to the forgotten children.   Pray for safety and direction.

Also, pray for the house parents of our partner El Castillo.  They pour their lives into the kids each day.  They are in the best position to share the love of Jesus with the children.

Serving the Risen Lord!

 Rick Grove, Director-Life of Hope Ministries

Update 2/12/08

I just returned from Guatemala where I was able to be with most of our partners and host a group from Fairview Christian Church-Carthage Missouri.

 I am sad to report that street violence seems to be on the rise.  The group helped a lady and her family clean their home in preparation of a new baby arriving.  Sadly, the father was shot recently and it has left the family depressed and without much financial support.  The group also provided a bunk bed and a baby bed.  These will be helpful as the whole family had been trying to sleep in a twin size bed that was infested with various bugs.

 On a more joyous note the group worked two days in the ghetto of Santa Faz with the Rice Family.  We were able to provide an activity day for 50-60 children.  This was done as an outreach of the new church being started in this community.  The second day the group painted the front of the church building and painted a 25 foot mural on the wall of a future childrens classroom.  The mural was of Noah’s Ark.

 One night the group spent time with the El Castillo street team.  The group cut hair for some of the boys and wash the hair of a couple of young girls.

 Please remember the street children and our ministry partners as they try to avoid the increased violence.

 Rick Grove, Life of Hope Ministries

A new year gives all of us a chance to continue and expand our relationship with God.  We hope that this update gives you some reasons to be thankful and some reasons to lift up in prayer those who have real needs.

Prayer Requests

Would you lift up the Tzun family.  There humble home was destroyed by fire this week and the mother and 3 daughters lost all they have.  They were unable to put out the fire because they have no running water in their home.  The oldest daughter is 8 months pregnant and her husband was shot and killed two weeks ago.

Brenda and Salma: both have a need to enter a drug rehab program to change the direction of their lives.

In Mama Carmen’s Home:

Rosario-she is 14 and has been regularly abused by her step father.  She is very depressed and talks of suicide.

Loida-10 month old little girl born with AIDS.  Pray for comfort in what will probably be a short life.

Gerado-7 year old boy abandoned at the local hospital.  Mama Carmen strives to give me the care he needs to continue life.

A group from Carthage Missouri will leave on Feb 2 to serve in Guatemala.  Please pray for protection and that the group will fulfill God’s purpose.

Rick Grove, Director

Happy New Year!  Life of Hope believes God has much in store for 2008.   I want to list a few prayer requests and also advise that I will be updating our subscription list in the next few days.  This activity will not require any action by you, EXCEPT TO CLICK THE “ACTIVIATE” message when you receive it from Feedblitz.  It should mention that you have been signed up to receive email from Life of Hope Ministries.

 Prayer Request

1.  Pray from the new church plant in the ghetto of Santa Faz-first meeting is scheduled for next Sunday!

2.  The school of Tita Evertsz will open the middle of January.  Pray that all the plans come together for the beginning of classes.

3.  Personal!  Pray from quick healing of my achilles tendon following surgery.

Rick Grove, Director

Special Request: We are trying to finalize the new blog.  If you receive this note please send an email to rgrove@lifeofhope.org to let us know our system is working.  Thanks

“Update and Prayer Requests”

I hope that many of the folks that received updates using our old system have reconfirmed on to the Life of Hope blog. We will be using this on a regular basis to share information from Guatemala, about Life of Hope Ministries, and relate current praises and prayer requests. If you know someone who had received the updates before be sure and ask if they have reconfirmed. If they have not just tell them to go to our website and the register block is available.

The beginning of December found me in Guatemala sharing with our four field partners. They are El Castillo, Plantio de Jehova (Tita Evertsz-La Limonada), Mama Carmen, and the Rice family. I plan to share how we are connected to these ministries over the next few weeks.

A couple of praises!!!
Life of Hope should have a mini van in our posession by the end of the year thanks to the generosity of the Charles H. Stout Foundation. This will greatly assist our efforts with short term groups and administrative work.

Through the work of Richard and Chris Rice (our field partners) a new church will be planted in the ghetto of Santa Faz. The first worship in the new building is scheduled for Jan 1, 2008!

Please use this blog to ask questions about the information or about the work of Life of Hope Ministries. We look forward to sharing more very soon.

Rick Grove, Director-Life of Hope Ministries

Hi! My name is Rick Grove and I am the director of Life of Hope Ministries.  This is the first post to our new blog and we are excited about being able to communicate current information, prayer requests, and praises to those who are connected to us.  We hope you will visit www.lifeofhope.org to get more information about the children and families we are serving in Guatemala.  Please feel free to send along any request for additional information.  HERE WE GO!!!!!!