A few weeks ago, Shes and I met with the accountant at ASELSI to look at the budget for the therapy program in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. I’ll admit anticipation and excitement didn’t describe my feelings as I approached the meeting. Drudgery and obligation more accurately described my sentiments that day. Discouragement and frustration over continued deficits and increasing needs were my expected results.

As we discussed the different forms this year, something felt different. I don’t remember how we ended up at this place, but we figured out how much it would cost each patient per month to run the program as it stands. It is a minimalist budget without any frills. We do this on purpose because we want to replicate this formula in other parts of Guatemala, as we’ve done in Canilla and are waiting to start in Zona Reina. I asked the accountant to repeat the number. “Twenty-five dollars a month.”

What? Twenty-five dollars a month for each of our 80 patients each month covers Shes’ full time salary, our seven part time workers’ salaries, the snacks for our patients each week, our share of the cleaning expenses, electricity, phone, and all the components that make the therapy program at ASELSI work. For just over $2,000 a month, we’re seeing children, previously neglected, loved and adored by their parents, families encouraged, people walking after they thought it would be impossible, marriages restored, and more.

The exciting part of all this is we realized we didn’t have to keep living in a deficit or from budget to budget. There are ways to encourage our families to participate more. Some of them could give the $25 a month needed for their therapy, but for others this is not possible. Our staff are also looking to their churches and others in the community to help. They’ve come up with some great ideas!

And I continue to look to each of you to ask what God would have you do. Because even if we meet the budget fully for this year’s program at ASELSI, we have other programs to start in other places in Guatemala, just like we’ve done at ASELSI and now Canilla. Zona Reina and other places not yet identified are waiting for us to train someone to provide basic therapy services in their community.

I’m so thankful for  the many of you reading this that give faithfully and sacrificially. You’re a part of all the amazing things God is doing here, but we’ve just begun. Shes took some time the beginning of this year to look at the statistics of the current patients at ASELSI. Over 92% come from communities outside of Chichicastenango, often with only one from the different communities represented, some as far as four hours away.

If one is coming, it only means there are more people in each of the fifty other communities represented by the patients we serve. What could we do if we had rehabilitation promoters in each of those communities? It’s going to cost some money to do that, but you know what? I no longer dread the budgets. Bring them on and let’s watch what God will do and provide as we follow Him on this journey.