The Clinic

Clinica Esperanza was born out of a vision of the founder of Prince of Peace, Al Sanchez. Al had a vision to build a medical dental clinic not just to meet the needs of the girls at the home but more importantly to meet the needs of the people in the community surrounding Prince of Peace. Al had seen people die because they had no money to see a doctor or to buy needed medications.

Construction began in 2003 and the clinic was dedicated in March 2005. At the time the clinic was dedicated there was no one to work in the clinic but God honored the obedience and faith of those who followed His leading in building the clinic. God brought Dr. Jim Hines and his wife Kay to begin the work in the clinic. In June 2005 they opened the clinic on a regular basis to minister to the medical needs of the girls and the community. With the help of 2 of the girls from the home, they have continued to work in and manage the clinic.

Most of the patients do come from the surrounding community named "El Campenero" but there are also a number of patients from other nearby communities. All of the patients are very poor with some being extremely poor. For the equivalent of a 65 cent donation they are able to see Dr. Jim, receive medications and on a limited basis necessary lab and x-rays. The ability to receive their medications is a critical issue. They can go to a government hospital but usually will be there all day and may or may not see a doctor but even if they do see a doctor, if they are given a prescription, they have no money to buy the medications and so they will have accomplished nothing. Our greatest challenge is the obtaining of medicines and supplies. The government has made it very difficult to bring these items into the country requiring us to buy more and more of the supplies here. Prices are high and the quality is not always the best.

The great majority of the patients are children but we also have a significant population of adults some with very complicated medical problems. As time has passed the staff has been able to develop relationships with the patients and they often express their great gratitude for all that is done for them. Our relationship with the people has helped to open the door into their community. The older girls at Prince of Peace have adopted some of the most needed families and we are now ministering to them with food and clothing. When we walk in obedience to God, He always opens more doors to minister His gospel.

Helping others knows no language--AlmaWalton, RN�
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��When I first learned of the volunteering opportunities at Prince of Peace Home for Girls, I was again visited by my old regret of not keeping up with my high school Spanish. The language barrier that I was concerned about was not really an issue; however, as I quickly learned. The staff speak English and all the girls are encouraged to speak English, as well, and it didn�t take long to learn the universal language prevalent at the school�the language of laughter, joy, happiness.

��I was eager to help out in the clinic with Dr. Jim and Kay where they not only take care of the girls, but also open the doors to the community. Again, language was a concern for me, but not for long. Dr. Jim told me what he needed done, the older girls and Kay help out in the office and were there to translate, and none of the patients seemed to mind that I didn�t have a command of the language. Nods and pointing and gestures were sufficient to satisfy all.

��Each day as we walked down the hill and through the gates to the clinic, the porch was filled with people of all ages waiting to see the doctor. There were babies cradled in the mom�s arms, toddlers running around and folks of all ages mingling and talking among themselves. One thing that I noticed early on was that each appeared to be dressed in their best and approached the staff with the utmost respect. The men removed their hats and extended their hands in greeting, the women were gracious and polite. After being seen and treated, all expressed their gratitude to the doctor and staff.

��The patients came with the gambit of medical needs ranging from pregnancy, to well-baby checks, to high blood pressure, to uncontrolled diabetes and the list went on just like in any family practitioner�s office, like medical care used to be before there was a specialist and consulting physician for every complaint. Some of my duties included cleaning out ears, giving shots, patching up scrapes and scratches, doling out medication: nothing I hadn�t done before. No translation needed.

��Dr. Jim provides medical care the way I remember it was when I was growing up. He and Kay take care of the girls and the community and do so with minimal equipment and resources.

As a practicing nurse in larger facilities where services are often taken for granted by the recipients, where rudeness and entitlement are often the prevailing attitude, and where staff are often treated as servants rather than caregivers, the atmosphere at POP clinic was refreshing and uplifting.

My time there was short, but I will be returning at every opportunity to help out in the clinic or in any other capacity at the school. I have such an admiration for the staff and work going on at POP and hope to be a tiny part of this mission for years to come. Lesson learned: as long as there is a smile, a good heart and a willing spirit, language barriers seem to fall by the wayside.

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Joy that Radiates

I had no idea what to expect when I hopped on a plane in Houston headed for Guatemala City. The draw to Prince of Peace Home for Girls for me was the medical clinic that is open just outside the home two days a week. The clinic provides very inexpensive but high quality medical care to an extremely poor community just outside the walls of the home. As a medical student, I expected to fall in love with working with the patients at the clinic. And I did. But what I hadn�t totally counted on was to fall in love with 54 precious Guatemalan girls living at Prince of Peace.

Daily I was greeted with girls screaming my name and good morning the moment I came out the door. It was always a race for the younger girls to see who could reach me first to jump into my arms and give me un abrazo and un besito, or in English, a hug and a kiss. As one grows older, I think it is easy to forget the innocence and playfulness of a child. What is even harder to believe is how joy radiates from each of the girls at the home. Despite the horrible circumstances from which many of the girls come to the home, Prince of Peace provides a safe place to revert back to childhood, something I think every child is entitled to.

�He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.� �Psalm 18:16-19

During my two months at Prince of Peace I had the honor and privilege of hearing a few of the girls� very personal stories of how they came to be at the home. Almost daily I was reminded of Psalm 18. Never in my life have I experienced such a visible expression of scripture and promises from God in the Bible. It is so incredible to me to see how the Lord has drawn these girls out of deep waters and rescued them from unspeakably harsh family circumstances. He has given them not only a safe place to live, but a home, an education, and the opportunity to attend a church and to grow in their knowledge and relationship with Him. From these girls I have learned what Paul talks about in Philippians 4; the secret to being content and joyful in all circumstances.

Going to Prince of Peace I expected to love on the girls in the home relentlessly, but what I found was that they loved me relentlessly. Each one is such a beautiful picture of what it means to be redeemed. It has been such a learning experience to apply the same redemption by Christ to my life and realize that I have been redeemed by Christ in the same way� out of dire conditions.

I will never forget the joy that radiates from the girls at Prince of Peace. Just as the name of the home proclaims, Jesus is peace, and it�s evident from the moment you step onto the campus that despite so many adversities, He has laid a blanket of peace in this little 8 acre haven in Guatemala.

Lauren Callon

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The Staff

Dr. James Hines, President of the Foundation and Director of Prince of Peace and physician of the clinic

The Prince of Peace Foundation is the umbrella for all of the legal structures of Prince of Peace Home for Girls. As President of the foundation, Dr. Hines is the legal representative of the girls. He represents the home in the many legal interactions with the government and the courts including the audiences the girls have before the judges. In addition to his responsibilities as the legal representative, Dr. Hines�is the�Director�of�Prince of Peace. He and Kay work together in the medical clinic and are very involved with the girls in independent living. In addition to teaching English in the school at Prince of Peace,�Kay also teaches a bible study to the older girls.

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