About the Ministry

Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm the face behind Encourage in Hope Ministries. My goal is to share the love and gospel of Jesus Christ in Guatemala through meaningful relationships in the local community. This is primarily accomplished by providing occupational therapy through home visits. 

I have the joy of serving as an occupational therapist in Guatemala. My primary work is with children with special needs, helping facilitate the achievement of developmental milestones and increasing their participation in the home, school, and community environments. I work with families to provide education, encouragement, and hope regarding their child and to emphasize the value and worth of each child, regardless of their challenges or differences. I currently have patients with diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, microcephaly, oppositional defiant disorder, and reactive attachment disorder. 

I also provide rehabilitation services to adults who have undergone accidents, surgeries, or unexpected events, such as a stroke, helping them regain functionality and independence in their daily lives and teaching families how to best support their loved one during the recovery process. Some of the diagnoses I am currently working with in the adult population include spinal cord injury, stroke, shoulder injury, and hip fracture. 

All of the work that I do is in the local community through home visits, which allows me to get to know the families on a much more personal level and understand the complexity of their individual situation. Most of my referrals are by word of mouth in the town where I have lived since I moved here in 2019. It is not uncommon for someone to stop me on the street and ask "Are you the one who does therapy?" or to receive a call saying "Someone gave me your number saying you could help my family member." 

Because of the low economic status of the majority of the families that I work with, I do not charge for therapy services, knowing that it would place a barrier on the family's ability to access good care for their loved one. The financial support that I receive state-side allows me to provide all of my therapy services at no cost to families here.