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Stories
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Meet Terry Greinke:
Terry Greinke has been a volunteer for Hearts in Motion (“HIM”) for about 25 years.
Terry, along with her husband Dave, has dedicated many hours and days of work in the HIM store. Although her husband started volunteering a few years before her, Terry has made a large impact throughout her time volunteering at our store.
Terry dedicates her Mondays to come to the HIM store, where she empties carts and assists in organizing the back room of the store. While Terry is working at the HIM store, the most important task she completes is talking to people. Terry has truly integrated herself into and made a large impact on the HIM community, getting to know people and fostering relationships. The relationships Terry builds with people in the HIM store and throughout the HIM community are truly priceless.
In addition to the time she has worked at the HIM store, Terry participated in one of our early mission trips to Guatemala. While abroad, she completed many valuable tasks, namely, Terry sewed draperies for children, painted a building, and helped the doctors on the trip prep for surgeries. Terry’s work in Guatemala ensured that the trip was successful and ran smoothly.
Terry’s ability to connect with others and her interest in conversation come as no surprise when looking at her past professional life, a Flight Attendant for United Airlines, as well as her family life. Throughout Dave and Terry’s marriage they have developed a truly unique family. Terry and Dave are the legal guardians of four children, two biological and two adopted. Additionally, Terry and Dave have fostered numerous children throughout their years together. Terry values the relationships and considers every child that enters her home her own, maintaining regular conversation with the children regardless of how long they stay in their home.
Now with their children grown, and both she and Dave, retired, Terry’s days are filled with activities with the grandchildren and traveling with Dave and long-time friends. And although, she is never short on things to do, she always finds time on Mondays to help us here at Hearts In Motion.
Thanks for being a part of Hearts in Motion, Terry. You make all of our lives and days better!
Meet Dave Greinke:
Dave Greinke has been a volunteer for Hearts in Motion (“HIM”) for over 25 years.
Dave and his wife, Terry, came to know about HIM when they met our director, Karen
Scheeringa, at their church, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. Dave said that even before meeting
Karen, he admired her as she was well known for her work with the people and children in
the local community as well as Guatemala.
Like Karen, Dave also holds a special place in his heart for children and a strong desire to
serve. For twenty-five years, Dave and Terry fostered children that the court found to be “in
need of services” due to abuse or neglect. So, although they are the legal parents to only 3
children and 4 grandchildren, when asked, Dave will say that he has more children and
grandchildren than he can count. He thinks of every child that has ever entered his home, no
matter the duration of time, to be “his child.” Moreover, he actively continues relationships
with each of them.
Once able to retire, in addition to golfing, woodworking, and travelling with his wife, Dave
began volunteering at the HIM store. And because of the shared love of children and strong
desire to serve those in need, Dave and HIM were immediately a perfect fit. For many many
years now, he has dedicated his time every Monday to HIM working in our warehouse. There,
he sorts and packs medicine and medical equipment that is shipped to Guatemala to be used
on our mission trips. He checks all the expiration dates and labels and organizes all the
medicine and equipment. Because of the large quantities of medicine and medical equipment
that HIM receives, this task can prove to be very overwhelming and tedious to one faint of
heart. This is not the case for Dave. He takes pride in his work and pride in knowing how
much his work helps to further the HIM mission. It is because of the time Dave puts in at the
warehouse, that the doctors and nurses on our mission trips, can optimize their time in
Guatemala treating patients.
In all the years with HIM, Dave has opted to not participate in a HIM mission trip to
Guatemala. And knowing Dave, his reasoning for such is of no surprise. Dave values and
appreciates the shortness of “time”. He wants to maximize his service to others in the best
way possible. He feels that here in the states, his work for HIM and our mission is more
valuable than that he could offer on a mission trip in Guatemala. Dave’s continued
motivation to serve others does not need to be fueled by seeing and meeting the people he
helps.
For twenty-five years, Dave has been part of the HIM family. He is humble and never seeks
recognition for his work. But it is undisputed, Dave is an integral part of the success of our
mission!
Thanks for being a part of Hearts in Motion, Dave.
Meet Carolyn Sanders:
Carolyn Sanders has been a volunteer for Hearts in Motion (“HIM”) since November of 2012.
Carolyn is the mother of 3 adult children and grandmother to 9. Carolyn’s 2 daughters live in
the Midwest and her son lives in Phoenix near her 98 year old mother. Carolyn, herself, will
be 73 years old this spring. Carolyn is the poster child for the saying that “age is just a
number”.
She loves to stay busy. She loves to travel, spend time visiting family, and in
addition to working with us at HIM, she does various volunteer work with her church and the
Northwest Indiana Food Pantry. She also volunteers at the Northwest Indiana Food Pantry
and at her church in various capacities
Carolyn’s involvement with HIM started after her beloved husband passed. She knew of HIM
because her church previously did volunteer work at the store. With 35 years of retail
experience, Carolyn was a perfect fit for the HIM store. She works 1.5 days a week as our
cashier. She is the first and last face the customers see when they come to our store, and she
always has a pleasant greeting and smile for all our customers coming and going. When asked
what she loves most about working at HIM, she said that it is the people. Quite simply,
Carolyn is a true “people person.” She loves the employees and the customers. Moreover,
she is grateful for the opportunity to get to know our customers and learn about their lives.
In addition to working at the store, Carolyn joined us on a mission trip to Guatemala in
August of 2017. She shared this experience with her granddaughter. Not only did this trip
open her eyes to all the need in Guatemala, it allowed her to see her granddaughter in a
different light. One of Carolyn’s most cherished memories of this trip was seeing her
granddaughter hold the hand of a small child and watching their loving interactions. Carolyn
was so moved by her experiences with the people and children in Guatemala that upon her
return to the states, she immediately started to sponsor a child.
Since 2012, Carolyn has been such a welcome addition to the HIM family. With HIM, she
continues to make a daily impact on the people in our community and the people in
Guatemala. Although Carolyn acknowledges that she gets a lot of self-satisfaction working
with HIM, we, here at HIM, know that we are the true beneficiaries of knowing and working
with Carolyn.
Thanks for being a part of Hearts in Motion, Carolyn.
You make all of our lives and days better!
Meet Dave Delaney:
Dave has been a volunteer for Hearts in Motion ("HIM”) since January of 2009 and is a resident of Willow Springs, Illinois. He is married to his wife, Darleen, for 29 years and together they have 8 children and 11 grandchildren. Other than his love for spending time with his family, Dave has a love for science. He majored in chemistry in college and when his grandson became involved in robotics, Dave found a way to be involved with both his grandson and science: He started judging school robotics competitions. He started with school competitions but has since judged Super Regional, State Finals and even World Robotics competitions.
Dave’s involvement with HIM started in 2009. After he attended a speaking event at the Hickory Hills Presbyterian Church, where our director, Karen Scheeringa, talked about the “HIM” program, he instantly wanted to be part of the HIM mission.
Since 2009, every Tuesday, Dave has consistently volunteered at the “HIM” office. When he started volunteering, the Hearts in Motion’s headquarter was a small space in Highland, Indiana. Over the years, Hearts in Motion’s headquarter has moved quite a few times. With each move, Dave has made it with us. He happily does whatever work is needed. Some of his duties consist of makings scheduled pickups for donated items, sorting and pricing donated items, and arranging and moving items in the store.
In addition to volunteering at the “HIM” store every Tuesday, Dave has joined “HIM” on 6 mission trips to Guatemala. He enjoys the mission trips because it is on those trips that he really feels like he is taking an active role in our mission to help improve lives. He, especially, enjoys working on the various construction projects. One of Dave’s favorite memories was when on a trip, he helped to build a chicken coup for a family. Having that chicken coup allowed the family to raise chickens and then sell them. Imagine the family’s response. Imagine being part of a mission that allows you to have such a direct impact on helping to alleviate poverty, one family at a time.
Over the years, with “HIM”, Dave has continued to make an impact on lives in Guatemala. But here in the states, every Tuesday morning, he makes his biggest impact with the office staff when he greets them with a big smile and a “good morning.”
Thanks for being a part of Hearts in Motion, Dave. You make all of our lives and days better!
Gualan Mayor visits HIM in Schererville, IN at Headquarters
My HIM Experience by Casey Brickner
Made it home from Guatemala last night and it was definitely bittersweet to leave! So glad to be home, but also sad to be leaving such an amazing and eye-opening experience. I've had some time to reflect & you'll have to forgive me because this is going to be a long post.
I will absolutely never forget the 10 days I spent with Hearts In Motion (HIM). 75 people came together with the goal to help the people of Zacapa and the surrounding areas & what was accomplished I believe changed us more than the people. We saw over 2000 patients in medical clinics in remote villages; provided approximately 20 orthopedic & hernia surgeries to patients who would otherwise never get them; taught 5 classes of midwives, nurses, & firefighters how to care for and resuscitate a baby immediately following birth thru Helping Babies Breathe; evaluated vision & provided eye glasses to about 300; evaluated/provided speech therapy to hundreds; and installed solar-powered lights in 50 homes. We visited the HIM daycare and loved on the children who get free daycare to prepare them for entry into school in exchange for 1 day a week of the mother's time at the daycare. We also got the chance to visit the HIM Nutrition Center & Orphanage to visit/love on the children, help with some upkeep, & assist in the weekly feed that provides a hot meal to 100 children from the surrounding village all thanks to HIM sponsors that give to provide food &/or clothing/supplies so a child gets to go to school. While there we watched a performance by the boys involved with the Music in Motion program that aims to get the troubled boys involved in something constructive so they don't fall into the drug world that is so powerful there.
Karen is beyond inspiring & built this organization out of love for no personal gain, & it is impossible not to see the huge impact HIM has on this community. She does it for her own reasons & beliefs, & all she wants to know is what do you want to do here, what ideas do you have, & how can we make them happen? It truly is amazing what can be accomplished when you're driven and not afraid to try even if you may fail. This week has given me a totally different perspective on the "civilized" world. Guatemala, and more so it's people, are truly beautiful! The culture and heritage there are so rich and undiluted. The resilience and strength of these people despite the many obstacles they face is mind blowing! I cannot count the number of hugs, cheek kisses, and blessings I received this week nor the number of tears cried out of gratefulness. Each & every person was so grateful for anything we did for them even though to us it seemed so small and not enough. I was reminded to be grateful for all my many blessings because I truly do have so much to be grateful for and definitely need to complain less. Karen said at the very beginning of the trip "God says he's going to bless you like crazy. It's what you do with the blessings that counts." She also said "if you don't see it, you can't feel it" & she is absolutely right.
I am so beyond thankful that I got to be a part of this experience & I will be back. The question is who is coming with me!?
What sponsorship means to Julie
What sponsorship means to Julie who has been traveling with HIM as part of a ministry team from Calvary Reformed Church in Orland Park, IL. This was her 3rd consecutive trip with Hearts In Motion.
So this is what happened: I had met Sharon, her sister Hyacinth and her Mom last year and was expecting to see them this year at the nutrition center. I was thinking I'd meet them when all the kids arrived for lunch, but instead they came early and Sharon spotted me and came RUNNING to me, arms open wide. I was overwhelmed!! Her Mom and I had a conversation with a little assist from a translator here and there. We really learned about each other. Mom asked my age, how old I was when I had my first baby, how long I'd been married and I asked her those same questions. I also 
All of this is so far above what anyone would hope or imagine, but it happened!!!
It is really a dump. Broken glass, trash, filth, stench.
Fires smolder throughout the pile of waste.
A 10 year old girl expertly breaks a garbage bag looking for a way to support her family.
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
Do hospitals like this really exist in 2013?
It is hot and dirty and old. Babies, only hours old, rest unprotected next to their exhausted moms.
We invade their privacy and it gives me a sick feeling.
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
We would never put a child in this daycare center.
But, we don’t wake at 3 am to pick cantaloupes for 17 hours.
It doesn’t seem fair that these kids have to live like this.
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
I have never seen a mud wall in a real house.
It was the strongest wall. Stronger than the plastic bag or sheet metal posing as the other two walls.
Nine people are living in this lean-to hut.
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
The floor of this hut is mud.
It rains most every night this time of year.
Can you imagine being 8 years old and having mud course thru your house almost daily?
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
They keep a fire burning in this hut.
It is supposed to keep the mosquitoes away. It doesn’t
It does take your breath away and make you gag for air.
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
There is no running water.
There is no electricity.
The river water functions as the tub and the toilet.
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
I see children run and jump and fall.
They run barefoot over broken glass or burning concrete or jagged rocks.
They must be in pain, but they never cry… never.
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
I had never seen a baby that was so malnourished that he couldn’t keep his head up.
I can’t say that anymore.
Babies shouldn’t have to fight for nourishment.
I ask myself, “Where is God?”
At the end of this long, difficult week; I sat down with tears in my eyes and shame in my heart.
As I sat, dirty, stinking and exhausted, I bowed my head.
I prayed out loud, “God, where were you?”
As God always does, he responded to me.
He spoke to my heart and said,
“Jeff, I was you and I was every member of the team”.
It took me a few minutes to comprehend God’s message, but then peace came over me…
Our smiles that brought hope to the residents of the dump – that was God.
Our eyes that brought compassion to the new moms in the hospital – that was God.
The encouragement we gave the kids at the daycare – that was God.
The strength in our muscles to build a new house in just five days – that was God.
The hugs we gave the hundreds of children – that was God.
The love in our hearts to nurse babies back to health – that was God.
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Her Mission Trip To Guatemala
By Renee Fledderman
We may not be able to do it all, but at least now we’ve seen what needs to be done. We’ve gained an understanding that couldn’t be obtained any other way, and made the most beautiful friendships while doing it.”
Digging my fingers in between the squishy heel of a pair of Nike tennis shoes and the tiny brown foot of an 85 year old Guatemalan woman, I heaved with tearful, uncontrolled laughter. The heel of the shoe kept bending over and rejecting her poor foot – coated with dried mud from the day’s activities and wrinkly with experience. And the woman’s reaction? The loudest, most genuinely adorable laugh I have ever heard in a while – causing me to immediately join in. I kept telling her in Spanish, “I hope I’m not hurting you!” or “Almost there!” and she would just hit me on the back, flat-out cracking up. She hugged me when we finally got it, saying how thankful she was for her new shoes, and then continued to crack herself up, blabbering incomprehensible Spanish to all of us and then bursting in laughter. Seeing me laughing with her, Kait asked, “What is she saying?” I replied, “I literally have no idea.”
That was at the last village we visited, when I had already found out what it was like to make someone’s day with an article of clothing or create a lasting connection in one precious moment. Before that, we spent a few days returning to the village of Pueblo Modelo, getting to know the children there, providing medical and dental care, building bookshelves, bunk beds and chicken coops, and donating clothing and supplies. Pueblo Modelo was my first peek into the poverty of Guatemala – and what a shock it was. Some “nice” houses were made out of cement, others just had the dirt ground as their flooring. Some were made out of pure trash or sheet metal, and the contents were just nothing. These people don’t have toothpaste, they don’t have refrigerators, they don’t have socks. In one of our group discussions we talked about how these people are experiencing poverty of material things, but they aren’t lacking in very much else – spiritual and emotional wellness, community, family strength. Their pure admirable happiness and pride makes them richer than most of us.
This story takes place within one heart with a passion to provide for a need many folks living in the dump area of Teculatan in Guatemala seem to have. It’s the need for shoes. Walking away that day in June 2015, having distributed our last 12 pairs of shoes, leaving 300 families shoeless, my heart broke. I was now on a mission. My mission…to collect 1000 pairs of shoes for our next visit in June 2016. I recall sitting next to Karen from HIM on the bus who passionately promised that if I collect them she would send them. Little did I know what God had in store for me the next 9 months as I began my collection process. Once home, I began to question whether I have over committed myself, doubting my abilities. God was on the move. It was then during one of my morning runs that I came across a little baby shoe lying in the road. A God moment that wasn’t noticed until a few feet later, the match to that baby shoe was in my path. That’s when I realized this goal was not my own but His goal.
I’m not very good at asking for things so I was quite nervous. Again, little did I know that that one simple email sent to family and friends would filter into so many other hearts…family, friends, friends of friends, local stores, cub scouts, girl scouts, schools… word got out. Shoes from many areas in IL and MO started to roll in. Over 3000 pairs of shoes entered my garage within those 9 months. Sorted, washed and sprayed, over 2100 pairs of shoes were ready for shipment. The story only gets stronger…
For our next trip in June 2016, we were able to bring along 551 pairs of those collected. We had several places to distribute them. Our first stop was the dump. Somehow with shoes left over we continued to distribute throughout the week. It was like the loaves and fishes story from the Bible. God’s people had a need, and He provided.
Being able to provide a clean pair of shoes to a clean set of feet, was a dream I had from the very beginning. I knew better that that wouldn't happen due to the lack of water throughout the areas of Guatemala. And so I settled with just providing clean shoes. Again, little did I know what God had in store.
With one pair left, I was worried I would end up with a shoe without a set of feet. It was like a Cinderella story in trying to find the right size for the shoe I had. Once again, I experienced a God moment. While not really paying attention to a gated area where children were standing, I was focused on a musical performance from Music in Motion. With a glance over at the gate, there was a little girl with her bare foot wiggling her toes through the railings. I took me a moment to realize that little girl may be the foot I needed. When I looked back she was gone. Chance lost. Why did I have to question something so apparent? I was so mad at myself. But once again, our good Lord spoke…a few minutes later, I looked over to find her again in the same place wiggling her toes as before.
Rushing to do a quick sizing up of her foot and the shoe I had, I saw it looked like the perfect fit. Hurrying to get the pair I had before she was gone, I had one of the HIM staff, Fernando, retrieve her from outside the gate. In doing so, we had her sit and when asked her name, she said it was Martha. As I began to brush off her feet, Fernando handed me a bottle of water, not knowing anything about my dream at the start of all the shoe collection process. At that time, with welts of tears in my eyes, I began to wash her feet. I cannot begin to explain the overwhelming sense of God’s presence at that very moment.
With clean feet, new shoes and a bag full of goodies, she skipped out of those gates as happy as she could be. That day, my new friend Martha reminded me once again of the power of God’s will for each and every one of us. To serve is a gift that goes beyond all measures. Don’t ever be afraid to get involve. Little did I know, that God had a plan for me sitting on that bus next to Karen, with the burning desire in my heart to collect shoes. I learned that what I thought was my plan was really His in disguise. God is good!
HEADQUARTERS
Phone: 219-924-2446
Fax: 219-922-1694
Schererville, Indiana 46375
Click here to email
Guatemala Office
Barrio La Barca
Gualan, Zacapa
Guatemala, Central America
Kentucky Office
2601 Evergreen Wynde
Louisville, KY. 40223
Phone 502-523-2695
[email protected]
Oklahoma Office
1203 East 30th Place
Tulsa, OK. 74114
Phone 281-684-9741
[email protected]
Wisconsin Office
S67 W32615 Ashton Way E
Mukwonago, WI. 53149
Phone 262-490-7009
[email protected]
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