1Peter 3:15. But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. It has been such an awesome summer for us. A time to reconnect with our children and grandchildren. We haven’t all been together for 6 years and so it was truly wonderful to see our grandkids connecting. Spending time with our adult children has been a blessing on a whole different level. We also had a chance to share about our ministry at several Churches and some home groups and of course the Gleaners, where the volunteers had a chance to hear stories of how their work at the Gleaners plant reaches people in need. God has given us a great love for the people of Guatemala, and it is always a joy to share our stories with others. Although we were in Canada for 3 months the work continues. We are thankful for a couple of men in Guatemala that are our hands and feet while away, Erick and Marvin. In our last ministry update we reported on Rolando, disabled from birth who was awaiting a specially made wheelchair to accommodate his disfigured back. We are thankful to the team at Beeline Wheelchairs who were able to make a customized wheelchair for him. He received this while we were in Canada so we will be looking forward to having a visit with him. We visited the community of Santa Marta today and had a look at the construction of the Church, which is moving along. We are encouraging some of them to take the Pastor Training/Biblical Studies program with us, but they tell us that none of them have much education and they are worried about the studies. We encouraged them that they are not the first to come with little education. Please pray for them as they consider all this. They sent us home with a beautiful gift, see below. Just after we arrived in Canada we received a request for a wheelchair for a 12 year old girl who had her leg run over when she was 5 and although we don’t know the whole story, it seems she never received medical attention. As we looked at the photos we thought maybe there was more we could do than just a wheelchair. We put an appeal out to the Guatemala missionary group and found out that there is a missionary orthopedic surgeon who lives in Guatemala. He agreed to assess her, which took a bit of coordination due to distance, but we were able to help the family with the travel costs, and his services are free for this type of case. We just heard back from the Dr. and he said it is a very complicated case. He has a team of trauma specialists coming in March and he would like her to come back then to be assessed again by them. He asked that we be praying for her, and so we ask you also if you would pray for her as she comes to mind. Her name is Susanna. She has her whole life ahead of her and it would be wonderful to see her walking. We are still awaiting to see how many Pastor training students there will be this year. We have often mentioned that “Guatemala time” is a real thing, in that no one is ever on time, but it also includes making commitments to a program like this … is usually last minute. We spoke about vented wood burning stoves last ministry update and we have had a great response and quite a lot of interest in the sponsorship of a stove, around 17 have been sponsored, and a couple from Calgary raising funds for more stoves. The Guatemalan who manufactures these stoves plans to deliver them to us on Oct 21 and spend a day or two with us as we begin the installations. These will be ongoing. A few have expressed interest in possibly coming on a stove installation team, from different areas, so if this is something that still interests you, let us know so we can see about forming a group as this would be easier for us. Here is a photo of a before and after, someone we helped many years ago. The device in her hand was to show the reduction of C02 and carbon particles in the air. The details of the stove project are as follows: The vented stove uses 70% less wood and removes toxic smoke outside. Less wood means less degradation of forests. In order that the families take ownership, we require a buy in of 300Q (about $55 Cdn) plus they will provide the 12 bricks for the base of the stove, and donors will pay the rest, about $180. Cdn. Or $130 USD. In the Guatemalan culture, not giving the item for free, but asking for a small amount of buy in, encourages the careful and responsible management of the item they are receiving. If they are widowed or abandoned and without family support we can adjust their buy in to their circumstances. As we install, they will be required to assist in order to learn how to install the combustion chamber bricks, sand and cooking surface, and learn how to clean and maintain the stove. The health benefits are immediate. No more lung infections, headaches, eye irritations and no worries about their children getting burned. They will be required to fill out an application in which they agree to eliminate the open fire inside the house and that they use the stove correctly and provide weekly cleaning as instructed. There will be follow up to ensure the stoves are being properly used. We are utilizing a Guatemalan based wood burning stove factory to make the stoves. We have looked at many, and in our opinion the Chapina Stove is one of the better models. Recent news is that as of today, 945 boxes of Black Beans donated to the Gleaners by a farmer in Manitoba, are being loaded onto a 40' container and will be arriving around Oct. 22, 2024. We wanted to finalize our update by making a short tribute to a man by the name of Victor Gomez who was really instrumental in bringing us into many communities in the area we live and work now. He will be missed by many and made an impact in many communities and in many lives. We shared many laughs with him and he will always have a special place in our hearts. Here is a brief story below. Way back in the beginning of our ministry we had been invited to the area we are working in Guatemala by a leader who was a retired police officer and a strong advocate for the rights of the Indigenous people. His name, Victor Gomez. He was the one who introduced us to, and advocated for the community of Santa Marta being chosen to receive a maternity clinic. After a time of working with Victor, we realized how much we needed a Kekchi Interpreter, and Victor didn’t speak Kekchi. We also realized that although Victor was a Christian, he was also politically motivated and we did not want to be seen as being politically supportive to any party. So we parted ways amicably and continued to provide him with Gleaners food on occasion as he visited poor communities. On July 1 this year, just after returning to Canada,we opened up our local Coban news and the headlines were that Victor had been assasinated as he was leaving his home early that morning. We were shocked and saddened as he leaves behind a beautiful wife, 3 children and a grandchild. Unfortunately, in Guatemala, politics and assasinations seem to happen all too often. He was a wonderful, kind hearted man, and simply wanted better conditions for the indigenous people. We know he will be missed. Blessings
Denis and Eileen Nogue “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth” (1 John 3:17–18). Seeds to Harvest Ministry Update - June 2024Since our last Ministry Update we have had a busy couple of months, so we wanted to take a moment to give you a little update before we head back to Canada. At the end of April we took a week to go and visit our daughter, son in law and 4 grandkids in Wisconsin. They are at such a fun age, and growing up so fast, and of course it feels like we don’t see them often enough. It was an awesome week and went by way too fast. They even got us on their trampoline to play a game called ‘flip the bacon’. Of course we were the ‘bacon’. Denis being the bacon In early May, the village that we live in, Chicuxab, elected new leaders, so we took the opportunity to have them over to meet and establish relationship with them. We wanted them to know that if there are needs of food in the community, we are willing to help, through their leadership. We were able to provide food to be used at the school and some much needed equipment in their kitchen. We met with a dozen or so ladies who do the cooking at the school and did a Gleaners soup demonstration. The many Moms who volunteer their time to cook for the 250 children who attend the school in Chicuxab.Several ministries that we have connected with have requested food over the last couple of months so the food supplies in our container are dwindling quickly. Food prices have steadily risen over the last few years and in the more remote areas, people are struggling. We had first hand experience of this as we visited the home of one of our students who lives the furthest away. We offered to bring food for the neediest in his community. We have made a second trip out there recently because of the need. One of the most difficult cases we met was through the request for a wheelchair. Rolando, who is 36 years old spends his days in a bed and other than moving from side to side a little, he can’t move unless someone helps him. He has had this disability from birth. We arrived at the home where he lives with his brother, with a wheelchair, a tilting one in great shape but quickly realized that he needs a specialized custom fitted one. His back and body are so twisted and he doesn’t bend at the waist anymore. So, with instructions from a wheelchair ministry, we learned how to measure him so they can build one for him, and he is on a waiting list for a custom fitted one. During our visits with him, we learned that he is fluent in Spanish and Q’eqchi’. He reads in both languages, has a great sense of humor and he was a joy to visit with. The wheelchair we brought for him isn’t suitable because of Rolando’s twisted body, but he is on the waitlist for a custom fitted one now. Our Pastor Training program had a late start last year … but the students said if we were willing they would like to study hard and complete the course by the end of May, which they did. A beautiful graduation was held for them on June 1, and now Erick, our Q’eqchi’ translator and teacher of the Pastor training is actively looking for students to start anew in September. Singing “How great thou art” in Q’eqchi’ We are considering sending another container of food and another container of medical. We just gave out our last wheelchair. There is such a great need and in many cases it offers them a chance to be able to sit outside rather than be in a bed. Many mattresses were given out to elderly who live in pretty dire conditions. It is such a blessing really to be able to offer a little comfort to some of these people. We also had opportunity to visit the home for the elderly and abandoned that we connected with a few years ago with the Church we are attending. These visits are such a blessing for them and for us equally as much. Erick shares the gospel faithfully with not only the residents, but also with the Q’eqchi’ nuns. We are reminded of Romans 10:17, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And, Hebrews 11:6, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. We had a beautiful visit with Yeimy and her Mom. They go to Guatemala City next week for her six month check up. She looks well and we pray for continued good check ups. We are in the preparing and planning stage to begin a pilot project (pending donations)in the village of Tanchi (Erick’s village) for vented wood stoves. He has 25 families ready to sign up. We would love to have some people who would be interested in fundraising for this project and we hope to interest some teams to come to Guatemala to assist with the installations. We are asking each family receiving a stove to pay Q300 ($55 Cdn.) and provide 12 cement blocks which act as a base for the stove and the rest would be fundraised, at a cost of about $180 Cdn. Or $130 USD, per stove.
The need is great need throughout Guatemala and many health issues arise because of so many who still cook over an open fire. The people would love to have a healthier and safer stove but so many cannot because of poverty. Please email us if you would like to participate or donate to this project or just receive more information. Thank you for your prayers and we look forward to connecting with many of you over the summer. Blessings Denis and Eileen Nogue We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done” Psalm 78:4. Dear Friends and Family In conversation with our grandkids in Guatemala, as they expressed a longing to return to North America because some of their friends are returning, I had just been reading the above passage from the Bible that day, and it prompted a great conversation with them on how our callings are all different, but what is always best is that we heed the call of God on our lives. We have so many stories of seeing God at work in our lives and in the lives and circumstances of the people we connect with here in Guatemala. We have shared many of those stories in our ministry updates, and with individuals as the opportunity presents. It is a good reminder to reflect often, and tell others often, those stories, bringing glory to God. Here is a new story. In our last newsletter we wrote about Juan, a young amputee that lost his leg in a hit and run accident about a year and a half ago. Two or three days after sending out that newsletter, we were contacted by another missionary who said he had shared Juan’s story and he had a supporter who would like to pay for the whole cost of the prosthetic. Juan needed a knee, which is the most expensive part and they said they wanted to provide funds for a new one, not a reconstructed one. This generous gift will allow Juan to be able to work and live a more normal life. Juan is what I would call a nominal believer, but we had opportunity to talk about the goodness and grace of God with him as we got this process organized and brought him to the prosthetic clinic. Please pray for his heart to be fully opened to God. We said goodbye to our Alabama team a few weeks ago. Their teams have really been an amazing part of our ministry over the years, not just for the team members, but the communities are so blessed. The Alabama Shiloh Church have been a great support and encouragement to our ministry for many years now. They love the Lord and they come and serve with their whole hearts. Sometimes people ask how we got connected with a Church in Alabama, and we can only say it was a connection made by God. We knew no one from Alabama and we have never even been to visit their Church, although we hope to make that trip one day soon. Through a set of circumstances God brought our paths together with one couple, Jim and Lynne Burleson, and they and their Church have been a blessing to us and our ministry ever since. There were many impactful moments for that team and their eyes were opened to the difficult lives many people live here. The Alabama team, before they came had asked their Church if they would like to donate towards a food basket, enough for 35 families, which would have been for the new village we visited. Well their Church raised enough money for more than 75 baskets of food, which was provided to every family in the villages we visited. Preparation of Gleaners soup was demonstrated in a new village, Aldea Chimote. The soup, plus a gift basket of other types of food was prepared and given to each family of the Church by the Alabama team. A typical lunch of caldo gallina was prepared for the team, and of course fresh tortillas. Children’s ministry and a clear gospel message was presented in every village. Baskets and bags of food, one for each family. Thank you Sharon Israelson for sewing these beautiful bags. Before they came, God had placed it on our hearts to contact Pastor Francisco about bringing the team to his Church to do children’s ministry. Pastor Francisco was in our first class, and he is the reason we decided to proceed with a Pastor training program. Many years ago, we had shown our film The Hope at his Church, and after Sergio spoke to the congregation about the significance of Christ dying on the cross and what it means to be saved. Pastor Francisco then pulled Sergio aside and asked him if he could come and teach him from the Bible. As Sergio told us this story, he said that this is the reality here in Guatemala. Many of these men from the villages in the mountains feel called to Pastor, but they have no opportunity to study to be equipped for such a position. That prompted us to reach out to the group Global Action, who provide the Biblical training program and all the materials for free. 23 men and 2 women have graduated the program over the last 3 years and we are about to finish with a group of 4 who will graduate in June. We are looking to start a new group in September. Pastor Francisco was so encouraged by the team visit. We had mentioned to the team that his wife has been very sick and bedridden for many years. They asked if they could go pray for her and Pastor Francisco was happy to bring them to his home. He commented to the interpreter that it was as if the presence of Jesus had entered his home. It was so fun to see the smiles on the parents faces as they watched their children play, and they were encouraged to get involved also. Even Pastor Francisco had such a great time being on one end of the piñata as the kids took their turn to take a swing. Pastor Francisco enjoying moments with the children and the piñata. Pastor Francisco’s wife has been sick and bedridden for the last 6 years. In the absence of Sergio, Erick has made himself available to us as interpreter. We have enjoyed getting to know him. He is a very sincere young man, loves the Lord and has a passion for sharing the Gospel. He shared his testimony with both teams and he has an amazing testimony. On a follow up from a home visit made by our Alabama team we were able to bring a wheelchair to a 5 year old boy, Diego, with hydrocephalus who can’t walk. The wheelchair is a bit big for him, but we have filled out the paperwork which will enable him to get a fitted wheelchair from another ministry here in Guatemala, Beeline Wheelchairs, who do an amazing work providing wheelchairs for those in need around the country. This little guy is so cute and full of smiles and joy despite his disabilities. He speaks both Spanish and Q’eqchi’ and he was pretty excited about his new wheelchair. Erick visiting with Diego. Diego’s temporary wheelchair. It has been somewhat of a difficult season for us with the loss of Sergio and for awhile we weren’t sure where things would lead ministry wise. Change is always hard, but as said earlier, it has been a joy to get to know and work with Erick. Things are moving ahead. We now have 3 teams who want to come this next season, and Erick is busy getting the word out for a new Pastor Training class to start in September. The Church construction in Santa Marta is moving along. They have a big job ahead of them, but are committed. Please pray for them as a group. Just levelling the ground consists of breaking up rock by hand. This photo of the chisel in the rock that was taken on the Church site speaks volumes. Testimonies being shared at the Santa Marta Church site.
Thank you all for your continued prayers for us. Blessings Denis and Eileen Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23 Dear Friends and Family It appears Yeimy’s cancer is in remission. She went for a series of tests in the children’s Hospital in Guatemala City in January. All is well and she will go for another check up in July. Praise God for his faithful answer to the many prayers for Yeimy. It has been a more than 2 year journey with this family. On a recent visit with Yeimy.January was a busy month for us. Pastor training was in the first week. The second week we hosted a Pastor retreat for the first two graduating classes. They enjoyed it so much, the reconnecting with those whom they had studied with. The third week we received a team from Canada and in the midst of all, Sergio resigned suddenly and advised us that due to certain circumstances, he had left the country. If you could keep Sergio in your prayers as he is in a difficult situation right now. We have relied heavily on Sergio for 5 years now. He was our Q’eqchi’ interpreter, but much more than that. He gave us valuable insight and guidance into the Indigenous culture among many other things. He will be greatly missed. When we received the news, our range of emotions went from considering cancelling the Canadian team to seeing the Lord work out any problems we thought we might have, day by day as we reached out to the villages we would be visiting. They still wanted us to come. They said “we will work it out”. Erick, who graduated from our last Pastor training was willing to step in as our Q’eqchi’ interpreter, and although he has never worked with teams before, he did an awesome job and the team enjoyed getting to know him, and saw his passion for sharing the gospel with his people. It was a busy and full week for the team and they seemed to embrace every aspect of it. We had 3 different groups on this team. 3 from the Gleaners. 3 from Fort St John and 8 from the Lavington Church. It was beautiful to see the bonds of friendship forming within the group. The gospel was shared in every village we visited and we saw a response from several people in at least 3 of the places we visited. That was exciting for the team, and it fulfills so much of the purpose for why we are here and why we go. We did a few home visits with the team and one was to the home of the 3 disabled boys. They now have fitted wheelchairs. Although they can't communicate with words, they seem very aware of what's going on around them. We believe the team had a glimpse of the beauty of the people and the country of Guatemala that has kept us here for so many years. They were a big encouragement to us and we appreciate that so much. The beautiful Rio Negro, where we visited the town of Rio Negro. After the Film Jesus Film for Children and Erick shared the gospel, this sweet couple came forward with a very positive response to the gospel message, in the village of Secranil. Visiting a local care home run by Q'eqchi' nuns. Many of the people here have been abandoned by family. Now that we have had a chance to rest up, we begin preparations for our February Pastor training, next week. One of the last things Sergio did before he left was give a young man who had lost his leg in an accident our contact information. This young man reached out to us recently and said that he had heard that sometimes we help amputees. Just a couple of days ago we met with Juan, who, a year and a half ago was involved in a hit and run accident. He was hit by a truck while on his motorcycle and left for dead. Thankfully he survived, and has recovered from some serious head and facial injuries. He also lost a leg above the knee. We have helped several others with prosthetics over the past few years. We would like to help him also. He is 26 years old and he would like to work. So we begin the process of seeking out options for him. The prosthetic specialist that will be working with him will see if part of his leg can be built with some of the prosthetic supplies we received in December on the container from the Gleaners.. Juan, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident a year and a half ago.Over the next little while we will be taking some time to seek the Lord in direction for our ministry without Sergio. We would ask for your prayers for wisdom, direction and discernment as we move forward. After our February Pastor training we will be taking a rest trip to Panama and then to an annual missionary conference. We will be returning near the end of February in time for the March session of Pastor training and then will be receiving a team from Shiloh Baptist Church in Alabama.
Many of you have asked about my (Eileen’s) health. I am feeling good and life carries on as normal. I give all glory to God for that. I know that many of you are praying for me and I am so thankful for that. For the most part, I sense the peace and the presence of God, and even in moments when I don’t, the Bible tells me that He will never leave me nor forsake me. Can’t imagine not having those promises to sustain me. Thank you all for your support and prayers. Denis and Eileen Nogue Seeds to Harvest Ministries |
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