february 2023

Colossians 3:16. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Dear Friends and Family
In our last ministry update we mentioned that we had been trying to reach a community a couple of hours from us that have been continually flooded and crops washed away by the frequent rains.  Their road was blocked by a mudslide for many weeks,  but in December we finally had a chance to go and deliver food to 153 families.  We took the opportunity to show our film Magdalena in Q’eqchi’ and the gospel was clearly presented.  We are returning next week with more food and seeds, as they have gone through what they have.  The community has a list with the names of the families that would receive food, and I will never forget the look of fear on some of the women’s faces that perhaps their names wouldn’t be called.  We don’t know what it is like to reach that level of hunger.

We had a team of  9 come from the Church in Lavington, BC, and what a blessing that was.  They came with open hearts, prepared to serve.
We had a busy full week of children's ministry in a couple of different villages.  

We took the opportunity to visit the two children we are helping with their medical needs and their families.  It was meaningful for the team to meet the children we have been asking for prayer for and to take the opportunity to pray with them.  Yeimy’s treatments have ended and she is being monitored for the next few months.  Wilson continues with testing to see if they can find out the reason for his poor vision.

We hiked into a remote village (a good hour one way) that we have been working in, where children’s ministry, a short skit about baptism, distribution of Gleaners food, and games and a piñata with the kids was a blessing to the community.

We did several home visits to some elderly folks that lived in the mountains, in the pouring rain.  They were encouraged by a gift of food and a visit, and the team had another glimpse of rural Guatemala, as we slipped and slid up and down the muddy paths to their homes.

We did a hospital visit, the ladies on the team visited families and patients on the children's ward, and the rest of the team, along with some members of Sergio’s Church gave a hot drink and snack to those waiting outside the hospital for their loved ones, some of whom wait for hours or maybe days because they have nowhere else to go.  This was emotionally hard for many on the team, to see the reality for many here in Guatemala.  
We visited an old Folks home that operates by donations, and it was a joy to serve them cake and a drink, to sing for them, and some of them even danced. 

At one of the villages where we showed our film and did children’s ministry, we noticed a girl carrying her disabled brother into the Church and setting him in a chair.  We asked if he had a wheelchair and then found out that he had two older brothers, also disabled and none of them had a workable wheelchair.  Out of 6 children, 3 of them are disabled.  As a team, we visited their home and assessed them for needs.  We were able to return last week with a couple of wheelchairs, some adult diapers, and food.  We want to bring a couple of hospital mattresses, and a friend and fellow missionary with a wheelchair ministry will meet with them in the near future to fit them properly in his specially designed wheelchairs.  Unfortunately, the two older boys, because they haven’t had physiotherapy in several years, their thin little bodies are quite seized up and their movement very restricted.  It’s hard to think of the many resources in a first world country for children like this, but with the lack of everything here, we provide what we can through the resources we have to ease their comfort and make it easier for them and their Mom. 

We began the week with a baptismal service with a few people from Sergio’s Church, and ended the week with one of the team members deciding to be baptized.  So blessed by those decisions and such a perfect way to begin and end our week with the team.

We just finished our 6th month of Pastor training.  It was interesting to learn that this group had the idea that you needed to be married to be baptized and also that they have never given or taken communion in their Churches.  They said they were afraid that they would do it wrong and offend the Lord.  The teacher took them back through the passages of the Bible that referenced both topics.  We realize that we should never take for granted the level of Biblical knowledge of these men, some who have already been pastoring for many years.  We are so thankful to be able to bring biblical truth to these groups and thankful for Godly teachers.  Please continue to pray for these students.

The team was a big encouragement to us, and the fellowship was wonderful.  The family of Christ and the fellowship of believers.  Nothing can compare.

We don’t always see the big picture in how God is moving, but we know that He is always at work in our lives and the lives of others.  Sometimes we get a glimpse of His purposes and it is a beautiful thing to see.  

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

Blessings to you all.
Denis & Eileen Nogue
Seeds to Harvest Ministries