february 2025

Dear friends and family:
I know we have said it before, and we say it again.  How blessed and privileged we are to be serving here in Guatemala, and to be a part of the local and broader missionary community.


This was recently impressed on our hearts even more so when a friend, and fellow missionary here in our area of Guatemala had some life threatening health issues with his heart that needed immediate attention.  The missionary community and others, came together to help with the costs of going to a private hospital rather than the public … a difference between night and day … or likely the difference between living or dieing.  He was prepared to go to a public hospital, but thanks to another local missionary who brought this plight to the attention of us all, he went to a private, had a successful surgery and is now back home recovering.

Thankful for Frank, a fixture in the local Missionary community.

​There have been a few other times we have reached out to the missionary community for advice, or medical contacts or prosthetic contacts and have always had an immediate response.    Working together when we can and supporting and encouraging one another.  We have found that it is those on the mission field who truly understand the struggles, the worry, the loneliness at times and also the joys of seeing the Lord work through various situations. 


There are times that we feel completely out of our comfort zone as we sit (for example) in a meeting of Q’eqchi’ speakers with our Spanish/Q’eqchi’ translator, asked to counsel yet trying to be cognizant of cultural differences as we sort through the problems at hand.   We are reminded that God shows His strength through our weaknesses and those are times that we pray for wisdom.  


We have had many meetings with the Santa Marta Church over the last several months over some division issues that have happened within the Church.  Our last meeting of a couple of days ago was encouraging for us and for them.  The situation seems to have come to a point of moving forward with forgiveness, and we give God the glory for working in the hearts of those involved.  

Love the little papaya tree bearing fruit beside the new Santa Marta Church.
In our last container of medical equipment, which arrived about a year ago, and of which we are getting pretty empty, the wheelchairs are always the first to go.  There is always such a great demand.  We have had one wheelchair that we hadn’t found a home for.  It was kind of a big stroller that didn’t fold, made for a smaller person or a child.  We wanted to hold on to it until the right situation presented itself, which it did.
A couple of days ago, we were meeting with Carlos, a  representative from a local Church here in Coban that does alot of outreach in the area.  They had asked for food and mattresses for some elderly in a more remote community.  He was telling us about a young man of 18 years who is severely disabled.  When his mother takes him anywhere she carries him on her back.  We showed him the wheelchair and he thought it would be perfect.  In the photo below it looks like it will be more than sufficient, and will ease the burden for his mother.  

We have committed to the sending of another container of food.  The Gleaners expect to load in the first week of March and we should have it in Guatemala by mid April.  There is an increasing demand for the food and we have gone through our last one fairly quickly.  If anyone would like to donate towards the costs of bringing in this container, please see the donation links below.  Donations are always welcome.  
Two Pastor training classes started up in mid January.  One in our home and the other in a community about an hour away with a total of 25 students. That number will adjust a little within the first two or three months.  Many of them have travelled from communities 3 hours away.  
We have a friend who prays for each student by name every week.  If there is anyone else who would like to pray for them, please send us an email and we can send you the list of names and a brief bio.  We can’t overemphasize the importance of prayer.  For most of them, they make a big sacrifice to come.

We look forward to installing our remaining 35 or so vented stoves.  We will carry on with our small band of Guatemalan helpers who love to be involved and help others.  We are just waiting for a list from the community and then we will proceed.

Several years ago we met some other Canadian missionaries from Ontario who were bringing in Ontario Gleaners food. We have kept in regular contact with them. They are working in an area of Guatemala about 7 or 8 hours from us.  If you want to read about them here is a link to their website:  https://power-at-work.ca/about-us/team/   

We have on occasion shared supplies and we recently had a visit from them and several of the boys they mentor.  Part of their ministry is to provide bunk beds in families where the kids grow up usually all sleeping in the same bed.  They brought one for Yeimy and her siblings.  They also brought many baby packs which we donated to two clinics run by missionaries and are a blessing for pregnant or new moms.

We had a chance to take them to Semuc Champey, which is a local Guatemalan treasure, an hour and a half from our home.  An area of beautiful pools in the mountains, to swim, and a hike to a beautiful vista.  Pictures don’t do it justice, but here are a couple of photos below.  

​

Our last bit of news is about Susanna, the girl from Quiche with the twisted leg from being run over when she was 5.  She is now 13.  In mid March she will be attending a clinic with several specialists from the US who will determine if the leg can be saved or if she needs an amputation.  If she needs an amputation there is another ministry who work in prosthetics and will carry on with her treatment.  Our role in all this has been to make the connections and to facilitate and help with travel and food costs.  The first appointment is 8 hours to the south of where she lives, and if she needs the second it is many hours to the north.  Poverty keeps many people from seeking medical help and it is a privilege to be able to help this way.  Please pray for Susanna and her upcoming appointment on March 15 and 16.  We thank God for those Doctors and other specialists who give of their time and expertise to help the people of Guatemala.

We are doing well and looking forward to an upcoming missionary conference held once per year in Panajachel, another beautiful area of Guatemala.


Many blessings,
Denis and Eileen

Donation options:
All Donations are greatly appreciated and Tax Deductible

Canadian residents cheque's should be made out to:
Arrow Lakes Alliance Church (write Seeds to Harvest on the memo line)
339 Alexander Road.
Nakusp, B.C.  V0G 1R1

or e-transfer to ([email protected] (write Seeds to Harvest in the message)
or to:
Commission to Every Nation (write Seeds to Harvest on the memo line)
PO Box 22017
11500 Tecumseh Rd. E.
Windsor, Ontario  N8N 5G6

You can also donate online at Commission to Every Nation, CTEN here:  http://www.cten.org/denisnogue

United States residents cheque's should be made out to:
Commission to Every Nation (write Seeds to Harvest on the memo line) P.O. Box 291307 Kerrville, TX 780289-1307

Like us on Facebook?
Facebook at Seeds to Harvest Ministries/Denis & Eileen Nogue
Copyright © 2021 Denis & Eileen Nogue, All rights reserved.  You are receiving this email because you subscribed to Denis and Eileen Nogue's Guatemala email newsletter. 


Our email address is:
noguesinguatemala@gmail.com