November 2020

Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
A few years ago when we were working hard on getting the North Okanagan Valley Gleaners going, a good friend encouraged me one day with this verse, as we talked out in the parking lot.  It has come to mind many times over the years. This journey God has given us is not always easy, but as time goes on and we look back we can often see how each instance, however difficult, is used for His glory.
The people of Guatemala suffered much with the Government lockdowns during covid.  We wrote about that in previous updates and you all graciously donated enough that we could bring a container in response.  That container has about 1/4 of the contents left and is emptying quickly.
We made the decision to send another container in October and that container has just arrived in Port and expected to be released next week.
When we arrived in Guatemala on Oct. 29 we had a couple of really beautiful tranquil days to settle in and then Hurricane Eta hit.  High winds and heavy rains for 5 or 6 days has left a trail of devastation in it’s wake in our area of Guatemala.  Mudslides, trees down everywhere and worst of all the flooding of so many communities.
The community of Campur which is where Calixto lives, the amputee whom we recently helped with a prosthetic, is completely under water.  Calixto had begun a small business out of his home and lost almost everything.  He is only one of many.
In another community about an hour from us,  there was a mud slide that buried much of the community.  They estimate over 100 dead and have only been able to retrieve 6 bodies.  I include a photo (below) of a man who was away working when the slide killed his wife, three children and 20 members of his extended family.  The pain and grief in his face says it all.
Samac, another community where we have been many times and a friend and interpreter for us lives there, is also under water.  Around 2,500 people affected.
We don’t even know the total numbers yet.  Sergio, Denis & Chris just visited a community of 35 families who lost mostly everything, including their crops of corn, cardamom and coffee.  They delivered basic food supplies, and we will be going back to bring basic hygiene supplies.  There are many villages just like this one.
The response from local Guatemalans has been amazing.  Many Churches and schools have opened as shelters, and food donated in order to prepare meals.  Guatemalan friends in Antigua have prepared and sent supplies of all sorts and hygiene packs for us to distribute.  There are an estimated 70,000 people in shelters.
Guatemalans are an amazingly resilient people and we always come away truly in awe of their perseverance in the trials that they face.  They just get down to work and start with the most basic tasks to bring life back to normal.  We believe it will be some time before the full extent of the damage is known.
We are providing Gleaners food, blankets, and the hygiene items as they are donated to us.  We are putting together packages of food staples like beans, corn, rice, oil, salt, sugar to go along with the packages of Gleaners Soup and attempting to help those whom have reached out to us.
It has been quite the year, and we don’t know when we will be able to get back to our regular ministry plans, but we trust in the Lord to lead and direct.  Proverbs 19:21 says,  Many are the plans in a man’s heart,  but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.  For now, we walk beside the hurting Guatemalan people as best we can and provide as we can and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

We would appreciate your prayers as we minister to those who have lost everything.  It’s not an easy time.  And now the news is saying that Hurricane Iota is bearing down on Central America.  Please pray with us that this hurricane be diverted.

**If you can financially support our efforts to help the people of Guatemala during these difficult times, your donations are greatly appreciated.  The links to make donations are found below.


Blessings,
​Denis & Eileen

In a massive mudslide 1 hour from us, this man lost his wife, three children and 20 members of his extended family

Quejas, San Cristobal

The flag sticking out the lake is the top of the School.

Caseria Sasam, a community of 35 families that was completely flooded. Crops of Cardamom, Coffee and corn ... all lost.

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 Rd.
Nakusp, BC V0G 1R1 

or e-transfer [email protected] (write Seeds To Harvest in the message) 

or to:
Commission To Every Nation Canada (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 78029-1307

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

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