Dear Friends and Family "The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8 No matter what road we take, God will be one step ahead. The Bible says the Lord is always going before us. No matter what journey of uncertainty we encounter, God is laying out our path and preparing our steps. This past year the Lord had gone before us in some amazing ways. We arrived back to Canada in early June 2021 and quite honestly, because of all that is going on in the world, there were times that we wondered if we should have just stayed in Guatemala, but as the summer progressed, it became apparent that God had prepared amazing connections for us. In early June we were reading about how there have been a growing number of disruptions in the shipping industry. We thought it would be a good idea to contact the ladies who organize our containers and shipping to see what it was looking like to send a container in fall. We believe this was prompted by the Lord because they told us that the 40’ x 9’ high containers that we normally buy were quickly rising in price and were hard to come by and that the whole shipping industry was in disarray. So we prayerfully, on faith, made the decision to send a container in August rather than wait until fall. In fact we were told that it was a miracle that they were even able to secure a container for us. That in several months, only 3 came available, and 1 of those they were able to designate for us. Prior to the container arriving, we had already had several requests for food and medical equipment, so the needs remain great. We had some amazing acts of generosity during our time in Canada and we want to just share a few. One was that we first received a quote from a trucking agency that to pick up the empty container in Vancouver, bring it to the Gleaners in Lavington to load and then return it to the Port of Vancouver would cost $2,400. Costs had gone up and we expected that we would just have to pay that. Then another offer from a trucking company in Armstrong, Fox’s Transport, said they would do the entire job for $500. We don’t know the details behind that amazing offer, but are very thankful. We know that this probably barely covers the cost of their gas. When the container was loaded, we and the volunteers at the Gleaners that day asked the truck driver if we could pray for him and for safe passage for the load. He was very moved that we would pray for him, and said that he had never transported a load like this before and he was thrilled to be driving. God has truly gone before this shipment because despite the hindrances we have been hearing about in the shipping industry, our container has arrived in Guatemala, breezed through customs and unloaded in Coban just yesterday. We were blessed to have about 20 young men from a couple of other ministries show up to help unload the container. We camped up at the Lavington Gleaners for almost a week in August. During that time we met an amazing group, camping also, some from Alberta and some from Vancouver Island. They used to sing together in a quartet, and they meet every year at the Gleaners to serve. We were treated to some amazing singing in the processing room at the plant every day as we worked. It was also such a wonderful time of fellowship with a great group of people. (If you have never volunteered there, we highly recommend it, and they are always looking for volunteers). One day, one of the men from the singing group told us that he felt that the Lord was prompting him to raise funds to ship another container to Guatemala for us. What did we think? Wow! Well there is always great need and we are happy to take on the paperwork for another container. He has started the process of promoting this project and has set up an account for donations. If you would like to make a donation to that specific project, please contact us and we will provide the details. We don’t know when this will come to pass, but the Lord knows and we are trusting in His plan. We’ve been able to connect with a group of prosthetic specialists in California who are coming early November. They will be able to build prosthetics for two new amputees that we have met, and will be able to service the prosthetics of the two previous amputees that we have been able to help. We have said it before, but it is truly life changing for these men to have received a prosthetic. They go from being and feeling hopeless about their futures to being able to lead productive lives. Marvin, one of our Global Acción students for Pastor training will receive a prosthetic in November. Rafael, recent amputee of left arm and leg, will receive a new prosthetic leg in November. One other amazing act of generosity we want to share is that we had an anonymous donation of 25 portable radio devices, produced by Trans World Radio, in Ontario, with SD cards loaded with biblical material in Spanish/Q’eqchi’ as well as 5 in Spanish/Pokomchi. We will be able to provide each Church represented in our Pastor Training with one. They are used with success for sharing the Gospel in other parts of the world and can also be used in Children’s ministry as they come equipped with some good Biblical children’s stories. For more information you can read about them at twr.ca. The Pastor training is moving along successfully. It looks like we have lost one student, but the remaining 9 seem committed to staying the course. Please pray for them, that their commitment would remain strong. We are considering, and praying about starting another Pastor training session that would start in February. We would then have Pastors in year one and Pastors in year two to complete the modules. Sergio has had enquiries and so he will hold a meeting in the near future to determine how many would be interested. Please pray as we move ahead little by little to work out the details, and work out our finances as well. We will keep everyone posted as this progresses. We will be commencing the work with another missionary group in the community El Mirador this fall. This is the community that lost everything to a mudslide. We are anxious, as we are sure they are, to get water to the community, and some decent living conditions. We will keep you posted on that project. We were reminded once again as we returned to Guatemala how, in this country, life is so very hard for many. We can help alleviate the hunger and suffering for some and in that process, offer the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is our only hope in this world. It is a joy and a privilege to do so.
Thank you for your prayers and for your generous donations. Blessings, Denis & Eileen Nogue Seeds to Harvest Ministries P.S. Please check out the link for a short video that we put together of our last year of ministry in Guatemala. https://vimeo.com/587643109?utm_source=email&utm_medium=vimeo-cliptranscode-201504&utm_campaign=29220 Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Dear Friends and Family, Several months ago we began a mission to visit all the students in the Pastor training program in their homes in order to get to know them better. We have just completed the visits and we are so glad we took the time to do this. In the fall, we will make the rounds again. They were encouraged by our visit and we were encouraged by their commitment, and it gave us a glimpse into the reality of their lives and the difficulties they live with, but also a glimpse of their love and commitment to the Lord. We could see the sacrifices they make in order to come to the Pastor training. We would appreciate your prayers for this group of men as they study over the next 18 months. We recently attended the new Church in Santa Marta, where we built our second maternity clinic. Sergio preaches at his own Church and then goes up to Santa Marta to preach. About a 1.5 hour trip one way for him. They had been asking when we would come, so we planned to go on Guatemalan Mother’s Day. Unfortunately that day the road was blocked due to some issues that arose in a village along the route, and guns were involved. Sergio recommended that we go back and we went again the following week They hold Church in one of the leader’s homes, and it was packed to the brim, with many people standing outside and watching through the windows and doors. Two couples came to the Lord that day and the Church is growing by leaps and bounds. We will be looking forward to witnessing some baptisms in the near future. Other news is that one aspect of our ministry seems to have taken on more of a prosthetics helps. As word gets out that we have helped a couple of amputees, we have had several requests for help. We hadn’t had the money set aside for this, but have made special requests in the past, and people have responded. We work often with a Guatemalan led ministry near us, especially in the area of food distribution after the hurricanes. They have a connection with a group of prosthetic specialists from the USA who want to come down to Guatemala and hold a clinic in the near future. So we are excited and hopeful that this will become a regular thing. Not only do some need prosthetics, but those who already have them often need maintenance and new silicone liners which are expensive. It is completely life changing for them and gives them the opportunity to take care of themselves and their families. Calixto, who we helped with a prosthetic leg and knee now runs his own business in the community of Campur in which he lives. He is also in the Pastor training program. Cesar who is a double amputee is able to work in the fields and on his little farm to help support his family. Before their prosthetics, they were sitting at home thinking their lives were over. I wish you could meet them and see the changes in their lives. Cesar and his wife and two boys live way up in the mountains of Quiche. The first time I met his wife she was so shy that she didn’t say a word to me. We recently took the 3.5 hour trip to go up and visit him. This time she ran out and gave me a big hug. She expressed several times her thankfulness for her husbands legs. We are back in Canada for the summer months. We are taking a bit of time to relax and enjoy some Canadian summer weather. We hope to get a container underway by September, and will be heading back to Guatemala mid September. We hope to get a chance to see many of you. We will be dropping by the Gleaners plant periodically as we collect things for the container, and will plan to stay and volunteer likely towards the end of August, not sure of our dates yet. Thank you for all the prayer and support you have given us over this past year. We couldn't do what we do without you. Blessings, Denis & Eileen Calixto, in front of his store in the town of Campur. German is our youngest student in Pastor training, at 17 years old. He is a talented guitar player and leads worship at his Church. Cesar is a double amputee. He is able to farm his property with his new prosthetic legs. Two couples received the Lord at the new Church in Santa Marta Pastor training
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Dear Friends and Family We have been back in Guatemala almost two months now, and sometimes it feels like a lifetime. With all the devastation of the hurricanes, flooding and landslides we have had some busy times. There is always a certain amount of stress involved in some of the decision making, in prioritizing the requests and even in how to access to certain areas ... very difficult and some areas, very dangerous because of the terrain and landslides. It might be hard for you to imagine when in North America, generally, there is very good infrastructure. When a natural disaster happens, there is plenty of equipment and manpower to step in and fix it. In Guatemala only the areas of highest priority get the equipment and manpower first. Everyone else waits, or tries to fix it by hand, and sometimes they wait for months, and sometimes it never gets fixed. Many of you sent additional funds to help with relief efforts and we thank you so very much for that. We have been able to offer relief in a variety of ways. We have provided food and medical to individual requests, and we have provided food and medical to other ministries for their own areas. I think almost every shelter in the area of Coban, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Tactic have had the benefit of Gleaners Soup. The food, medical, and seeds have gone by car, truck, helicopter, boat, raft, mule, and by being carried on the backs of men. We have met and worked with some amazing Guatemalans during this process, those who love their own people and their country. It is an honour and privilege for us to join them. For many villages, it will be a long road to recovery. Not only many homes and all their personal belongings were lost, but crops of corn, beans, coffee and cardamom were lost, and for many of them, their storage of corn and beans that keep them going until the next harvest was ruined. The invitations to show the Jesus Film and The Hope in the villages have begun again, and both films were recently shown in two remote villages in which food was brought after the floods, both showings were to a packed audience. We are moving ahead with Pastor training. We’ve made a connection with a fellow CTENer, Pedro Samuc, who has been working in Bible translation into the indigenous languages starting back in 1982. Meeting Pedro was such an answer to prayer. He is mature, he is humble, and he comes with some incredible skills to bring to this Pastor training project that the Lord has put before us. He is indigenous himself, and he said his heart is for those mountain pastors who have little opportunity to increase their knowledge and training of Biblical principles. We met with him and Sergio, Chris and Leah and ourselves and it was decided in the end that it might be best for the first three months for them to be taught how to study the Bible. Pedro will undertake those classes and Sergio will translate into Q’eqchi’. We will then assess the program from there. Currently, a number of applications are out in the communities, and once we receive them back, a decision will be made on the admissions. We are very excited to undertake this venture. We have often thought “who are we, (just regular people) that God would take us and use us for His purposes, through our failings and our weaknesses and give us such joy in the doing”. We see, as we have taken little steps of faith over the years how He has been with us all the way. It’s as we look back, we see His provision. This gives us the courage to keep moving forward. Such a great God we serve. Although hard at times, missing family and the ease and familiarity of home, we do love this life He has called us to and how He has grown us and is growing us still into the image of His son. We know it will be a lifelong process (we are far from perfect) and we don’t know what tomorrow brings. But by faith, we take the next step with Him. A verse that encourages us often is from 2 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. Please pray with us for the Lord’s purposes to be achieved in this Pastor training. How beautiful on the mountains are The feet of those who bring good news, Who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, Who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7 We wish you all a Merry Christmas and your New Year full of joy and wonder. Blessings Denis & Eileen Nogue |
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