October, 2026
Remembered friends,
It’s an ordinary Wednesday morning here in Nisnic village, Guatemala. Village sounds fill my ears as I sit at the table in our sunny main room. Roosters crowing. Dogs barking. A chain saw whirring, an axe biting into wood, the massive THUD as a tree falls. I’m glad the Pokomchi men are experts at lumber work. Our roof has remained intact for almost four decades of life here, with trees felled only yards away.
I hear a motorcycle being driven up the steep path on the mountain behind our house. Motorcycles are a part of life here in Guatemala, since they are a small, relatively cheap, gas-efficient, and maneuverable means of transportation up and down the incredibly winding roads of mountainous Guatemala. We’ve sometimes seen whole families—father, mother, child in between, and baby in mom’s arms—being carried on one “moto” through heavy traffic!
Boris and I have been in Guatemala since September 10, and we plan to return to Harrisburg October 14. We’ve enjoyed lots of meaningful family and ministry moments over the past couple of weeks.
Our son Christopher, age 32, continues to call this country home. He was born in this very house, grew up here, and has a unique ministry to the youth and adults he comes in contact with through his involvement in Guatemala’s soccer world. Living alone here at the village homestead for the past three and a half years has given him time to heal after Rose’s death in 2023. He has been a huge blessing to the people, teams, and ministries around him here in San Cristobal Verapaz during that time. He’s driven sick babies to the far away capital city for treatment, and coached and mentored scores of young men seeking direction.
But a few months ago, he felt God leading him to once again venture into the professional soccer playing arena. Now he has moved for a season to a town called Guastatoya, a couple hours away from Nisnic in the hot country part of Guatemala. He plays a midfield offensive position with the team, and since he signed, the team has steadily risen in the table of Guatemala’s top futbol teams.
Last week Boris and I drove down to see Cox and his team play against Aurora, a well-known capital city team in the league. With only minutes left on the clock, Cox found the ball and rocketed it into the back of the net for a 2-1 victory, which pushed Guastatoya to #1 at the top of the current table. What a game!
Cox is often recognized when he’s with us, as fans want their picture taken with him, or a “saludo” greeting recorded by him on their phones. He takes his celebrity humbly in stride, using it as an opportunity to encourage others. The Lord foreknew that when He led us to name Cox “Christopher Bernabe” (Spanish for Barnabus—“son of encouragement”).
Boris and I have likewise spent time here encouraging old friends and leaders in ministry. The Pokomchi Learning Center (CeCEP acronym) we established over 30 years ago continues strong. It’s a place where you can get your copy of the Scriptures in the Pokomchi language, as well as find many other things Pokomchi, including handcrafts and locally grown coffee. The place has been expertly run by our Pokomchi friend Sucely Ical for many years. She’s a 50-something year old single mom whose daughter is now a college student. Susi, as we call her, has recently organized a work team with “Engineers Without Borders” to come and install a potable water system in a Pokomchi village. She’s a faithful leader who began serving during our own years as Pokomchi Bible translators. We thank the Lord for her!
Last week, we made a quick trip over to visit a Honduran friend named Carlos, a committed believer who has fellowshipped at our church in Harrisburg for years. He was in the US under TPS (temporary protected status) through his mother, who brought him across the southern border when he was only 6--almost 30 years ago. When TPS for Honduras was finally allowed to expire early this year, Carlos knew he couldn't willfully stay in the US illegally with a clear conscience. He packed up his things here, rented out the small house he owns, and returned to his country of origin. We went to San Pedro Sula, in the northern part of Honduras, to deliver to him a care package from our church. It was a sweet visit. Carlos is thriving, goes to the gym each morning, lives in a tiny, windowless apartment he rents, and is hoping to move to another town in Honduras soon, where he can work for a Christian mission which sponsors needy children with education scholarships. Since Carlos is bilingual, and speaks English just as well as Spanish, he has valuable skills.
Please pray for our brother in the faith as he continues to adjust to Honduran culture, as well as for Susi in her important work at CeCEP.
Finding faith that flourishes in the Cooking Pot,
Boris and Beth Ramirez
Aldea Nisnic
San Cristobal Verapaz, AV
Guatemala
P.S. For those interested, here's a pic of Sucely Ical, the long-time director of CeCEP, with Boris and Beth. We grabbed some food at the new "Stellar Drinks" cafe just around the corner from CeCEP.
Thank you for your prayers for all of us in ministry here.
Remembered friends,
It’s an ordinary Wednesday morning here in Nisnic village, Guatemala. Village sounds fill my ears as I sit at the table in our sunny main room. Roosters crowing. Dogs barking. A chain saw whirring, an axe biting into wood, the massive THUD as a tree falls. I’m glad the Pokomchi men are experts at lumber work. Our roof has remained intact for almost four decades of life here, with trees felled only yards away.
I hear a motorcycle being driven up the steep path on the mountain behind our house. Motorcycles are a part of life here in Guatemala, since they are a small, relatively cheap, gas-efficient, and maneuverable means of transportation up and down the incredibly winding roads of mountainous Guatemala. We’ve sometimes seen whole families—father, mother, child in between, and baby in mom’s arms—being carried on one “moto” through heavy traffic!
Boris and I have been in Guatemala since September 10, and we plan to return to Harrisburg October 14. We’ve enjoyed lots of meaningful family and ministry moments over the past couple of weeks.
Our son Christopher, age 32, continues to call this country home. He was born in this very house, grew up here, and has a unique ministry to the youth and adults he comes in contact with through his involvement in Guatemala’s soccer world. Living alone here at the village homestead for the past three and a half years has given him time to heal after Rose’s death in 2023. He has been a huge blessing to the people, teams, and ministries around him here in San Cristobal Verapaz during that time. He’s driven sick babies to the far away capital city for treatment, and coached and mentored scores of young men seeking direction.
But a few months ago, he felt God leading him to once again venture into the professional soccer playing arena. Now he has moved for a season to a town called Guastatoya, a couple hours away from Nisnic in the hot country part of Guatemala. He plays a midfield offensive position with the team, and since he signed, the team has steadily risen in the table of Guatemala’s top futbol teams.
Last week Boris and I drove down to see Cox and his team play against Aurora, a well-known capital city team in the league. With only minutes left on the clock, Cox found the ball and rocketed it into the back of the net for a 2-1 victory, which pushed Guastatoya to #1 at the top of the current table. What a game!
Cox is often recognized when he’s with us, as fans want their picture taken with him, or a “saludo” greeting recorded by him on their phones. He takes his celebrity humbly in stride, using it as an opportunity to encourage others. The Lord foreknew that when He led us to name Cox “Christopher Bernabe” (Spanish for Barnabus—“son of encouragement”).
Boris and I have likewise spent time here encouraging old friends and leaders in ministry. The Pokomchi Learning Center (CeCEP acronym) we established over 30 years ago continues strong. It’s a place where you can get your copy of the Scriptures in the Pokomchi language, as well as find many other things Pokomchi, including handcrafts and locally grown coffee. The place has been expertly run by our Pokomchi friend Sucely Ical for many years. She’s a 50-something year old single mom whose daughter is now a college student. Susi, as we call her, has recently organized a work team with “Engineers Without Borders” to come and install a potable water system in a Pokomchi village. She’s a faithful leader who began serving during our own years as Pokomchi Bible translators. We thank the Lord for her!
Last week, we made a quick trip over to visit a Honduran friend named Carlos, a committed believer who has fellowshipped at our church in Harrisburg for years. He was in the US under TPS (temporary protected status) through his mother, who brought him across the southern border when he was only 6--almost 30 years ago. When TPS for Honduras was finally allowed to expire early this year, Carlos knew he couldn't willfully stay in the US illegally with a clear conscience. He packed up his things here, rented out the small house he owns, and returned to his country of origin. We went to San Pedro Sula, in the northern part of Honduras, to deliver to him a care package from our church. It was a sweet visit. Carlos is thriving, goes to the gym each morning, lives in a tiny, windowless apartment he rents, and is hoping to move to another town in Honduras soon, where he can work for a Christian mission which sponsors needy children with education scholarships. Since Carlos is bilingual, and speaks English just as well as Spanish, he has valuable skills.
Please pray for our brother in the faith as he continues to adjust to Honduran culture, as well as for Susi in her important work at CeCEP.
Finding faith that flourishes in the Cooking Pot,
Boris and Beth Ramirez
Aldea Nisnic
San Cristobal Verapaz, AV
Guatemala
P.S. For those interested, here's a pic of Sucely Ical, the long-time director of CeCEP, with Boris and Beth. We grabbed some food at the new "Stellar Drinks" cafe just around the corner from CeCEP.
Thank you for your prayers for all of us in ministry here.
