The world tends to judge a person according to their actions, which is a direct reflection of their character. Character is not developed in public, it is forged quietly in daily living. A few weeks ago, Global Infusion received the shocking news that one of our Guatemalan contacts, Pastor Eliú Gutierrez, at the age of 46, went home to be with the Lord. He leaves behind his wife, Betsy, and three young children: Sarah, Rebecca, and Jacobeam.
Pastor Eliú’s family lives in a mountainous region of Guatemala, in a small city called La Union. For years, Global Infusion teams have gone out to work with him as he strives to plant churches in unreached areas of his country. If you have been with GI to Guatemala, you have met Pastor Eliú. You have ridden on the back of a 4×4 pickup truck, and carried hundreds of pounds of food to deliver among impoverished families. These families are typically coffee workers, and are paid $2/daily to harvest 100 lbs worth of coffee. These families are also unemployed when coffee is out of season. I personally have handed 50-lbs bags of groceries to a man who said thank you, because he, his wife and children had been existing on bananas and water for the last four months.
The goal of these remote village outreaches is not just to feed families, provide health care in the medical camps we facilitate, or play with the kids in our VBS’s, there is a bigger goal. Pastor Eliú lived and worked among these people in order to bring them the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. He planted churches so people could hear the Gospel, and be saved. Meeting their tangible needs was just a key that unlocked the door to their heart.
Please pray for this precious family, they fully intend to keep the work of their ministry going. Pray for God’s strength and grace to cover them. Global Infusion is setting up a fund to financially assist Pastor Eliú’s widow, Betsy, and also the children. If you would like to donate, click the link below:
(For “Designate my Donation” select Guatemala: Pastor Eliú’s Family)
A Hero In Heaven:
Well done, my good and faithful servant
Pastor Eliú Gutierrez planted multiple churches in some of the most remote and impoverished regions of Guatemala. He is truly a hero of the Christian faith, and God in His sovereign plan, called him home. His absence is a tremendous loss to his own family, and the Global Infusion family. We pray that the Holy Spirit comforts his wife and children, and the ministry they began will be sustained and grow.
Thank you Pastor Eliú for living a life that has left a godly legacy. We will see each other again, my brother.
Jonathan Haward, President & Founder
Global Infusion
