Our Story

Rocky and I are 5 months into our 17^th year of serving full-time in Guatemala. 

How can that be?  It feels like just yesterday we were preparing to leave Canada to serve the Lord in full-time ministry in Guatemala. 

I don’t think we really knew what this life would be like, and maybe that’s a good thing.  Sometimes if we know too much, we can become discouraged before we even begin.  Our journey has not been as we thought it would be, but the Lord has been faithful every step of the way and we are so thankful for His provision in our lives over the past 16 ½ years. 

For those of you who don’t know our story... 

In January 2010 we left Kamloops, BC to work with Impact Ministries in Tactic, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.  We took our 2 youngest girls, Arryn and Hope, with us.  Our primary role was to work with Impact teams. 

In November 2011, our time with Impact Ministries came to a close.  We knew we were not finished in full time missions, so we started looking for another opportunity to serve.  We decided to buy a vehicle and drive from Kamloops to Honduras, visiting ministries along the way.    We discovered that most ministries had a place for us if we could speak Spanish, so, we settled in Coban, Alta Verapaz and began studying Spanish. 

We rented a little Mother-in-law house in a family’s backyard and went back to school for 6 months.  We studied 4 hours per day one-on-one with our instructors and then did 2 – 3 hours of homework each night.  It was intense!  But, it worked.  It was at this time that we became members of Commission To Every Nation – a missionary sending agency. 

In October 2012, we moved to Chisec, Alta Verapaz, to work with Mission2Guatemala.  We helped with teams and did whatever needed doing.  We were there for 2 years before the founders decided to retire and sell their mission base.

We asked the Lord for His guidance as we once again found ourselves without a place to serve.  It became clear that we were to strike out on our own and we started Compelling Love Ministries.  We moved into Chisec and rented a little Habitat house and waited on the Lord.  In the fall of 2014, the He provided 5 acres of land just outside of Chisec and in October 2015 we moved onto the property that is now our ministry base. 

We continued to seek the Lord’s direction as we developed the property, keeping in mind how to best serve the Kekchi people of this area.  In 2016 we build the rancho – the thatched roof meeting area and outdoor kitchen, and in 2017 we started construction on Restoration House.   

The educational sponsorship program continued to grow throughout these years and we began the pastoral fellowship group and started hosting teams on our own and developing the many facets of service the Lord has allowed us to participate in. 

Our daughter, Arryn, and her husband, Hector, have been a huge part of this ministry from the very beginning and in 2025 they, along with their boys, joined us as full time missionaries.  They are developing new ways to minister to the people of this area and share the Gospel and we are encouraged to see that Compelling Love Ministries has a bright future. 

Throughout this process, we have always tried to do what the Lord places before us to do.  He is the CEO and we try to follow His lead.  We look to Him for continued wisdom and guidance.  And, of course, everything we have been able to develop here has been because people like you trust us and sow, financially, into this work. We also recognize the importance of those who support us in prayer and encourage us.  We are not in this work alone!

Specific prayer requests: 

·       Healthy familial relationships.

·       Wisdom as we plan for the future.

·       Favour with local government officials and leaders.

·       Ongoing financial support for the ministry and specifically for Restoration House.

·       Continued health. 

·       Productive time in Canada (August – October).

Thank you for your prayers and love over the years! 

2 Corinthians 5:14 For Christ’s love compels us…

Rocky & Karren