Luke and Kate Doppenberg
Luke and Kate were married in December of 2020. Luke is a former MK (Missionary Kid) who grew up in Guatemala, working alongside his family since 2010. In 2015, the Doppenberg family established the Centre of Hope, a place used to bring Health, Education, Spiritual Counselling, and Community Empowerment to their impoverished region. Luke serves as the Director and therapy worker of the Centre for special needs children and children who struggle with bullying, mental, physical, and sexual abuse. Currently, the Centre is the only support in the region for these precious children. Luke is pursuing training in Clinical and pastoral care counseling to better assist the children who struggle with different forms of abuse.
Luke also works as a fully trained TEFL English tutor (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) in a program that will help improve the future of the Center’s children, creating new and bright opportunities for the next generation. Teaching helps to open conversations about Faith, as part of our English program works through the English Bible.
Luke has been appointed to serve on the Board of Directors and assist in the operation of a new local Christian radio station that is the only one in their Province. The station, Presencia 101.1 FM, currently reaches approx. 470,000 people, with the future potential of reaching almost 1 million in Guatemala alone. They are spreading the glory of God to not only the local Guatemalans but also to the indigenous people of the mountains and (thanks to internet streaming technology) the WORLD!
Kate is an RN who serves as the nurse at the Centre of Hope and assists the children as well as local people who cannot afford medical care. She works alongside local doctors and uses the technology of telemedicine to work with other specialists internationally. Kate assists in medical and dental clinics held at the Centre and together Luke and Kate hope to establish a full-time medical clinic in 2022.