Finding Encouragment

Daniel Silguero with his daughter, Danielle. Mr. Silguero found encouragement to face leukemia through his regular reading of a New Testament received from a Gideon. While earning his degree at South Texas College, Daniel Silguero received a New Testament from a Gideon participating in a Scripture distribution. Already a believer, he thanked the Gideon, slipped the New Testament into his backpack, and promptly forgot about it. On July 24, 2015, Daniel was diagnosed with leukemia. The news came as a terrible shock to him and to his family. “You are never prepared to hear something like that,” says Daniel, who now lives with his family in Weslaco, Texas. “It was devastating. I did not know how to comprehend the news.”He began to consider what the road ahead would look like and how the cancer would affect the remainder of his life, as well as the lives of his wife, Maricela, and his two young children, Danielle and Andrew.

Just as he was beginning to lose hope, Daniel came across the New Testament that had been handed to him years earlier. He read the New Testament cover to cover and was surprised by how much encouragement it brought him. “I cannot express how helpful that New Testament was,” he says. “It was small enough that I was able to carry it with me everywhere. The more I studied it, the more it continued to bring me closer to God. It was a frightening time, but the Word gave me hope. I knew that no matter what, I needed to have faith that God would see me through it.”Sixteen days after his diagnosis, Daniel went into remission. It was a miraculous turn of events that left his oncologist stunned. For the Silguero family, it was a humbling demonstration of the incredible power of prayer. “God is mighty,” says Daniel, “Matthew 17:20 tells us that faith as small as a mustard seed can make great things happen. I am living testimony that this is true.”

Daniel’s experience convinced him that he needed to be more intentional about witnessing to others, so they could experience the same peace he is experiencing. He decided one way to do that was to sign up to become a Friend of Gideons. As a Friend, Daniel has opportunities to participate closely with Gideons in reaching the lost with God’s Word. He also receives regular updates about the impact Gideons are making throughout the world. "After everything I have been through and all the battles I fought, I have realized that there is a tremendous amount of need,” he says. “So many people either do not know God or are too involved in their daily routine that they forget about how He can deliver them from their pain and hardships. The Gideon New Testament was given to me so that I would have it in my most desperate time of need, and it gave me peace when I needed it most. In return, I would like to continue spreading His Word by providing people with New Testaments.” Daniel plans to take New Testaments to the cancer center he visits so he can provide them to the patients undergoing treatment. He explains, “When you get news like the news that was given to me, it is devastating. The people undergoing treatment are in a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally. I know that receiving a New Testament will be a real blessing, just like it was to me.”“I feel connected to The Gideons by being a Friend,” says Daniel. “I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of this Association, because I know that we are making a difference in the world."