People who worked in different departments in relation to the port came to the event, forming the audience Logos Hope’s leaders honoured. As Captain Jon Helmsdale (Faroe Islands), the vessel’s master, was giving the first speech, he shared his thankfulness for the way the port authorities had been making efforts to make their collaboration work.

As a group of new crewmembers were getting ready to join the ship, a venue was needed for their pre-ship training. “We got permission to use many facilities for our trainings. Thank you for making this possible,” Captain Jon said.

Randy Grebe (USA), one of the senior leaders, asked the audience a question: “What is the best way to say thank you?” Smiling, he exclaimed, “Thank you, thank you, thank you” in Spanish, and explained that this was the best way he could express his gratitude when a simple ‘thank you’ wasn’t enough.

“I want to say thank you but we also want to bring hope. I had the opportunity to go to one of the volcano shelters, and I want to congratulate your government for what they are doing and for contributing to bringing hope there,” Randy continued. “I believe that we are called to bring hope to people, and I want to encourage you to also become people who bring hope to others. If you are connected to a civic group or a church, go as a team and take hope to people in those shelters.”

While ending the event, Pavel Martinez (Mexico) explained that he visited over 25 countries with Logos Hope and confessed, “I’ve never felt at home like I did here in Guatemala.” He expressed on behalf of all crewmembers how special Guatemala had been to them and how thankful they were to those whose collaboration they had valued and appreciated during this port visit.

As the First Lady was arriving in Puerto Quetzal, she was greeted by a crowd of Guatemalans waving national flags, as well as the crewmembers waving a wide range of their own national flags from the top of ship, to welcome her on board.

Pil-Hun Park (South Korea), Logos Hope’s director, gave the First Lady a tour of the vessel, and explained to her their three main goals: to share knowledge, help and hope. He told her about the way that the crewmembers share knowledge through literature and events; help through humanitarian projects; and hope through personal stories.

Pil-Hun explained that the First Lady was sensitive in particular to the ‘hope’ part of Logos Hope’s goals. “She said that in the world, many people are losing hope, and the ship aims to bring hope to the different parts of the world. That is very meaningful and that is why she appreciated our visit. Every country needs hope,” Pil-Hun shared.

As the First Lady was browsing through the bookfair, she picked a few books she wished to purchase, and greeted the visitors that were present. “She was hugging people, and a lot of them wanted to take a picture with her,” said Nathan Schmutz (Switzerland). 

In a private meeting, the First Lady and the ship’s leadership conversed about the experience the people of Guatemala have had on board Logos Hope, and how both children and adults enjoy this very unique experience since, for many of them, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“We were joyful that we were able give a great experience to the First Lady of Guatemala. Being so positively thanked is an encouragement,” Nathan commented. He added, “When she left, her security chief told me she looked really happy. It definitely was a great experience for her.”

Logos Hope’s leadership were encouraged by a united heart for sharing hope to the nations, and greatly appreciated the First Lady’s visit.

Irma Ismalej woke up at two o’clock in the morning to bring her four-year-old son Andrés from their town to Puerto Barrios. “I wanted to be at this festival and meet the Logos Hope people,” she said, excitedly. Sitting on the edge of the boardwalk with her son in her arms, Irma seemed to take no notice of the glorious sunset behind her, but gave the crew her full attention. “To see them is to return to a wonderful and extraordinary stage of my life,” she said, explaining that she had been among the crew of sister ship Logos II fifteen years ago and travelled through Europe, Asia and the Caribbean on the vessel.

'The only thing I want is to adore you,' sang the praise group from Alpha and Omega Church, which organised the festival. The church’s pastor, David Ayala, told the team from Logos Hope: “Your presence is a blessing to our community.” Adriana Dávila (Ecuador) introduced her shipmates, who held up a brightly coloured array of their national flags; which included South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, Japan, Finland, Argentina, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago. There was applause and dancing as the team sang worship songs in their native languages, inviting Guatemalans to join in with the music.

Prisca Hirschler (France) sang a moving song about people who have left everything behind to share the gospel in countries where people may never have heard about Jesus.

“This beautiful event is a great opportunity for our community to know that Jesus is real, that Jesus is alive and He is the Lord of all these young people who travel the world to witness to Him,” said the event’s coordinator, Joel Martínez. “It is a gift from God to have these young people of different nationalities sharing their experiences, their music and the hope they have. These people hug us, they smile at us and although sometimes we do not understand their native language, we can understand their language of love and faith,” Joel concluded.

The mayor of Puerto Barrios, Hugo Sarceño, said he felt his heart “overflowing with joy due to the presence of the Holy Spirit.” Mayor Sarceño said that, upon taking office at the city hall, his first goal was to declare Puerto Barrios “God´s land, because we believe that without God, nothing can be done and without God, there is no reason to live.”

“It is no coincidence that this ship is here today,” Mayor Sarceño continued. “We have prayed a lot for the education of our children, for the culture of our people, for the help our whole town needs and Logos Hope does all these things. That's why I think God has heard our prayers and that's why you're all here; it is a blessing for our people.”

Captain Samuel Hils (Germany) told the guests that staging the visit of a vessel like Logos Hope is not a one-person job: “I know that our advance team has already received a lot of help from the port authorities and the municipality to make this visit possible. We all work to bring this ship to the port and we do it together for the glory of God,” he said.

“Logos means ‘Word of God,’ and we, as a community on board, seek to serve God based on His Word so we can make a difference,” said Logos Hope’s director, Pil-Hun Park (South Korea). “We can make a difference when we defend the dignity and worth of each person. We can make a difference when we help people, and we can make a difference when we choose to love one another. Is this impossible? Yes, without God it is impossible.”

After speeches, the mayor and the captain of the port joined the ship’s director and captain in cutting a ribbon to officially open the world’s largest floating book fair to the public in Puerto Barrios, where Logos Hope will spend the coming two weeks.

The town’s population was about 12,500 in a 2002 census, but doesn’t account for children who aren’t registered with the state. Over the last year, OM ministry leader Ruth Schmutz has helped five children from one family obtain official papers.

Josefa, a widow and mother of six, is a friend of OM. She and her children take part in OM’s Project Rescue, which provides opportunities for families in El Tejar who suffer from poverty, malnutrition, domestic violence and lack of education. When Ruth discovered that only the eldest of Josefa’s six children had official papers, she stepped in.

“The main problem,” says Ruth, “is that if one child were [kidnapped] or lost, it would be impossible to identify the child let alone get him or her back. The place they’re living in is very dangerous; some men want to rape the women.”

Of the five children, Ruth says that 12-year-old Flor was most at risk, due to her age and because some men had had their eye on her. “We have made Flor aware of the dangers, to prevent her from being raped or trafficked,” says Ruth. OM workers ensure that Flor returns safely home before dark on afternoons spent at the Project Rescue house in town.

A right to education

In addition to the ever-present risk of being trafficked, Josefa’s five unregistered children were not accepted by the school without papers. Backed by OM, Ruth found a local ministry specialising in legal matters; with their help, all five of Josefa’s children were officially registered within one month. Ruth approached the school director on behalf of Josefa and the children, and the school agreed to take them; however, Flor’s teacher would not accept her into the class.

“The teacher was aware of the family’s situation, that they are poor,” says Ruth. “The teacher took advantage of the fact that Josefa was illiterate—not knowing her rights—and gave excuses for why Flor could not attend school. I told the teacher, ‘We know the rules; Flor has a right to go to school.’”

Now, all of Josefa’s children are in school, and all but the youngest attend the afternoon programmes at the OM Project Rescue house on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Here, along with 25 other children from similar family situations, they receive help with homework and a nutritious meal, which is more than they would get at home. They learn about God through Bible studies and songs, and they learn about hygiene.

“At Project Rescue, the children find security,” she says. “Through their actions, we try to identify what is affecting them.”

One teenager, Jonathan, the eldest of five, was rebellious. “The children were affected because their father beat their mother,” says Ruth. “Jonathan first thought it was his mother’s fault that the father had left but has realised that it wasn’t so, and his behaviour has changed.”

The OM team works with the children and their parents. If, for example, a child comes one afternoon to the house with significant bruising, the OM workers will make the parents explain the bruises.

It takes a village

Hilda believed that, because she had not finished primary school, all she could do to support her family was to clean houses or make tortillas—until OM introduced her to jewellery making as a means of income. At first, Hilda didn’t believe she could sell the earrings and bracelets she made, but OM showcased her creations in churches they visited, and people bought her jewellery.

“The jewellery project was a revelation for Hilda,” says Ruth, “that she could do more than clean and make food. When [she and the other women] discovered that they could do more, they were excited.”

“I felt really joyful when I received the money, and that I had sold something,” remembers Hilda. “I had never heard about a project like this before, and now I can learn.” Last year, Hilda even completed her primary education. “God has done big things in my life. I was not really persevering before, but [OM workers] came and they pray for me. They tell me about God. Everything that they are doing for us, I feel happy with that.”

The project and the people of El Tejar have become dear to Ruth. She and fellow OM workers have witnessed physical and spiritual transformation in the lives of the children and parents they see every week…and it’s changed them as well.

“As God says in His Word, ‘It’s better to give than to receive,’” says Ruth. “I’ve learnt to stop buying things, just because I want those things, so that I can give to them what they don’t have. I don’t see them as mere people, but as special individuals. I love them with all my heart, and I don’t like that others discriminate against them. It has been beautiful to see how God has supported this programme. It’s a project that was birthed in God’s heart.”

For more information about the work of OM in Guatemala, or to find opportunities to serve, visit www.OM.org. To support Project Rescue financially, contact your local OM office.

For a week in November, a team from Freedom Climb visited the “Rescue” project of OM Guatemala.

The project takes place at a house in Chimaltenango where 40-50 children come every week. OM team members and volunteers share the love of Jesus by playing with kids, serving them breakfast and lunch, and telling them stories from the Bible. The children come from poor families, and their parents often can’t buy a new pair of shoes or a schoolbag for them.

On this particular week, the Freedom Climb group prepared a programme for each day for the children, including devotionals and Bible stories in the mornings, and playing, drawing and making bracelets in the afternoons. They also worked with some mothers who visited the house to craft jewellery.

One afternoon the Freedom Climb group and OM team went home with children to pray with their families. The mothers welcomed them into their houses, shared their stories and needs, and showed deep gratefulness for the help their children were receiving.

On the last day of the week, all the kids and their mothers came to the project house for a small ceremony. After a time of worship and prayer, the kids performed choreography and sang a song. All the children received a medal, rewarding their effort and good behaviour throughout the week.

The team members of Freedom Climb wanted to celebrate all the children’s birthdays, so they sponsored a big party with sweets, cakes, sodas and the famous piñata. Every child received gifts which Freedom Climb bought for them. With lots of thankful and happy faces, the kids presented their new shoes, new schoolbags and accessories to their mothers.

At the end of the week, Gil, one of the leaders from Freedom Climb, told the OM team: "We may have been a blessing for you in Guatemala by answering some of the children’s needs and the time we spent with you, but you can't imagine what a blessing this week was for each of us!"

The main goal through their painting was to represent the whole and perfect creation of God: the universe, the sea, the land, the humans and the animals. With these elements, they wanted to enable the children to dream in the Project Rescue house— a secure and peaceful place for them. For example they painted a fish jumping out of the sea to reach the universe, representing that with God nothing is impossible, no matter the situation.

Besides painting, the artists spent time with the children and their families. They visited some of the children’s houses and spoke with them and prayed for them. Afterward, the artists shared that they were deeply impacted by visiting the homes of the children and their families.

For the OM Guatemala team, the time with the OM Arts group was encouraging, full of conversations, sharing and prayer. In times of fellowship, the artists and the OM Guatemala team members shared their testimonies and encouraged one another to follow God’s great plan for their lives.

In January the children will see the newly painted house for the first time after its reopening.

Please pray that the work of the artists continues to impact the lives of children in Guatemala.

One of OM’s main ministries is working with families in a poor area of the country. The team provides food and tutoring for the children, but helping their mothers has also become a priority. Many of the mothers not only suffer economic problems, but also face difficulties at home.

“Two years ago during a medical outreach I met Maria, a woman in her mid-30s, who was married and had four children,” said Ruth, a team member of OM Guatemala. “I started to talk to her and asked how she was and what her situation was like. Crying, she explained that she felt really bad and shared about her problems.”

Ruth started to do a socio-economic study with Maria to know her needs and the challenges she faced. In the following months, they always met during OM’s medical outreaches in the area and talked about her life.

“Every time we talked she was crying and telling me about her problems at home with her husband,” Ruth said. “She was sharing about the physical, sexual and psychological abuse she was suffering.”

Seven months ago, Maria decided to leave her husband. Now, alone with her children, every day she must find a way to pay the bills and provide food, clothing and money for education for her kids. The only work she could find was washing and ironing clothes for other people or cleaning their houses.

Today, after a year of helping Maria by providing legal advice and moral and spiritual guidance, as well as mentoring her and supporting her children, the OM team can see that Maria is a different woman. Through God she has become a strong and brave woman who, when asked about her life, can say she is doing better. She now shares about problems without shedding tears.

“This is the fruit of passionate and continuous work with this beautiful woman,” Ruth said. “We want to see the same fruit in many more women suffering from many different problems.”

Please pray for the ministries of OM Guatemala. Pray that many more women can be free of suffering and abuse.

*Name changed

One pressing issue is that many of the women are single mothers, trying to maintain their children with very little money or even without any income. Most of them don’t have the necessary education to find a good paying job. Employment options are very limited.

In order to give the women more possibilities to provide for themselves and their families, OM Guatemala invited people to teach them a craft. The first craft they learned was how to make a necklace and earrings out of a few basic materials.

The women enjoyed themselves greatly while practicing their new learned skill and were really excited about how nice and beautiful their necklaces turned out. As it seemed to be great fun to make those necklaces, the children started to participate as well, creating beautiful jewellery.

Now that the women have learned a new craft, the question is how they can use the craft to make money. They have all the knowledge needed to produce and sell the jewellery by themselves, but it is very difficult for a single mother to do all the necessary work alone. Thus, OM Guatemala wants to develop a small business structure in order to give the women the possibility to work with them and help out their own families, as well as the ministry.

With more people willing to teach the women a craft, many great opportunities await, which will help them and the ministries of OM Guatemala.

Please pray for the OM Guatemala team as they seek the Lord's direction with this new project and also pray that He will direct the right women to this ministry to receive help and training.

The missionaries knew it would probably be another Christmas without gifts for the children, as money is short for their parents. But nonetheless, the team looked forward to spending time with the children and sharing the message of the most wonderful Christmas gift of all: our Saviour Jesus Christ.

At the end of November, a couple with OM Guatemala started attending a small group at their new church. When asked how the ministry was going and what they had planned in the next few months, they shared about their plans for Project Rescue.

Immediately, the leader of the small group told the missionaries that the group normally went into the streets before Christmas to give out food and small gifts to the homeless. He shared also that they had been looking and praying for a way to do this more with families and children but hadn’t yet found an opportunity to do so.

Suddenly, OM Guatelama’s plans changed, and a new event was prepared. A few days before Christmas, the group went to the house of Project Rescue, bringing with them a Christian magician. During the celebration they showed a movie, shared from the Bible, served dinner and gave a personal gift to every child. Over 80 children and their parents were blessed that evening.

At the end, the leader of the small group summarised this small Christmas miracle: “You were an answer to our prayers, and we were an answer to yours!”

For more information about the work of OM in Guatemala, visit their news page here.

This problem is often related to a lack of information about proper dental practices and insufficient resources to maintain dental hygiene. Because many parents never learnt how to properly maintain their own personal dental hygiene, their children lack this important insight, also. Even more, in the common situation of very limited resources, a toothbrush is not the most important item for families to purchase; in their case, food and clothes have a higher priority.

The whole situation became very clear to the OM Guatemala team when they started visiting the families and spending time with them. People at the age of 27 seemed to have dental conditions of people at least twice as old. Also, when the children were asked about brushing their teeth at home, nearly all would say, that they did not own a toothbrush.

So when OM saw the opportunity to organize a dental outreach with the help of a contact at a Guatemalan University, there was no doubt about whether to do it or not. 20 dentists and students gathered at a local school, ready to clean and extract the teeth of over 150 people, just a few weeks after the first communication between OM and the University.

Children and adults alike where waiting in line to have their teeth examined, many with very mixed feelings about the new, uncommon experience. After the first patient left the clinic with swollen cheeks because a tooth had to be extracted, it was clear that many faces began to display some concern and nervousness. Yet, many people remained, quite aware that another free dental clinic would not occur very soon and it would be better to suffer a little now so as to avoid further pain in the future if conditions worsened.

Extractions were primarily done on adult patients as children would eventually lose their teeth with maturity. Only when entirely necessary, a young patient had to endure this procedure.

Many admitted that they imagined the experience to be worse than it actually was. In most cases, children received a fluoride treatment to protect them from dental cavities.

Quite a successful outreach, the volunteers were able to attend more patients than initially anticipated. At the end, the dentists ran out of anaesthesia to perform the extractions and a few patients went with teeth unremoved.

To the OM Guatemala team, this entire experience displayed that future dental outreaches are not just nice activities to do, but necessary ones among the demanding cases within community.

Three times a week, OM Guatemala invites the kids to come to missionaries' houses to receive breakfast and lunch. As malnutrition is a common problem in the community, those meals are very important and contain everything a child should normally eat while growing up.

Most of the children the team works with go to school in the morning after eating breakfast and come back for lunch. After they finish their meal, they have to clean their dishes, wash their hands and brush their teeth. The idea behind that is to teach them how to clean the environment they live in and to maintain their personal hygiene.

The missionaries also prepare creative devotionals for the children. To be able to teach all of them in a way they can understand, the kids are divided into groups according to their ages. While the younger ones hear different stories from the Bible and then paint pictures related to the story, the older ones talk about more complicated and profound messages of the Bible.

Because OM Guatemala wants to see the children graduate and eventually start a career, tutoring is a very important part of the ministry. Many drop out of school, don’t continue to study after primary school or have to repeat so many years that, eventually, they attend school with children 4 years younger in age. The volunteers try to motivate the students to continue their study and help them with their homework and in studying.

Of course there is also much free time for the children at the day-care centre, which they use to play, paint or merely run around. It is quite fulfilling for the missionaries to see the children happy and smiling. “Those smiles are the wage for a lot of hard work and short nights,” said team member Nathan Schmutz. “In Matthew 25:34-40 it is written, that whatever we do onto the least of them, we do onto the Lord. This our motivation to continue giving these children what is necessary for them to smile and be happy in the Lord.”

For more information and insight you can watch the video about the ministry here.

The reality in this Central American country is very different, however. The parents often are a bad example and teach their children to resolve problems with violence or to escape them with alcohol or drugs. Some of the young Guatemalans grow up surrounded by gangs and narcos (people involved in drug-trafficking) and get recruited by them at very young ages.

This makes the work of OM Guatemala in the schools very important but also a challenge. Often, the students show bad behaviour during the visits and have difficulty concentrating. Maintaining order doesn’t come easily and is tiring for the missionaries, who are supposed to also present dramas and give messages to the children. It is a great opportunity to learn patience.

The rewards are the smiling faces after a funny drama or the touched hearts after a presentation about bullying. And even if, sometimes, there is only a little reaction from the students, the missionaries know and trust that the Holy Spirit will work in the kids’ lives and change what needs to be different.

Please pray for the youth of Guatemala who have the chance to build a new and better country and make a difference in their society.

First, OM carried out medical outreaches and started visiting the families to learn about their lives, what they needed and who would need help most urgently. With the support of a local church, missionaries and volunteers selected a group of 20 families living in deep poverty to continue visiting, to bring them food, clothes and the Word of God.

But to see real change in their lives, OM Guatemala realised these visits were not enough. The children of the families are the most vulnerable and need the most attention, so OM Guatemala started to plan for a day-care centre, so that the parents could bring their children when they needed to work. Besides watching the little ones, the workers also wanted to provide them good food, to fight malnourishment, and offer them a place to bathe.

After months of prayer, God allowed the team to rent a house in the neighbourhood. A volunteer couple moved in to start preparing things and eventually receive the kids.

Even though the desire to start the day-care centre is high, legal issues had to be addressed first. Parents needed to give consent to OM Guatemala to work with their children, and rules needed to be created to comply with established child-protection laws.   

Recently, OM Guatemala went to a wholesale store and purchased large amounts of food and hygiene articles for the ministry. And as the house is almost ready for the day-care centre, the volunteers are excited to start the programme in the following days.

Please pray for this new ministry and the people working with the children. For more information on how you can get involved, contact info.gt@om.org.

Taking professional English classes was one of the greatest desires of the team members, but from a financial perspective, it seemed impossible. A good English teacher would be expensive, and classes would take a lot of time out of the missionaries’ schedules. So, the team prayed that God would send somebody to teach them as part of doing ministry in Guatemala. They also promoted the opportunity to serve as an English teacher in OM Guatemala.

For a long time, nothing happened. The few people thinking about doing the job were unable to come after all, and the ones that came to Guatemala were not really able to teach English. Instead of getting frustrated, the team trusted that the Lord would do something when the time was right and that their patience would be rewarded.

In January 2014, God used another ministry to bring an English teacher to Guatemala and OM was offered free classes. Just a few weeks later, four students (OM members and volunteers) started English lessons in the OM Guatemala office. Now, every week they study for six hours, making great progress and hoping to soon be fluent in English.

Praise God for answering OM Guatemala’s prayers for an English teacher.

Helping people in red zones is very important to OM Guatemala, especially because many people who live in these areas are just trying to make an honest living, but the potential danger often hinders relief organisations from entering the areas.

Through previous medical outreaches OM Guatemala established contacts with people already doing ministry in red zones, and with their help, workers visited one of these neighbourhoods.

After a short first visit, OM Guatemala decided to offer free medical services to the people. Two months later, in January, the first medical outreach took place in the small house of a local family. Accompanied by leaders of the community, the volunteers visited patients in their homes and were able to walk around safely.

Locals of the community welcomed the help OM offered. Many children suffered from skin diseases they caught because of unhygienic conditions, and women complained about various pains due to hard physical work. OM Guatemala answered their needs with medication. In addition, everyone received medicine against parasites.

God protected those involved in the medical outreach and allowed OM Guatemala to organise a free clinic a second time in April.

During the work that was done nothing dangerous happened to the group, which convinced them once more that the Lord is with them in every situation.

The workers committed to bringing God’s love to this community are confronted with a difficult and sad reality. While visiting the families of the programme on one instance, workers found two small children alone in their home. The single mother had to leave them to go to work. Their siblings were at school, thus leaving only the six-year-old girl to watch her one-year-old sister. Both girls were dirty, seemed to not have eaten in a long time and the baby needed a clean diaper.

“I think we all cried seeing the situation,” Mirna Grijalva, a member of OM Guatemala, says. “At least I cried.” A volunteering couple, who has a baby themselves, had brought along a bit of food and a diaper with them. “The girls were so happy when we gave them the food,” Anabella Rosales, from OM, tells. “I had so many questions and doubts in my mind that moment, but I knew one thing for sure: God would never leave them alone!” she says.

After giving the girls food and clothes, and changing the baby’s diaper, the team had to leave. “I felt so powerless,” Mirna continues. “There was just so little we could do in the very moment. And to leave them alone again … It was so difficult.” At the point of leaving, the baby wouldn’t let go of the missionaries, trying to make them stay. It was a heart-breaking situation for them.

Seeing the great need of the children and their parents in Eucalipto, OM Guatemala prayed for a place where they could receive the children while their parents were at work. They also prayed for someone with a heart for children to help in the project. They dreamed of giving the children food, helping them with their problems and sharing about God and His great love for them. And God has started to answer their prayers.

In March 2014 a new worker from New Zealand joined OM Guatemala with the desire to work with children. Along with volunteers from Guatemala they hope to build a new team working full time with the children in Eucalipto.

Though they do not have a place yet to receive the kids, a local church has offered to support the team with a couple rooms. OM Guatemala trusts that the Lord will enable them to rent a house. There is still a lot to be done and support is needed. But hope is rising.

To learn more about getting involved in The Rescue project, contact info.gt@om.org. To see a short video about the project, click here.

Every volunteer was asked to gather food, hygiene articles and clothes to give away. Along with their churches, participants filled various bags with goods and brought them to the outreach. And after some short teaching, they were sent out the next day.

In pairs, the missionaries visited specific families, giving away the goods and staying with them from the morning until the afternoon. What sounds like the easiest outreach programme possible turned out to challenge the volunteers on many different levels.

The selected families were amongst the poorest in Guatemala, living in small shacks with a dirt floor, no running water and latrines for toilets. Spending time with these families did not mean that the missionaries would just sit and observe, but instead be an active part of the family members’ lives for a few hours. This included cleaning with them, cooking lunch for the family and eating together. The participants worked alongside the family, even in what they might consider an unhygienic environment, to show the family that they loved them, no matter how they lived.

The activity greatly impacted the families. Why would somebody come to their house, bring food, clothes and goods and spend time with them, when not even their relatives visit? Why would someone care about them while the society does not want to have anything to do with them?

The outreach impacted the workers and families, as people gave their lives to God, and families learnt what it means to be loved by the Lord. In one home, after spending the day with a family, the volunteers asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus as their Saviour. The father said yes, and accepted Christ. Unfortunately, the eldest son became furious with his father and started destroying things and threatening him. The father fled the home. OM Guatemala was relieved that no one was injured, and they praise God for the father’s new life in Christ.

The outreach demonstrated to the volunteers that they could impact lives by simply being with people and showing them that Jesus accepts and loves them the way they are.

Praise God for the impact of this outreach on the families’ lives. Pray that God continues to establish His presence in the hearts of Guatemalans. Pray for the ministry of OM Guatemala.  

Because they only offered basic medical attention, though, sometimes they had to tell people to go to a hospital, as they did not have the equipment to do the needed tests. If a specific medicine was not at hand, they would go to a local pharmacy to buy it. But there were a few cases in which they could not find what the people needed. However, they also saw God do miracles in those situations.

A woman with three children, one of them a 16-day-old baby, came to get medical attention. She was in a very bad situation and could not even afford food for her children. It was also not possible for the team to get the medicine she needed. They gave her what they could, along with a little money to buy food, and told her to come back the next day for a follow up.

They didn’t know how to get this woman what she needed and left the situation in the hands of God. The next day, they received a small donation of various medicines. Amongst them was a small amount of the exact medicine they had been looking for to give to the woman. When she came to the team again they could bless her with the gift.

OM Guatemala is amazed at how God worked in this situation and once again learnt that there is nothing impossible for God.

In October a group of volunteers and workers with OM Guatemala travelled to various schools in the country and brought boxes of new shoes with them. In every school, they went from classroom to classroom giving a pair to each student. The children tried on their new shoes, asked for a bigger or smaller pair and then some whispered “Thank you”, while others who were more outgoing hugged the workers and volunteers and wanted to take pictures.

To see the children happy and smiling was the most fulfilling part for the team, but they also experienced some difficult moments. Various times the team members had to explain to the little ones that there were no more shoes in their exact size, and that they had to take a bigger pair they would grow into.

More than 1,000 pairs of shoes were distributed, and OM Guatemala hopes to soon be able to go out again with many boxes of shoes in their van. And hopefully there will be enough pairs of every size for all the children.

As it is a big goal to change an entire community, the team had to start small and develop their work in the area step by step. In cooperation with a local church and their pastor, OM Guatemala organised a medical outreach to enter the community and offer basic help to everybody. Meanwhile they shared about Jesus and the Bible and ministered to people’s hearts.

Besides providing medical attention, social workers were observing the physical and emotional state of the families and started investigating the most urgent cases. Some children were suffering from malnourishment, neglect of their parents or domestic violence. There were cases in which the children were sexually abused or did not receive treatment for their illnesses because the parents had no money.

After the first medical outreach, volunteers of OM Guatemala and the local church continued visiting some of the neediest families, to review their situations at their homes and get an idea about how to help them out in the most effective way. Back in the OM Guatemala office, the team reviewed many filled out documents and lots of pictures to find out which families they should start to support.

The team is now preparing to help 20 families, give scholarships to the children, a bag of food every month, clothes and shoes. They plan to have regular medical and psychological evaluations and to observe the development of the families and their situations. The local church takes care of the spiritual growth in the community and is organizing services in the homes of the families.

In the future, OM Guatemala hopes to establish better relationships with the families and the community and to extend the area of work. The wish is to be able to offer crafts-workshops for the parents so they can start new businesses and get out of the circle of poverty. OM Guatemala desires to see children and young people from the community graduate and learn a profession, develop their talents and abilities and grow in faith.

Furthermore it is also a dream to have a home in the community, be present full time with workers and to rescue the children without parents, suffering from domestic violence, mothers in prostitution… all that need to be rescued.

Please pray for the community Eucalipto and the families in poverty. Also pray for OM Guatemala to make wise decisions and do the will of God.

To learn more about this project and how to be part of it, write OM Guatemala at info.gt@om.org.

"I arrived in the country in March 2012 without knowing anything about it and without speaking any Spanish. My goal was to go where no one speaks English, so I would learn to depend on God. I had been introduced to OM through a mission trip to Montenegro with my church.

"It helped to spend my first four weeks in Antigua, Guatemala, learning Spanish. I was really surprised that I could learn it as well as I did during my time in the country. I also felt privileged to get to know some really special people, and now have lots of friends in Latin America.

"I didn't know anything about working with children, but my first experience was really great. God gave me a heart for children, especially those who are in orphanages. Sadly, Guatemala has a large orphan population, as well as thousands of children living on the streets.

"Among the important lessons I learnt was that when I felt alone or the work was too much, that I could rely on God. My experiences also changed my impression of missionaries because I didn't think of myself as a super-Christian! I'm now thinking of working in Central America long term."

Nathan took part in OM Guatemala's evangelistic outreach in November 2012. His team was assigned to work with a small church in the mountains near El Salvador, in a town that had been oppressed by the occult and witchcraft. Many people had been murdered and suicides among young people were rife. "I wasn't prepared for such a confrontation with evil," admitted Nathan, who learned a lot about spiritual warfare during his time there.

After returning home for a break in Switzerland, Nathan travelled back to Central America in January 2013 to attend OM Panama's three-month School of Mission. Following another three months there gaining mission experience he plans to return to Guatemala for at least another six months. He would very much appreciate your prayers.

A quarter of Guatemala's population call themselves evangelicals, and churches are as plentiful as tortillas. But for many of the indigenous population of this Central American country, ancient Mayan beliefs lie just below the surface. Jesus and Mary are equated to the Sun God and Moon Goddess. Shamans or witches wield great power as healers and casters of spells in rural communities, and it's not uncommon to see individuals wearing protective amulets against the "evil eye".

When four OM volunteers were assigned to work with the pastor of a tiny church in the mountains of Guatemala this past November, they had little idea of what they'd be up against.

God had led Pastor Noé Godoy to the town of Trapiche 10 years before. He was aware that the territory had already been claimed by the Prince of Darkness: Violence, drinking, sickness and death oppressed the residents. A number of young people were using insecticides to take their own lives. During his first years there, local witches performed supernatural “miracles” and incited people to attack the pastor with boiling water and machetes. Evangelism was forbidden. And even though the roof of the tiny building he used for a church was ready to collapse, it wasn't until after his main opponent's death that he was allowed to make repairs.  

"Yet," affirmed Pastor Noé, who has elected to remain single rather than bring danger upon a wife and children, "our church has seen great miracles of healing and protection as well. And as our people shared the evidence of God's power with other families, they too came to Christ."

Although church members owned very little, they actively began to help some 200 widows and single mothers, as well as 225 orphans. "We have the vision and even the plans for a dormitory, kitchen and dining room to help these women and children but so far no way to make it a reality. Meanwhile, we do what we can in the midst of the difficulties and keep trusting that God will accomplish His purposes here."

For OM's four Love Guatemala volunteers, Trapiche provided a dramatic first exposure to spiritual warfare. At night villagers threw stones at the house where the girls were trying to sleep. And while going house to house during the day, one of the men, Otto, found himself in the home of two witches. What could he say to them? After silently asking God for help Otto opened his Bible. His eyes immediately fell on Revelation 22:14-15, a passage condemning those who practice magic arts. Otto boldly delivered God's message.

The Lord had a very different message for the team: "Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place –the Most High who is my refuge –No evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent".* Swiss team member Nathan Schmutz was one of the few non-Guatemalans to take part in the outreach. He admitted, "I wasn't prepared for such a confrontation with evil! But I learnt a lot about the power of prayer."

Guatemala's 10 million people suffer the highest chronic malnutrition rate in Latin America and the fourth-highest rate in the world. On average, about one out of two residents are malnourished. Concerned by the obvious poverty of Trapiche church members, OM Guatemala staff made an extra trip to deliver used clothing, shoes, food parcels and even toys for Christmas. The pastor couldn't hide his personal delight at finding a suit that fit. A young mother named Nora had given her life to the Lord through the team's visit a few days before. She had five children and they were barely subsisting in a nearby hovel. The unexpected provision of food, clothing and toys gave the family new courage.

At the end of the outreach Pastor Noé voiced his gratitude. "Some unbelievers opened their doors to the OM team, and we hope they have helped to change the mind of this community. They have been a big blessing to us. We have no way to pay them back, but God will!"

*Psalm 91: 9, 10; English Standard Version

Undeterred, Pilar switched to theological studies and linked up with Campus Crusade. For the next 10 years she threw all of her energy into leading students and other Guatemalans to the Saviour.

OM had already gotten started in Guatemala in 1990 through the visits of Logos II. When the leader invited Pilar to consider taking over for her, she put five "fleeces" before the Lord to determine His will. He answered all of them, so she accepted her new OM role in 2003.

One obstacle that Pilar faced in this culture was the resistance to women in leadership. Pilar once acknowledged, “There’s a lot of machismo here. Guatemalan ladies don’t say what they think; they’re very quiet. I’m a person who does say what I think, so I need wisdom from the Lord to help me say it with sweetness!”

Her first goal was to make OM better known. Most people in the country thought of it only in terms of ship visits, and churches did not always consider missions as central to God’s plan. So she and her small team devoted themselves to travelling into the interior to promote Jesus' Great Commission and conduct training.

With thousands of poor and homeless on city streets, violent gangs and soaring crime rates, reaching youth had to be another key ministry. The OM team gave creative seminars in public and private schools, showing both kids and teachers how Christ could transform their lives and families. They also put a strong focus on providing food, clothing and medicine for street people, sharing God’s good news and looking for ways to re-integrate individuals into society. Knowing it was impossible to do everything themselves, the team raised awareness among Guatemalan believers, getting them involved in practical social action. Pilar was committed to seeing Guatemala's large evangelical population take their responsibilities seriously. "They talk the talk," she said, "but don’t always walk the walk.”

In time their hard work was rewarded. OM’s credibility grew. Their most recent Love Guatemala outreach took place this past November. Pilar had been suffering pain for some time but was determined to fulfil this commitment to the Lord and hosting churches. In little more than a week participants took the gospel to 845 men, women and children, leading 113 to a new life in Jesus and 80 others to a return to their faith. In addition, many poor people had received much-needed parcels of food and clothing and even Christmas toys for children. Before volunteers went home on the last day, 1 December, Pilar urged them all from her heart to hold fast to their passion for evangelising the world.

"We are the plan of God!" she reminded them. "There is no Plan B."

Pilar now felt free to seek medical advice about her pain. The doctors discovered a malignant tumour, and she underwent surgery almost immediately. It was thought at first the cancer had not spread. On the third day of January 2013, Pilar sent an email to affirm her trust in the Lord and explain the steps that needed to be taken. But only two days later, early on the morning of the fifth, Pilar Castro passed into the presence of the Father she had so faithfully served for over 20 years.

John Piper once commented, "We can exhaust ourselves by seeking significance in what we do and how we are known, hoping that we will be remembered after we are gone. Or, we can lay our lives on God's altar; squandering them in the world's eyes, but entrusting our legacy to our Maker."

Pilar has left a priceless legacy in her adopted country. But what is the Maker's plan for OM Guatemala's future? Mirna Grijalva and Anabella Rosales, who worked side by side with their dynamic leader for so long, must hang on to the knowledge that they, too, are part of God's Plan A as they try to carry on in His strength. Please support them with your intercession!

As the community thronged the church to receive sacks of food staples, used clothing and shoes, plus toys for children, recipients also heard the gospel from team members for the first time. Seventeen men and women prayed to receive Jesus into their lives, hopefully tripling the size of the church that has had only eight faithful attendees, and thus greatly encouraging the pastor. Altogether during this week team members trekked to 441 homes, some of them on remote hillsides, sharing the gospel with 845 individuals and praying 113 into the Kingdom.

Praise God for the lives changed during the Love Guatemala outreach. Please pray that those who accepted Christ would integrate into the local church and find fellowship. A full feature about the Love Guatemala outreach is coming soon.

Over 1.2 million people have been affected by the earthquake that hit Guatemala on the morning of Wednesday, 7 November. OM Guatemala asks for your prayers. “It was a sad day for Guatemala,” said OM leader Pilar Castro. The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that jolted the country killed at least 52 people; 22 are still missing. Over 200 people are injured.

Its epicentre was located 24 kilometres (about 14 miles) off shore south of the coastal town of Champerico, but the OM team also felt the tremor in the capital, Guatemala City. The most affected areas in the country are the provinces of San Marcos and Quetzaltenango. It was the strongest tremor since 1976. In that year, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake killed 25,000 people.

“There are many people suffering because they lost a family member, or their homes,” said Pilar. “Please pray that God may provide for them as they are left in the cold on the streets. Pray also that God will have mercy on Guatemala and that the aftershocks won’t be so strong.”

She asks for prayers for the authorities too, that they would be effective in the relief work, and that corruption won’t interfere. “And please pray for us as a team,” she said. “Pray that God will use us in this time, that we as a ministry of OM may show the love of Jesus by providing basics needs for at least some families. We feel incompetent, not being able to help in the way we’d like to do in a situation like this.”

While visiting this community last March, the OM workers met Mayra Cuj Esmeralda, a six-year-old girl who lives in very poor conditions. They visited her home and met her mother, Lidia Cuj. Recalls Pilar, “Upon arriving at her home, we could see that it was just one room made out of mud, where 10 people slept in two beds. They cooked with wood right in the same room.”

The team decided to build Lidia Cuj a kitchen. “We talked with members of the Eden Church in Quechas village and they told us that several of them could help us with this project,” says Pilar. On 4 May, the OM team went back to the community to construct the kitchen. “Donations made during the outreach we held around Easter and a gift from a sister named Sofia Lobos made it all possible,” says Pilar.

A group of 25 brothers in Christ—4 Swiss and 21 Guatemalans—came together to build the kitchen that day. The OM team also took the opportunity to deliver food to more families. “It was wonderful to see a group of people from different places working together to bring joy to a family in need,” recalls Pilar. Please pray for the families and for the local Eden Church to continue to shine the light in the village.

“I never imagined sharing the gospel through sports,” says Diego from Costa Rica, who participated in the outreach organised by OM Central America in Guatemala around Easter. “God gave me the opportunity to serve in a sports team,” he says. “Now I know that sports are a great tool to reach out to others. We were able to have fellowship with people from other cultures and reflect the love of God as we shared with others.”

With nine other volunteers, Diego played several matches on public football fields and helped coordinate football clinics for kids. The team distributed over a hundred Sports New Testaments and shared the gospel with players and many spectators. “We were very grateful because of those who heard the gospel; four people decided to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour,” he recalls.

Diego specifically remembers one of the young players with whom he talked about family and struggles. “As our conversation developed, I could see his desire for change in his life. I pray that God would continue to touch his heart. I trust Him for His intervention in this life. I am so grateful that I got to talk to this boy. And it was all because of sports.”

Diego is determined to continue using all the things he learnt in the outreach back in his own country. “God has given us talents to share the gospel. Sports is one of them. I am thrilled to have discovered how I can reach out to others.”

Training for leaders

Consuelo Rabanales, coordinator for OM SportsLink in Latin America, took part in a training for workers in sports ministry in April in Honduras. Two years earlier, she had been in the same place and met with a friend who was working in a local ministry. They had talked about and prayed for this friend to set up a sports ministry. Now was the time. “It was like seeing a dream come true,” says Consuelo. “We were able to train 74 local leaders in sports ministry, in partnership with Compassion International, Latin leaders from the International Sports Coalition and 30 local churches.”

The leaders are planning to facilitate a training in another city in Honduras for leaders from all over the country. “They are eager to see what else God is going to do in Honduras,” says Consuelo. “Please pray with us for upcoming opportunities and for the leaders who have been trained as they return to their communities. Pray that they can continue to serve effectively with the passion that drives them to see Honduras transformed.”

During the Easter outreach in Guatemala, many participants were encouraged by the effectiveness of sports ministry. One team member remembers talking to a father and his son sitting near a public football field reading a New Testament. “I have come to this football field for many years,” the father said. “But today is different. We are not only playing and then going home. I heard about how I can make a difference in my life and with my life. It’s a special day because I am able to be here with my son and read this New Testament together. Once a week we try to read something together with my family, but next time we read I am going to share this book with them.”

Not about winning or losing

Daniel from Guatemala, also a participant in the outreach organised by OM Central America, didn’t even know OM SportsLink existed, let alone that he was going to be part of a sports ministry team. In the outreach, Daniel was appointed to be part of the sports team. “I got a bit scared when I saw the group I was going to work with,” he says. “They all seemed to be real good football players and I thought I could never live up to their expectation.”

Though he had planned to demonstrate football techniques in the central park in Chimaltenango, Daniel felt that God wanted him to do something different. “I felt that God wanted us to talk to people about Christ. So I sat down near the fountain in the park and saw a young guy doing break dance in the park with a soccer ball. I was surprised to see how he did it and thought: ‘Imagine if this guy would do this trick for God, his life would change completely.’ So I made conversation with him; his name was Luis.”

Daniel asked Luis if he had ever heard about Jesus, and he said no. “I was so surprised to hear that,” recalls Daniel. “How could it be that he had never heard of Jesus before? I saw in his eyes that he was interested to hear more so I continued to talk to him.” He explained a bit to Luis about the creation of the earth, about sin and about the life of Jesus. “In the end he gave his life to Jesus! Isn’t that marvellous?”

During the week, Daniel saw many other young people come to Christ. “The fear I had of not being good enough for the team went away completely. The team was like my family. We were so united and helped one another all the time.” It wasn’t even about winning or losing a game, he says. “It was all about sharing the message of salvation. It continued to surprise me how easy it was to share the gospel through sports.”

“God is faithful and has everything under control,” says Pilar Castro, leader of OM Guatemala. “We were definitely assured of that during our Easter outreach.”

The preparation for the outreach started in November 2011. “From that moment on up till the day the outreach began, there were many difficulties,” says Pilar. “But God was faithful.” The team of 170 volunteers from Guatemala, Mexico and other Central American countries were divided into 20 smaller groups, and they headed to the department of Chimaltenango in Guatemala.

Each group worked with a pastor of a church in the area. “Some of the 20 pastors didn’t even know each other beforehand, or were prejudiced. Now, they all worked together. One of the pastors thanked us for bringing the department of Chimaltenango alive again,” says Pilar?

One of the groups went to work with the Misión Maranatha church, reaching out to people at the garbage dump, the homeless and people in bars. It was in one of these bars that they met Viviana.

“We had just arrived to the centre of Chimaltenango and went to visit a bar with many commercial sex workers,” says Rebecca Medrano, a participant in the outreach. “Viviana, 16 years old, was one of them. We shared the gospel with her, and she accepted Christ in her heart.”

A couple days later, the group was forced to leave the bar. “The owner of the bar came looking for the pastor who was with us and told him she’d hire two assassins to kill him. She blamed the pastor that Viviana had called her mother to come pick her up because she didn’t want to work in the bar any longer. She said that Viviana had already left the bar and was going to church now instead,” recalled Rebecca.

After a few days, the owner of the bar called the pastor because she was ill. He prayed for her and she accepted Jesus into her life. Many other girls working in the bar followed, and so did the lady’s father.

“Nothing is impossible for God,” says Pilar. “We thank God for many lives that were changed in this outreach. We could see God being glorified through it all.”

Over the course of the outreach, the participants shared the gospel with over 6,000 people and witnessed 825 of them accept Jesus into their lives. “Please pray with us for every single person who came to Christ in this outreach,” says Pilar. “Pray that they will get brothers and sisters in Christ close to them, who can help them grow.”

OM would love to help the victims of the flood. “But right now, there’s no way to get to the area,” says Pilar Castro, OM Guatemala leader. “It would be great if we could get some basic food supplies and clothes to those left without a home. But it’s still raining and very dangerous to travel. The only way to help people out is by air.”

Pilar is desperate to do something. The heavy storms that hit Guatemala were less damaging than these rains, she says. “There is so much sadness and pain. We’re praying a lot and we’d appreciate it if you would pray with us.”

Please pray for the people affected by the torrential rains in Central America. Pray that it will stop raining and that emergency aid may get to the isolated areas soon. If you’d like to get more information on opportunities to help through OM, please contact OM Guatemala through pilar.castro@om.org.

“It was very hot, we were very tired, but the hand of God was always with us,” said Pilar Castro, leader of OM Guatemala. “The last day when I just wanted to go home we went to a place where there was much violence, drugs and broken homes, with absent fathers. When we asked the children what they dreamed of being when they grew up, some said, ‘I want to be a major drug dealer,’ or ‘a professional thief.’ That was all they had seen every day.”

Pilar talked to a nine-year-old girl whose face held more bitterness than Pilar had seen on any child. When asked what she dreamed of, the girl replied, “nothing.” Pilar learned that the girl’s father had left her mother for another woman and she was full of hatred. Pilar spoke to the child for a long time about God’s love for her, and was finally rewarded with a smile.

Please pray for these children who don’t yet know Christ and for those who indicated their desire to follow Him. Please also pray for an outreach the OM Guatemala team hope to do in September.

“Tell her, tell her, so that she can help you.” Three girls pushed another girl forward to the members of the OM Guatemala team and closed the door. “Please, help her,” they asked team leader Pilar Castro. She found herself standing face to face with 15-year-old-Manuela, a girl living in Quiché, an indigenous village that was heavily affected by the guerrilla.

Pilar and her two other team members had travelled to this village to work in schools in several neighbourhoods, in partnership with the local Methodist church. On 20 February, they offered a programme on life values and shared the Gospel with nearly 600 children.

The team was almost ready to leave when classmates brought Manuela to Pilar. “Look,” they told her, “Manuela tried to kill herself because her boyfriend has left her for someone else. They were together for three years. You have to help her, because she could try to do it again.”

A look in the mirror

Pilar didn’t know what to do. She hugged the girl, and in her heart she asked God to help her. “I’m pretty sure God told me in that moment to have Manuela look at herself in a mirror,” she says. That’s what she did. But Manuela refused. She automatically covered her face with her hands and didn’t want to take a look at herself. “I don’t want to see myself,” she said. “I’m ugly and nobody wants me.”

Pilar however made her look at herself. She asked Manuela what she saw in the mirror, but Manuela didn’t say anything and cried. “I told her that she had to acknowledge that she was God’s perfect creation,” says Pilar. “I told her that she was unique and very valuable and that no man was worth it for her to kill herself.” She explained that her boyfriend hadn’t left her because she was ugly and the other girl pretty, but just because God wanted the best for her.

Manuela started to cry again when Pilar told her that she had to forgive her boyfriend and be forgiven. Finally she did that, and accepted Jesus Christ. Together with team member Mirna, Pilar sang her a song about forgiveness. “This song challenges us to forgive others, forgive ourselves and accept the forgiveness of God.”

Worth the effort

Rosemary, a member of the Methodist church who helped OM in the programme, was observing the situation. The OM team members had known her for a long time. A few years before, she had suffered from a bad depression. Now she seemed to have overcome it and has since gotten married. But as she watched Manuela and Pilar, it was like Pilar was asking her to look in the mirror. And she also didn’t have an answer to the question: “What do you see?”

“We believe that God is also working in her life,” says Pilar. The team members are very grateful for the opportunities they had to share the love of God in Quiché. “We travelled in the back of a pick up truck. We suffered from the heat and the dust and slept on the floor. But we give thanks to God because He used us to bless others. That is worth the effort.”

¿Qué ves en el espejo?

“Dile, dile para que te ayude.” Tres chicas empujaron a Manuela delante del equipo de OM Guatemala y cerraron la puerta. “Por favor, ayúdele,” le dijeron a Pilar Castro, la líder, y ella se encontró cara a cara con Manuela, una jovencita de 15 años que vive en Quiché, un pueblo indígena que fue muy afectado por la guerrilla.

Pilar y sus otros miembros del equipo habían viajado a este pueblo para trabajar en las escuelas en varias aldeas, en colaboración con la iglesia metodista local. El 20 de febrero, ofrecieron un programa sobre valores de vida y compartieron el evangelio con cerca de 600 niños.

El equipo estaba casi listo para salir, cuando sus compañeros de clase trajeron a Manuela hacia Pilar. “Mire usted,” le dijeron, “Manuela se quiso suicidar, porque su novio la dejó por otra. Ellos fueron novios 3 años. Tienes que ayudarla, porque ella podría intentar volver a hacerlo.”

Una mirada en el espejo

Pilar no sabía qué hacer. Abrazó a la niña, y en su corazón le pidió a Dios que la ayudara. “Estoy segura que Dios me dijo en ese momento: haz que se mire en un espejo y vea su rostro,” dice. Eso es lo que hizo, pero Manuela se negó y automáticamente se cubrió la cara con las manos. No quería mirarse  a sí misma. “Soy fea y nadie me quiere,” dijo.

Pilar sin embargo le decía que se viera y le preguntó a Manuela lo que miraba en el espejo, pero ella no dijo nada y lloró. “Le dije que tenía que reconocer que era la creación perfecta de Dios, que era única y muy valiosa y que ningún hombre valía que se suicidara.” dice Pilar. También le explicó que su novio no la había dejado porque era fea y la otra chica bonita, sino que Dios quería lo mejor para ella.

Manuela se puso a llorar de nuevo cuando la líder de OMG le dijo que tenía que perdonarse a sí misma y a su novio. Finalmente lo hizo, y aceptó a Jesucristo.  Pilar le cantó sobre el perdón junto con Mirna, otro miembro del equipo. “Esta canción nos desafía a perdonar a los demás, perdonarnos a nosotros mismos y aceptar el perdón de Dios.”

Vale la pena

Rosemary, miembro de la iglesia metodista que ayudó a OM en el programa, estaba observando la situación. Los miembros del equipo de OM la habían conocido hace mucho tiempo. Unos años antes, había sufrido una depresión muy fuerte. Gracias a Dios ya lo ha superado bastante. Sin embargo, mientras observaba a Manuela y Pilar, era como si  Pilar le estuviera pidiendo a ella  mirarse en el espejo. Y ella tampoco tenía una respuesta a la pregunta: “¿Qué es lo que ves?”

“Creemos que Dios también está trabajando en su vida,” dice Pilar. Los miembros del equipo están muy agradecidos por las oportunidades que tuvieron de compartir el amor de Dios en Quiché. “Viajamos en la parte de atrás de un pick up. Soportamos calor, polvo y dormimos en el suelo. Pero le damos gracias a Dios por usarnos para bendecir a otras personas. La verdad es que valió la pena.”

It is one of the areas in which the majority of the inhabitants consists of returnees: people that fled to Mexico during the peak of Guatemala’s civil war and returned during the peace negotiations in 1995. For over a decade, they lived as refugees, being forced to leave their country behind during the bloody fight between the national army and the guerrilla’s.

From the 5th to the 12th of June, the OM team visited three communities in Santa Elena. Beforehand, Pilar and a few colleagues went there to check out the places where they were going to be working. ´On the way back, our bus was stopped by a mob´, she says. ´The rebels asked me aggressively to leave the bus. I told them we couldn’t and continued talking until at a fortunate moment, we were able to get away.´ In order to secure the travel during the medical trip, the team asked the National Civil Police to escort them from Guatemala City.

Firearms

There are many natural reserves in Petén. In the past, one of the reserves was invaded by families that had nowhere to live. However, the government didn’t allow them to stay there and sent the police and the army to evict them. According to some witnesses, the police acted very violently towards these families and unlike them, used firearms. Many families left, but 21 of them stayed to live there in huts. They are extremely poor.

´We visited these families when we came to Petén to prepare for the trip´, Pilar says. ´Afterwards, we have been praying and asking for offerings in order to be able to bring some food for these people. And thanks to God, He answered our prayers. We were able to bring a bag of food for each family.´

When, during the medical trip, the moment came to take these bags to the families, something unexpected occurred. ´All our cars were full. So I asked the police officers, who where escorting us, to take us to the families with the bags. At that time, I didn’t know about the eviction story yet.´

When Pilar and the team arrived and the families saw the police, the women and children in the community were paralysed by fear. ´The policemen that accompanied us didn’t know what had happened there before and they entered the community with confidence. Thanks to God most men were working at the time we arrived. We encountered mostly women and children.´

A pastor tried to explain that these policemen were good ones. ´I saw the face of every person´, says Pilar. ´There was pain and anger. And I didn’t know what to do, because many of our team members hadn’t arrived yet. We were there with only six team members and three policemen. They outnumbered us by far.´

Difference

The people of the community gave her the opportunity to explain what the team was doing. ´God placed something in my heart at that moment. I felt like the policemen needed to ask forgiveness for what their co-workers in the police had done to these families.´ For a moment, she kept quiet. ´In the days before I had been sharing about Christ to the policemen, but I wasn’t really sure if one of them really had accepted Him.´

Pilar decided to obey to what God had asked her to do. ´So I requested if they could ask these families to forgive them for what their fellow policemen had done.´ At that moment the other team members arrived and they started handing out the bags with food.

Amongst one of the people that accepted the food bags was a lady with a very angry face. Her name was Felipa. ´I greeted her and asked her what she thought she’d seen. She began to cry with anger. We talked and I told her that she needed to tell everything that made her feel bad to one of the policemen. She told me that was fine. I called the youngest policeman, but another one was closer – the same one that had laughed a bit when I talked about Christ to him.´

But God had it all planned out. ´The police officer apologised to Felipa and they cried together. He was even talking to her about God.´

Pilar is amazed by the way God worked in the lives of the people in the community and the policemen that escorted the team. ´The police in Guatemala is not respected´, she explains. ´There’s a lot of corruption and policemen tend to be abusive with the people.´

For the three men that escorted the OM team, the medical trip made a difference. ´At the end, they were very impressed by everything they had seen. They were glad to have participated with us. And they were happy with the way they had been treated by the team. They have learned a different way to do their job: under the guidance of God.´