1989!!
*** w89 8/15 pp. 25-28 Guatemalans Embrace the Good News ***
BLUE mountains and giant volcanoes appear suddenly in the distance as the plane approaches the capital.
Passengers on one side look out their window and see Mount Pacaya erupting, blowing great puffs of smoke that form a column that rises and melts into the sky. Passengers on the other side look down and see sailboats and rowboats serenely crossing Lake Amatitlán.
This is Guatemala, land of great contrasts.
Located in Central America, Guatemala covers an area of approximately 42,000 square miles [109,000 sq km]. Its landscape varies from towering mountains—including 33 volcanoes, 4 of which are active—to lowland jungles, rain forests, and crystal-clear lakes and rivers.
The altitude ranges from sea level to 13,816 feet [4,211 m]. In the capital city, there is eternal spring, with an average temperature of 75° F. [24° C.] year round. While higher up in the mountains the temperature can drop below freezing, the coastal areas may swelter in 100°-F. [38°C.] heat.
This is a country that can suit anyone’s taste, with beaches, jungles, mountains, arid zones, and fruitful valleys. And in all these areas, the Kingdom good news is being preached.
Kingdom Proclamation Begins
Kingdom preaching began in Guatemala about the year 1920. In time small groups of interested people and Kingdom proclaimers began to be formed in various parts of the country. When the first two missionaries arrived on May 21, 1945, they found much interest. One relates: “On the second Saturday after our arrival, I decided to do street work with the magazines. That evening I left with my book bag full of literature, and in an hour and a half, I emptied it, placing 32 magazines, 34 booklets, 4 books, and one Bible.” That first month they began conducting 17 home Bible studies! The first missionary sister that arrived is still enthusiastically preaching the Kingdom good news 44 years later.
Contrasts abound in the preaching territory. The capital, Guatemala City, has many modern high-rise buildings, as well as exclusive residential areas with beautiful homes, where maids answer the door by means of an intercom. But within a stone’s throw are dirt-floor dwellings with adobe walls and thatched roofs where electricity and running water are mere dreams. With such marked variety of territory, there is no such thing as an ordinary day in the field service.
In recent years many doors are not opened because both husband and wife are out working. So in order to witness to such people, Witnesses often share in street work. Some start at 5:30 a.m., offering literature at the busy bus stops.
A Witness has to be in good physical condition to keep pace with people rushing to catch their bus. One morning a group of Witnesses decided to approach some taxi drivers because the bus-line activity had slowed down. To their surprise several taxi drivers pulled out their copies of theWatchtower magazine already underlined. One or two had questions, which the brothers were happy to answer using the taxi drivers’ own Bibles.
Preaching in the Highlands
Panajachel is one of the villages around Lake Atitlán, a beautiful blue-green lake surrounded by majestic mountains and three volcanoes. Some villages are named after the apostles. About 95 percent of the people are of Mayan descent, Cakchiquel and Tzutuhil being two of the main languages. While the men also speak Spanish, most of the women do not, for they spend much of their time at home. Each village has its own colorful traditional dress, usually handwoven by the women.
On arriving in Panajachel, you will notice that it is not like other small towns in Guatemala. Alongside humble adobe or block homes, you see beautiful chalets. In even greater contrast are the modern hotels. People from all over the world come to Panajachel to admire Lake Atitlán.
One Witness describes how the preaching work is done here: “Beforehand a boat is rented for a day, and our brothers from nearby Sololá, together with others visiting from Guatemala City, are invited to help cover the large territory. The brothers from Sololá are a great help because most of them live on mountainous terrain similar to what we will be visiting. They also speak the local language.
The trip starts early in the morning. While the boat crosses the lake, the children admire the crystal-blue water and parents practice a few words in the language.
“This time five villages will be visited.
First, three groups are formed. Then they are paired off—those who speak the language with those who do not. There are only three small docks where we can disembark to reach these villages, so a group is dropped off at each. It is heartwarming to see our brothers in their colorful native dress working side by side with those wearing western-style dress. That in itself is a fine witness to the villagers. Curious children usually greet us. After finding out the purpose of our visit, they run off to inform all the villagers.
“By the time we reach the humble homes, many people are eagerly waiting to see our colorful brochures or My Book of BibleStories that the children have told them about. Whatever piece of Bible literature is left at the first house will be the one asked for at the following homes because everyone wants to have the same beautiful item that his neighbor received.
Many cannot read, so they especially enjoy the illustrations concerning the coming Paradise. Their faces light up as they listen to the hope for the future that the Bible promises at Revelation 21:3, 4.
We stop briefly for an enjoyable picnic-style lunch and then continue talking to the people until 3:00 p.m. Then we head back to the dock to wait for the boat to pick us up. Once everyone is on board, the brothers happily share their experiences.
“One sister recalls the delight she felt when she heard a woman above her shouting, ‘Sister, sister, here I am. You came back to visit me. Thank you, thank you.’ She looked up to the next terrace on the mountain and recognized the woman excitedly waving at her. The last time she had visited that village, the woman had showed much interest as they considered the Bible together. The woman had been awaiting the promised return. They again sat down to another enjoyable Bible study.
“Though everyone is exhausted from walking long distances on rocky terrain, they are eager to know when the next trip will be. As the boat reaches the shore, we bid one another farewell with comments about the next joyous occasion.”
Down by the Low Coastal Lands
Guatemala also has two contrasting coastlines: the Pacific coast with its spectacular black sand beaches and the Caribbean shore with its white sand.
Within a 45-minute drive from the capital toward the Pacific, the change of environment and climate is considerable. Hot and humid weather prevails along the coast, accompanied by a proliferation of insects. Palm, coconut, and ceiba trees along with an abundance of vegetation give evidence that you are in the tropics.
There are large congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in many of the towns in the region.
Here the bicycle has replaced the traditional horse, so it is not uncommon to see our brothers steering nimbly through the cane fields as they witness from hut to hut. One brother conducted a Bible study with a man who lived 22 miles [35 km]away. Weekly he would travel on his bike double that distance to teach this interested person Bible truth.
You might imagine that you have entered another country if you visit the twin seaports of Santo Tomas de Castilla and Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean coast. The style of living is different from that of the rest of Guatemala. The houses have lawns and shrubs visible to all; you seldom find an adobe wall around a property, which is a distinguishing mark of Mexico and Central America. Furthermore, you do not find here the tribal dress that is so common throughout the rest of Guatemala.
“Because this is a port town, you have opportunity to explain the Bible’s message to all sorts of people,” explained one full-time minister. “I walked through the swinging doors of one bar. The ‘madam’ took the offer of a book and Bible, and she invited me back to teach her how to study them. When I returned the next week, she was waiting at a big table with the Bible and the book. Making a friendly gesture for me to sit down, she said to wait a minute while she called all the ‘girls.’ She wanted them to learn too. Before I knew it, the whole table was surrounded by her ‘girls.’ Turning to me, she said, ‘Now show us how to study the Bible.’ I thought: ‘How did I ever get myself into this?’ But I calmly proceeded, as though I always studied the Bible in a bar.” The madam progressed rapidly, abandoned her business, and became a baptized Witness. Today she is active in another congregation and is herself conducting Bible studies with interested people.
An hour away by canoe across the bay is the picturesque town of Livingston, a sleepy community of friendly people who have been strongly influenced by African superstition and voodoo. It is not uncommon there to hear the sound of drums in the night and to see African-style dancing in the streets during festivals. You can also detect a dialect that is strange to the ears—Caribe, or Garifuna. A small but rapidly growing group of Kingdom proclaimers serves the spiritual interests of the people there.
Violence and Persecution Contrast WithPeace
Some problems arose in 1982 as the new president of Guatemala attempted to suppress guerrilla activity that had gained momentum during the leadership of his predecessor. His strategy was to form civilian patrols consisting of armed civilians who patrolled the streets at night, defending the towns and alerting the military to any suspicious activity. In many areas this civilian patrol movement proved to be a test of the neutrality of our brothers.
In one town the entire congregation had pressure brought on them to violate their Christian neutrality by participating in patrol activity. Threatened with death, they fled to the capital, where they received shelter at a Kingdom Hall until they could be put up in the homes of brothers. Yes, many brothers have endured severe trials and persecution as the military attempted to force them to patrol.
One brother relates: “I am 20 years old and live with my brother and his wife. My difficulties started when the guerrilla and military activity reached the farm where I worked. On one occasion, before our very eyes, eight persons were taken away at gunpoint. Only two returned; the other six were never seen again.
“In April 1984 armed forces came to the ranch to find new recruits. They asked my coworkers and me to join. After I refused, they beat me without letup. Upon seeing this, my coworkers cried like children, begging me to take the weapon and join. One soldier jabbed his fingers into my neck and twisted my ears while another held me down so that yet another could slap and kick me. An officer angrily screamed, ‘What is wrong with you? Are you an animal, or are you God?’ Finally another officer arrived and said, ‘Leave him alone because that is how the Witnesses are. You have to kill them before they concede.’ The first officer said, ‘Shoot him!’ But instead he butted me in the stomach with his rifle. When they were convinced that I would not join them, they stopped beating me. After three days, they set me free.
With Jehovah’s help I did not break my integrity. That is why I tell other youths to have plenty of confidence in Jehovah, who will help us to have endurance when we need it.” Happily, the situation changed greatly after the new president took office in January 1986.
Very soon the contrasts of war and peace, wealth and poverty, life and death, will disappear forever. In the coming global Paradise, pleasant contrasts of night and day, mountains and valleys, roaring oceans and quiet lakes, will be enjoyed as Jehovah God purposed. You can be there too if, like the more than ten thousand Kingdom proclaimers of Guatemala, you wholeheartedly embrace the good news.
*** w89 8/15 pp. 25-28 Guatemalans Embrace the Good News ***
So readers as you will note this report was written in 1989, you can imagine the increase & joy experienced by those who have worked diligently in the field here in Guatemala.
There are many opportunities for more workers - come see for yourself.
Taste - see
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