A native of Argentina, Groh served as a parish pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina for five years after seminary graduation in 1977. He then spent ten years a professor at Concordia Seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was the seminary’s president from 1992 to 1994. For the past three years, Groh has served as an assoiciate pastor in St. Luke (The Lutheran Church—Canada) in Ottawa,

The station has previously broadcast one or two of the specials, but this year was different, said Rebecca de Franco, director of the Guatemala arm of Lutheran Hour Ministries (CPTLN). She also said the broadcasts were on seven different days from December 9-27.

Formerly of Ohio, 62-year-old David Lebold was taken to a hostpital where he died Saturday. Lebold was married to a Guatemala woman and had lived in Guatemala as a permanent resident since 2000.

Although continuously active since the early 1500's, this is Fuego's most dramatic eruption in recent history.

"We have see it erupt before, but nothing like it is today," said Dan Finley, LBT Missionary in Antigua. "With the naked eye we can see the lava or whatever it is being thrown hundreds of feet into the air."

Finley also said nearly three-quarters of the volcano's side was glowing a bright orange during the night.

Highway bandits armed with automatic weapons forced the group's tourist van off the highway in a rural area near the town of Reutaleu. After boarding the bus, they fatally shot Brett Richards, 52, in the chest. He later died in route to the hostpital.

Richards is the first American to be killed in Guatemala since July 2002. He was traveling with fellow members of the Mormon church who were in Guatemala as tourists and not performing any church duties.

M.O.S.T. Ministry has nearly a dozen eyeglass clinics scheduled in countries inlcuding Mexico, Pakistan, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, and China. At the clinics, patients are examined and fitted with glasses. They also hear witness to the Gospel.

To stock the clinics, the ministry needs donations of used prescription glasses, reading glasses, and non-prescription sunglasses. Glasses need to be complete, single lens (not bifocal), and unbroken.

Paul Kinney is attending classes at the Oswald Hoffman School of Chrisitan Outreach in St. Paul, Minneapolis. Their children are homeshcooling this year.

Twenty-eight Guatemalans were at Camp St. Sofia at the invitation of the camp caretaker, Jorge Monzón, and his family. Monzón, originally of Santa Bárbara, Suchitepéquez, Guatemala also pastored a local evangelical church.

Monzón came to California fourteen years ago in hopes of providing a better life for his family and for his disabled brother, who remained in Guatemala. Four years later, his wife and two children were able to join Monzón in California. While living in California, they had two additional children. Only a few months ago, their home was burned in California's wildfires. Monzón and his family were among those who died.

The remains of the victims are being transported to Guatemala for burial.

Berger, a conservative businessman, defeated Alvaro Colom. The highly controversial candidate, General Efraín Rios Montt, was eliminated from the race in November's general elections.