Larry & Sonya Marhenke have been working on translating the New Testament into Cunenteco, the local Maya language, since the mid-nineties.

The payments had been promised by Gautemala's ruling party, the FRG, earlier this year in what many criticized as an attempt to win votes in the presidential election. FRG's presidential candidate Efrain Rios Montt created the PAC's during his brief reign as president in the early 1980's.

Called Peace Bonuses, the (three installment) payments were promised by current president Alfonso Portillo (FRG), who is not eligible for another term of office.

The high court declared the payments unconstitutional, saying the president does not have the power to make such unilateral decrees when it comes giving away government funds.

The first payment, made earlier this year, left out thousands of ex-PAC participants leading to wide-spread demonstrations and violence in this poverty-stricken country. The PAC were created in rural Guatemala to provide continuous security patrols. The participants were almost exclusively poor civilians of Maya descent. The PAC's were disbanded with the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords.

The Stubborn Messenger was first performed by Uspanteco (Maya) literacy students at the recent Vacation Bible School closing ceremony in Las Pacayas. The VBS was a joint effort of Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT) Stan and Margie McMillan and Cristo Para Todas las Naciones (CPTLN) of Guatemala.

The students built and painted their own props papier-mâché and paint to bring the shapes to life. Following the play all fifty copies of the Uspantaneco language version of Jonah were sold out.

I am 15 years old and a member of the Lineage of God Lutheran Chapel.

When I was invited by CPTLN to participate in a Vacation Bible School in las Pacayas, my first thought was ‘how great to be out of the house for a whole week.’ Youth always think of the fun things to do when Mom and Dad are not around. But from the first day of work I could to tell God had given us a great responsibility, as a group and to me personally. God taught me that in my country there is great need. Before, I thought of Africa’s undernourished children and said that someday I would travel there and help the poor. But through this opportunity, God showed me this village so that I would know it is not necessary to travel far to be a missionary.

According to official reports, twenty-percent of the homicides committed in Guatemala are gang related. In El Salvador and Honduras, the rate reaches 45 percent.

Individually the countries have been unable to fight the maras, or gangs. Officials hope a large-scale, multi-national effort will be eradicate more than 900 gangs with over 92 thousand members that operate in the region.

Many attribute the soaring rise in youth gangs to tougher laws in the U.S. which deport foreigners who break the law. In effect, the U.S. is exporting the gangs that long plagued the inner cities of to Latin America where they continue their criminal activities.

(8 Dec 03) In an attempt to further streamline its administrative structure -- matching staffing needs to its new strategic plan -- LCMS World Mission has eliminated a dozen area-director positions and is replacing them with “regional directors” for four world areas.

An unknown person or persons called Celia Marin de Ordónez's home around 10:00 pm on October 24th demanding $1000 or a family member would be kidnapped and killed.

The family has reported the threats to the police and the humans rights office. They have also disconnected their telephone. Since then they have not received any additional threats.

The family is worried for the coming months when their children will return to school. The Guatemala school year is January to October.