Guatemala (MNN) — A resilient church in Guatemala has not allowed the pandemic to change their Gospel-centered mission. Despite overwhelming odds and roadblocks, they are serving their neighbors and the outcasts in Jesus’s name with limited resources.
Guatemala has the largest economy in Central America. Even so, chronic childhood malnutrition and food insecurity have plagued the nation. The onset of COVID-19 made things worse, slashing Guatemala’s GDP by 1.8 percent – which translates into lowered personal incomes, retail sales, and industrial production.
Guatemalan flag (Photo courtesy of Shalom de Leon via Unsplash)
So it’s no surprise that churches in Guatemala have also been impacted.
Byron Aguilar, the director of Crossroads Prison Ministries Guatemala, says, “Our churches have been closed during the whole pandemic time. Many of the members of churches here, especially in Latin America, lost their jobs and also lost their businesses.
“In our church, for example, we weren’t able to pay rent. So we do not have a location right now – a physical location for our church.”
Even without a physical building, Aguilar’s church is still being the Church.
“More of our budget is allocated for food for the members of our church that are in need,” Aguilar says. “And there’s many more now needing food than before.”
The church members are also financially supporting Crossroads Bible Studies in El Boquerón Prison, one of three maximum-security prisons in Guatemala.
(Logo courtesy of Crossroads Prison Ministries)
Now, Aguilar says, “We are planning another activity with the prisoners inside El Boquerón Prison. The prison is now allowing relatives of the prisoners to visit. We’re going to help process the necessary applications to get the necessary permissions with the prison authorities so that we could have a family visitation day and bring the children and relatives in and have a snack with the prisoners and their kids and their families, and also bring in additional Crossroads lessons!”
Please boldly pray for this faithful church in Guatemala! Ask the Lord to provide a physical building for the congregation. Pray for spiritual encouragement as they support the hungry and needy in their communities and the prison system.
And most of all, pray for many lost and searching souls in Guatemala to find hope in Jesus Christ!
“The best is yet to come,” Aguilar says. “The pandemic was not able to stop the advancement of the Gospel.”
Click here to learn more about Crossroads Prison Ministries!
Header photo representational, courtesy of Ronald Cuyan via Unsplash.
