A letter from Roger and Gloria Marriott in Guatemala
July 15, 2009
The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.
- Mark 4:26-27
Dear Friends,
We have returned to Cobán, Guatemala, after spending the past few months in the United States on itineration—that period of traveling and speaking to churches and church groups around the country. We always enjoy the opportunity of meeting new people and being guests in the homes of our new friends, but it is also good to get back to Guatemala.
Not much has changed in the months we were away. We still wake up to the sounds of firecrackers exploding to herald someone’s birthday, the loud, gospel “ranchera” music that many find encouraging in the early morning, and the promotional trucks with speakers blaring course through the streets to advertise this or that company or soft drink. There are a couple of new, little shops in the area as well as a barber across the street now from where we live. It appears we missed most of the mango season, although we can still find a few; but the market is awash with fresh strawberries. Not much has changed with our friends either. I received three calls the first day back; two were to welcome our return and one was a request. Word travels fast, and we’re pleased it does.
We’ll soon be traveling to Sayaxché and Ixcán. We’ll delay a while before traveling to the east. The roads are all gravel and dirt in that direction and now rutted and more unsafe since it is the rainy season. Some of you may have received the notice that one of our Kekchi friends was killed when a pickup overturned recently in Izabál. We’re a little more cautious in that regard than we once were. Road development (any development, for that matter) is slow to arrive in Kekchi country due partly, or primarily, to the fact that this is a poor part of Guatemala, has little influence in national affairs, and does not command the attention of the government.
One thing that has not changed is the continuing societal dis-ease due to the influence of drug trafficking and the criminal activity associated with that. The recent coup in Honduras has not spilled over to Guatemala even though there are reports that some groups are working to destabilize the government of Alvaro Colóm. Unfortunately, what has spilled over is an increase in drug gang activity from the Mexican drug cartels fighting with Guatemalan gangs for the lucrative distribution routes of South American cocaine as it wends its way through Kekchi country to markets in the United States. Sadly, drug use is not abating in the United States, and drugs are now making their way to even rural areas and small towns in the United States that may cause yet even more demand and the concomitant criminal activity here.
A recent article in the Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre (July 12) pointed out that in 2002 (when we first arrived) there were 3,630 murders. That number will top 7,000 this year. Most are criminals killing criminals, and there is little danger for visiting groups that take normal precautions. What those numbers do tell us is that even more groups, motivated by love of their fellows because of faith in Jesus Christ, are needed here. Groups that come to share faith stories or build churches, or water tanks, or involve themselves in education, or to offer medical services, speak of the best that is in the human heart.
The above text from Mark indicates that none of us can know the results of the work (the seeds scattered) done here for the reign of God. We may not even understand it—let alone control it—but we can participate in it, and if we’re sincere and stay at it, we can hope to see some glimpse of progress. Mother Teresa offered us a little help when she said our job is to be faithful, not successful—the results are up to God. Personally, I am not much excited by the idea of scattering seeds, since the problems are profound. But I have seen some glimpses of progress: the graduation of a few from high school, the building of water tanks that will allow some to have clean water, kids who have had cleft lips repaired, adults who have learned to read, villages that now have school buildings in which to study and churches in which to worship, and indigenous pastors who now have a better understanding of their faith. I am convinced that groups from the United States, by working together in a more coordinated way, can multiply efforts and enrich not only the lives of the indigenous but also our own. Once we truly learn to take advantage of our connectedness, we can live life more abundantly and so can our Guatemalan friends. I look forward to seeing some of you at the Mission Celebration in Cincinnati in October.
Peace,
Roger and Gloria
What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?
- Ps. 116:12
The 2009 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 277
