The boarder between Guatemala and Mexico marks drastic changes both in the geography and the people. Lush, rugged mountains rise up quickly as if God himself paid credence to the future political boundaries. Much of the terrain is too steep for walking let alone farming.
Though where the land is accessible, carrot, beats, bananas, corn and some of the world’s best coffee can be found. Oddly most the locals can't afford to drink their own harvest opting instead for the cheaper Nescafe variety.
Crossing the boarder one also experiences a dramatic change in the religious climate. While Mexico is still heavily Catholic, its southern neighbor has a profoundly Protestant feel. Both of our host families in Xela are strongly protestant Christian families. Attending church with them on Sunday was interesting; besides the language it could have passed for any stateside charismatic church. Catholicism is a different story as the indigenous beliefs have been stirred together to create a nearly unrecognizable mix in many regions.
Christianity in Guatemala has followed a long and tumultuous road. From Spanish Conquistadors with papal tendencies to the current evangelical Christianity, religious history here is stained red. The former president Rios Montt, one of the most atrocious criminals, with 200,000 deaths to his credit, used evangelical Christianity as his political platform. In the face of such horrible realities I must remind myself that Christianity is about Christ, not all the misguided humans that fall so incredibly short.
Sitting around the dinner table I listen to Mariah (10 years old) pray for the orphans, indigenous people and the poor. Her sincerity exemplifies the pure faith that has survived in the face of such distorted circumstances. This is a family that stands resolutely in the conviction of their beliefs, unwilling to trade their peace for the bitter surroundings.
