OVERVIEW
- Throughout history Guatemala has been controlled by plantation owners making a healthy profit and then by military dictators hungry for power.
- Years of oppression and absolute poverty exploded in 1960 into 36 years of guerilla war. During this time human rights abuses were appalling with over 40,000 people ‘disappearing’, widespread torture and millions left without a home.
- A peace settlement in 1996 has brought an end to warfare but there remains a culture of violence.
- The richest 10% of the country own half the country’s wealth while 90% of the population live in poverty.
YOUTH FACTS
- A quarter of under-5s are malnourished or underweight.
ANSWERS TO PRAYER
- Christians played a significant part in seeing Guatemala acheive a peace deal in 1996. Pray that this short time of peace would continue.
- A quarter of the population are now committed Christians – pray that every community across the country would have a dyanmic evangelical church.
CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
- As more and more people become Christians pray that churches will be able to help them deepen their faith in God and live out what they believe each day. Pray that each new generation will respond to God for themselves, rather than just turning up to church meetings ‘cos it’s the thing to do!
- Pray for children across Guatemala – most live in extreme poverty and thousands have been orphaned through war. There are over 5,000 street children in the capital. Pray also for Christians who are working with them.
- In the last 15 years over 100 cross-cultural missionaries have been sent out to different countries. Pray that more would be called and trained to serve God from Guatemala.
PEOPLES IN GUATEMALA
- Population 11.4 million
- Urbanites 40%
MONEY IN GUATEMALA
- Average income per person $1470. Which is 5% of the average US citizen.
LANGUAGES
- Official language: Spanish
- There are 42 languages spoken in Guatemala
- The whole Bible is available in 8 languages. The New Testament is available in 21 languages. Parts of the Bible are being translated in 30 languages.
RELIGION IN GUATEMALA
- Christian 97.52%
- Non religious/other 1.90%
- Traditional ethnic 0.30%
- Baha’i 0.20%
- Buddhist 0.06%
- Chinese 0.02%
BREAKDOWN OF THE CHURCH IN GUATEMALA
- Protestant 18.57%
- Independent 8.19%
- Anglican 0.02%
- Catholic 61.48%
- Marginal 2.15%
- Unaffiliated 7.11%
From Operation World Web Site (www.operationworld.org), 07/10/2009. Copyright ©2001 Patrick Johnstone
LEARN MORE
To learn more about the country of Guatemala visit the sources below for comprehensive information