NEWS!

Major rioting broke out again today in the city of Huehuetenango in Northwestern Guatemala where Zona Juvenil Team as well as other American volunteers live and serve.  This has become more common with increasing pressure to run the mayor out of the city and resolve other major battles such as an astounding garbage problem that has plagued this once peaceful town.

However, todays violence was due to another alarming reason.  Early this morning a young man climbed on a city bus and shot both the driver and attendant killing both.   Being that it was an obvious hit, and paid job, people managed to capture the assasin and the police took him into custody.  Soon the people found out this man was an ex-police officer and demanded his release.  The refusal to allow the mob of more than 2,000 people have the man and set him on fire in the city park caused the mobs to take the downtown, attempt to burn the prison and set local police stations and police vehicles on fire.

The direct impact on the ZJ team was that each week they hold their working young people’s group in a building about 5 yards from the front door of the jail.  Police set out tear gas canisters outside the building and ultimately only 9 of the normal group showed.  Luckily, the entire team and all volunteers were able to safely evacuate and are now all in safer locations.

Please pray for our safety and the safety of all volunteers as well as Zona Juvenil team members as we continue to reach young people in spite of difficult situations like the one we faced today.  In the side column you can see pictures taken from Mark W. Wakefield’s cell phone from the building we were held up in.