Escrito Está

SHARING JESUS

IN GUATEMALA

Delivering solar-powered radios to the Kekchi community in Guatemala.

Locals from Moyuta listening to the Word of God as they wait for their water filter.

CAROLINA BONILLA is the administrative assistant for Escrito Está. Born in Ecuador, Carolina has a passion for reaching the Spanishspeaking community with the gospel. I n October, a small Escrito Está team traveled to Guatemala to distribute water filters to a community desperately in need of them. We also joined a local radio station to share solar-powered radios with the Kekchi people, giving them access to Escrito Está programs translated into their native language!

The water filtration project began with a young couple who wanted to minister to the village of Moyuta. Despite government efforts, the people there live in extreme poverty. Every month a group of young people travel 2.5 hours from Guatemala City to Moyuta to spend time with the families there.

For their most recent project, the volunteers decided to provide water filters to local families. They realized people did not have access to clean drinking water and were getting sick as a result. High heat and humidity only compounded the issue. In February 2021, Escrito Está joined forces with the church to support this initiative.

Thanks to various donations, 300 families—the entire community of

Moyuta— received water filters this fall. We distributed the water filters, provided training on how to use them, and encouraged the people to trust God and accept His water of life.

Many expressed their gratitude for both the physical and spiritual water. One lady stated, “I thought Jesus had forgotten me. This means so much to my family, thank you!” Alejandro, a volunteer, said, “Thank you for supporting this project. Seeing an organization like Escrito Está coming to Guatemala to help a small group of volunteers serving in a poor community defines what church should be. I’m very encouraged and will continue helping my community with more fervor than ever.”

Next, we headed to Chicanutz, a remote mountain area that lacks electricity, to distribute 100 solar-powered radios to the Kekchi community. We traveled along with members of Unión Radio Guatemala, a radio station that covers most parts of the country and broadcasts Escrito Está programs. They recently began broadcasting in the central part of the country, where there is a large Kekchi population.

Approximately half a million people speak Kekchi. A local volunteer is translating the daily devotionals, Una Mejor Manera de Vivir, and our half-hour programs into the Kekchi language for his community. We called this trip “Una Mejor Manera de Vivir para los Q’eqchies” (A Better Way to Live for the Kekchis).

The only building in Chicanutz that has a generator is the small church, and they only turn it on during worship hours on Saturdays. Few people speak Spanish fluently. Having Christian content that they can understand is essential for their spiritual growth.

Oscar, a Kekchi Bible worker, interpreted for us during our worship service. We were received with smiles, soup, and a lot of love. B’antiox was one of the easiest words to learn, which means “thank you.” Children were shy but curious when they saw our cameras. The congregation proceeded to sing from the Spanish hymnal, many not understanding what they were singing. Can you imagine singing to God without knowing what you are saying to Him?

We only stayed for a few hours due to the threat of rain, which would cause us to be stuck owing to the poor roads. We delivered the radios and hurried to the next group that lived further up the mountain. We were unable to visit a third group since it started raining but left the rest of the radios in Oscar’s care.

During each short visit, we spoke about the importance of sharing Jesus and learning of His Word. Then we distributed the radios. The people were excited to discover that they could listen to sermons in Kekchi and look forward to receiving more content in their language.

Although this trip was a great achievement, it is only the beginning of an important mission: creating more content that can reach areas that are yet to hear the gospel in their native tongue. Thank you for your support of Escrito Está in making these donations possible. Together we can reach many more people with the good news of Jesus and provide a better way to live for the Kekchis. Read more about this story on itiswritten.com.

Robert Costa, speaker/director

January 8 — 15

Evangelism, Mexico City, Mexico

January 22 — 29

Evangelism, Costa Rica

March 5 — 12

Evangelism, Mexico