The February, 1983, OUTLOOK contained a reprint from the Presbyterian Journal of last November 15 entitled “The Truth About Guatemala” by (Rev.) Hugh S. Powlison accompanied by a strong endorsement by the paper’s Brazil–born, respected editor, Dr. G. Aiken Taylor. Since then we have received from other sources later missionary reports confirming the thrust of that article, which are likely to interest our readers.

Missionary Jim Butler, a Wycliffe Bible Translator in Guatemala, wrote in a printed letter to his supporters dated April 9, 1983:

I want to encourage you to pray for president Rios Montt and the government of Guatemala. The President is a faithful Christian who by the grace of God is in a unique position to lead this country into that righteousness which exalts a nation. He has much wisdom and a gentle, humble strength which is refreshing. Last night, in his weekly message to the nation, he spoke clearly and forcefully about the significance of Easter -the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ and its application to us now . I have met his closest advisors and have heard them preach several times in church; their messages have been edifying to an unusual degree and faithful to the Word of God. They manifest total dedication to Christ, without fanticism. Together with the President they are carrying a very heavy responsibility in these critical days. The international news media (including some Christian periodicals) have outdone themselves in careless, irresponsible and inaccurate reporting. The often-repeated themes which seek to discredit the President and his government give hints of a well-orchestrated effort by those who find the justice of God incompatible with their own schemes of social justice.

Sincerely, Jim

Other translators, Richard and Sandy Reimer, in Todos Santos, wrote in their January 13, 1983 letter to supporters:

I’d like to relate another incident of God’s intervention, one I heard shared at the weekly men’s prayer breakfast. A certain highland town was visited by members of the missionary agency Living Water Teaching . There were medical workers among them, and for several days they mended the ailing. Then they left. Some time later they returned, but this time they were confronted by a company of guerrillas, who had also come to town. The guerrillas, seizing this unexpected opportunity, commenced to incite the population against these representatives of the exploitative class riding in luxurious cars gotten through the toils of the downtrodden. But their strategy flopped. The townspeople rallied, to stand up for the missionaries and to stand down the guerrillas.

Here in the city, on the last Sunday in November, we left our apartment to drive the 5 miles to Union Church. It was probably the most convoluted excursion I’ve ever undertaken. There were marches in progress everywhere we tried to go. Every detour merely channeled us to another parade. We did not end up in Sunday school that morning, but instead stationed ourselves on a sidewalk and simply watched one of the many columns of humanity filing past. The evangelicals of this country were parading in a manifestation of solidarity. Initially, I thought that this kind of parade would not be as scintillating as the Independence Day parade I have viewed back in September, but it wasn’t long before I was moved in a way no parade has ever affected me before. For hours they walked by. There were no floats, there was no military cadence, it was simple people keeping pace with fellow brothers. As many words as Webster places at my disposal, no arrangement of them would quite capture the sensations that welled up within me. They would be akin to what one feels while listening to a superior performance of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

The 8 massive processions converged upon an open field in the eastern section of the city for a service led by evangelist Luis Palau. It was believed to be the largest gathering of evangelicals in the history of Latin America. Guatemala’s largest daily estimated that 750,000 people were assembled in that field. The most cautious sources conceded that there were a good 500,000 there. On the agenda was an address by Guatemala’s Christian President, Efrain Rios Montt. When he stood up to face the vast throng, he opened with these words: “The Leader of this country is the King of kings and Lord of lords!”

You know, the Adversary abominates this trend in Guatemala and this attitude in her leadership, and continually machinates to trample the good that is sprouting up here. Rios Montt is obviously an anomaly in the world system of government, and just like an alien insect is malevolently repulsed when it encroaches upon an ant hill, so this Christian leader is unceasingly beset by a swarm of antagonistic publicity. I am appalled at how the cynicism can be so rampantly, irresponsibly, and viciously published with impunity. “Our impending arms deal with the present dictator of Guatemala, a religious nut who is currently serving God and country by butchering thousands of Indians, does not give credence to the democratic platitudes uttered by Ronald Reagan on his recent tour (of Central America),” blathers an editorial in the Miami Herald. In some cases even Christian periodicals have joined the hue and cry, in my opinion to their shame.

The international conspiracy to discredit the Guatemalan President is very slickly orchestrated, and sometimes I am in a quandary over what priority I ought to assign to helping counteract this particular tentacle of the Lie. I guess God has already apportioned me my work, but I am greatly concerned that at least you, our friends, are aware that there is another side to the story. A friend in Alberta writes: “I remember your saying he is a born-again Christian . . . and now about a month ago a Guatemalan was being interviewed, and he attributed some very less than Christian acts to this man . . . and now I’m wondering.”

There are two kinds of people who scheme to seize power in this country. One sort are the clever corrupt, many of whom are presently abroad as fugitives from justice. During his first 3 weeks in office, Rios Montt turned down $6 million in bribes, and apparently some of those who sought to buy him and couldn’t are now investing their efforts in his overthrow. The other kind are those of Marxist ideology.

It was someone in the latter category, well known for her subversive activity here, who supplied the material for an article called Guatemala Strongman to an internationally syndicated columnist, a journalist who is a household name everywhere. A friend in California sent us the clipping. It’s loaded with venom. Let’s take a look at just one of the many charges. “Since Rios Montt seized power on March 23, 324 elected mayors have been cashiered and replaced by the general’s toadies.”

The mayor in Todos Santos, a personal friend, was one of the 324 who was replaced (the actual figure was 327). When the coup took place on March 23, Todos Santos was in a state of shambles. The only road in had been sabotaged. Bus service had been previously immobilized when the buses of both transport companies were burned. Electricity and telegraph service was destroyed. The new post office was destroyed. The town hall had been ransacked. All of the people’s documents, including land titles, had been rifled and publicly burned in the street. Every last school teacher had been run out of town and the school buildings vandalized; there was no school anymore. At one point the Saturday market had stopped, which is like saying that in Antarctica the cold had stopped.

The more gruesome details I will omit. Many of our friends are no more. The population, what remained of it, was completely traumatized. At every rumor of the coming of the Army or the guerrillas they fled into the forests to hide, not returning to their homes for days. The mayor had flown to Mexico in terror; civil government did not exist.

Many municipalities in our province were in worse shape than Todos Santos. Of the 35 municipalities in Huehuetenango province, 31 had no semblance of Civil control left. When the country could endure the deterioration no longer, it delivered the rule to Rios Montt, and those of us who live here will unitedly testify that immediately we passed from night to day. Up in Todos Santos, the government under the new President won over the people in 3 months. On a certain day, as many of the men of the valley as could be mustered assembled in the plaza, and 800 signatures and thumbprints were collected in support of the new regime. A delegation was chosen to carry these endorsements to the Army headquarters in the provincial capital and to request protection against the guerrillas. The Army responded, and organized the people in civil patrols. The Todosanteros inform me that their conduct could not be reproached. Fifty of the soldiers were quartered for a number of weeks in our own house.

One day ail of the men were summoned to the plaza. The military officer in charge then proclaimed that the President had decreed that law and order in every town were to be reestablished. The people were to choose whom they wanted as mayor. At first, they favored my scripture distributor, Bernardino, but he declined to serve in order to remain faithful to the work that the Lord had given him to do. The people finally settled upon a man in whose village 150 homes had been burned, Sebastian, and the Army installed him as the ruling mayor.

Now let’s glance again at the aforementioned excoriation: “Since Rios Montt seized power on March 23, 324 mayors have been cashiered and replaced by the general‘s toadies.” Yes, the mayors were replaced, but on close scrutiny it is seen that this event has been arrantly fleeced of its true factuality, which is similarly the case with all of the diatribes in that article. It concluded with, “The situation has grown a thousand times worse under Rios Montt.” As President Reagan remarked after meeting Rios Montt, “The guy’s been given a bum rap.”

Another missionary, Dorothy Keeley, wrote in her March, 1983 “Kommunique”:

During this past year so much adverse publicity has appeared about the political situation here in Guatemala, I am sure very few people in the U.S. know exactly what to believe. I have only made brief statements in preceding Kommuniques, but now feel compelled to tell what I have personally witnessed and have heard from Wycliffe Translators.

Such statements referring to President Rios Montt as a ‘dictator’ and ‘religious nut’ in newspapers around the world are untrue and unfounded, as well as many articles in Time, Newsweek and other magazines. People are now unafraid to go places after dark and on weekends, travelling by bus or car to cities that have been inaccessible for as long as 3 years. Churches are overflowing each Sunday with people. Tourists are starting to return, and buy in the marketplaces. Groups of people, 15 to 30 at a time, are being sent by churches in the U.S. to build new churches.

AND most important of all, people are returning to their homes they had left when they fled into the mountains to escape the cruelties of the guerrillas. Cities are being rebuilt. Food, clothing and medicine are being distributed to these people with many of our translators assisting in the relief plans, as well as conducting classes in reading and writing.

In general , the people of Guatemala are supporting President Rios Montt, and are happy with the changes that have taken place. Hope shines again in their eyes and smiling faces, although they know there are still some problem areas.

Please continue to pray for President Rios Montt, that God will steadily increase the healing of this beautiful country through his Christian leadership and be an example to the rest of Central America and the entire world.