The Churches of San Marcos, Guatemala

Piedra Partida

Piedra Partida is When Will We Cry? Inc.'s headquarters in Guatemala. This is the small town where Pastor Eleazar was born and raised and where much of his family still lives. The first church began by his ministry, Esfuerzo Cristiano (Christian Effort) is also located there (left).

Typically, our volunteer mission teams stay in the dormitory (right), which is across the street from the church at Piedra Partida and from Ely's mother's house, where our meals are served. Our domitories have become our outreach center, where we house teams and gather and store supplies for ministry. We hope to have the new addition to the dormitory (the unpainted section on the right) finished and ready for teams by 2007!

Palo Gordo

While the church at Piedra Partida is the oldest church of the Esfuerzo Cristiano, the church at Palo Gordo is the newest (left). Located up in the mountains of San Marcos, this is Pastor Eleazar's 44th church and was built in May of this year! The Bridge team from Spring Hill, TN held the first VBS in this church in June, and the pastor put the finishing touches on the inside in mid-July (right). What a beautiful church! We pray for God to bless the efforts of this new pastor and his congregation, and we hope to be working with them again soon.

Las Mercedes

In Las Mercedes, typical houses are made of wood and plastic. Upon first arrival, there was no gospel in this small town, and the people there were very skeptical of outsiders. Betrayed and forgotten by their own government, these people told us never to return and even threatened the lives of Lewis and Pastor Ely. However, with many prayers and persistence, we questioned whether they would allow us to pour a concrete floor in their school, funded by the generous children at Sharon Baptist's school. They agreed and afterwards told us we were welcome to return anytime.....

A little over one year later, a church has been planted, and more than 50 people have accepted Christ! Praise God!!

These are just a few of the small towns where we work. Each church and each community presents unique needs and concerns, but they are all very grateful for our prayers and service. Often the teams bring hope, encouragement, and renewal to these pastors and their congregations. We are honored to be a part of their lives and are always blessed by there humbleness and hospitality.

Please check out the Team Photo category to see other areas of San Marcos where we have worked this year.