La congregacion Esfuerza

Having abandoned the El Chupon mission congregation after a violent conflict with the nickel mining company over the land, the Arca de Noe church opted to sponsor a mission congregation on the northeast side of town in the Esfuerza neighborhood. A group of Crescent Hill mission team members visited this congregation on Tuesday afternoon and talked with Pastor Antonio and his family. Antonio is an old friend of Ellen and Roger and Gloria Marriott who is relatively new to the area. Antonio was serving the El Chupon visit when the 2009 Crescent Hill mission team visited El Estor, and he was the first Guatemalan to arrive (separately) for the Coban retreat in summer 2010.

Antonio is paid a very small stipend by Arca de Noe and he and Pastor Gerardo had a long conversation in Q’eqchi’ only in the midst of the mission team visit that surprised some team members. And Antonio hinted that he might not be doing this forever.

This and the La Union congregation were the smallest that team members visited, and it and the Panzos congregation had the most primitive quarters. Antonio and his family live next door.

-Perry