Looking to Jesus rather than gangs

The barbed wire on the walls of El Mezquital school in Guatemala City is there to protect the children and staff inside, because this part of town is plagued by gangs and violent crime.

But these dangers aren’t stopping Bible Society volunteers from going to El Mezquital and other schools in this Central American capital. There, with resources and Scriptures provided thanks to your kind giving, they share Bible stories through the Open the Book programme.

Children as young as ten are urged to join local gangs because, when young people are caught, they receive shorter sentences than adults. But hearing about Jesus is making many of these teenagers think twice before binding themselves to a life of crime.

Mayra’s story

‘One of my neighbours wasn’t involved with gangs and always said hello to us when we saw him,’ says Mayra*, aged 14. ‘He used to sit on his porch and smoke marijuana and one day he was there smoking and he was shot dead.’

‘Hearing the Bible stories has inspired me to be a better person,’ she adds. ‘Before, I was always looking at the boys but now I’m focusing on being a better student. I want to learn sewing and design dresses. If we didn’t have Open the Book we would be more likely to grow into bad people who do illegal things, join gangs, kill.’

The healing touch of Jesus on young people like Mayra is an answer to the prayers of the hundreds of Open the Book volunteers who strive to see lives changed.

Bible a Month members make this possible

Thanks to the regular giving of Bible a Month members, more and more vulnerable teenagers are now hearing about Jesus and their lives are changing for the better. Open the Book started here in England and Wales but it’s spreading across the globe. Supported by your donations, volunteers are taking Bible storytelling into schools in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Central Asia.

The headteacher at El Mezquital said there was a lot of bad behaviour in the school before Open the Book arrived, but now the atmosphere has changed. It’s as if the school has been blessed. The children are less aggressive and many, including Mayra, have started going to church.

Some of the students have even been asking their teachers to read the Bible to them after the Open the Book volunteers have left.

How you can help

• Praise the Lord for the positive impact Bible stories are having in schools, not only in Guatemala City but in Latin America more widely. Pray that the students, including Mayra, will find hope and healing by looking to Jesus
• Ask God to give wisdom, strength and protection to the Bible storytelling volunteers in Latin America
• Pray that more and more schools will be receptive to receiving Bible Storytellers, not only in Guatemala but in all the other countries where Open the Book is active

This article first appeared in our prayer-focused Bible a Month newsletter.
You can sign up to Bible a Month for as little as £10 a month. Your regular giving will bring the message of the Bible into more lives. You’ll receive a newsletter four times a year informing you of the amazing impact of your generosity.

Join Bible a Month