Influences of Maya and Spanish colonists are still prevalent throughout Guatemala, creating a rich and distinctive culture. However, Protestant Christians remain a minority.

Guatemala is located in Central America, bordering Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. All of Guatemala’s major cities are situated in the southern half of the country— the nation’s capital Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango and Escuintla.

Influences of the Maya and the Spanish colonists are strong throughout Guatemala, creating a rich and distinctive culture. Much of the clothing and food is still made in the traditional Mayan way in small villages in the highlands, and many Mayan ruins can be found throughout the country. Along the small Caribbean coast, there are influences of African culture in the religious ceremonial songs, dances and food. This diverse history and the natural beauty of the land have created a country rich in interesting and scenic sites.

The prominent religions in Guatemala are Roman Catholic, Protestant and indigenous Mayan beliefs. Sixty percent of the country speaks Spanish, while the other 40 percent speaks Amerindian languages, including 23 officially recognized Amerindian languages.

OM has been working in Guatemala since 1990 as a result of visits of Logos II. The national OM office is currently located in Guatemala City, and is part of OM Central America as a whole. OM international officially recognised Central America as a ministry field in 2000; however, evangelistic outreaches and recruitment of missionaries has taken place all over Central America since the early 1990’s.

OM Guatemala helps local social ministries within the country and provides training in evangelism and missions for the national Evangelical church. Programs emphasize evangelism within the region, provide social help for people in need, give ministry training to Christians and minister effectively within Latin America. There are a variety of ministries, such as working with children in orphanages, training programs in local churches and school, and ministering to the homeless and people on the streets.

To achieve OM’s purposes, the ministry emphasizes the following areas: discipleship training for Christians, evangelistic outreach and social help for needy people, and special training with students in schools.