Each day I pray for a country/ people somewhere.

Today (7 May 2014): the sad country/people of Guatemala:

Sins of the past – recognised, repented of and reparations made. Most notably this includes the terrible mistreatment of the indigenous population and a generation of war with atrocities on both sides. The part played by the USA in arming the oppressors and turning a blind eye to human rights abuses has only been partially acknowledged…

Violence is a present-day plague caused by the upheaval and ruin of the last few decades. Murder is common, and life is cheap. Guatemala has the highest murder rate in all Latin America. The perpetrators: ‘maras’ (youth gangs), drug traffickers, organised crime and ‘social cleansing’ – a.k.a. death squads. Government forces can do little to tackle these issues, and private armed guards outnumber police two to one. Pray for… the peace of Christ to prevail.

Jason Mandryk, ‘Operation World: the Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation’, 2010, p. 382