Awake!, March 8, 1967
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CLOSE-UP VIEW of MIDDLE AMERICA
MARCH 8, 1967
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CONTENTS
Where Is Middle America Today? 3
Mexico—A Land of Contrasts 4
Guatemala—A Tropical Switzerland 9
El Salvador—A Gem of the Tropics 14
Honduras—Emerging from Darkness to Light 17
Nicaragua—Home of a Gay but Hard-working People 20
British Honduras—A Land Often Overlooked 23
Costa Rica Rides a Wave of Prosperity 25
Panama—Where Oceans and Continents Unite 28
Where Is Middle America Today?
VOLCANOES! Earthquakes! Revolutions! Are these the thoughts that flash to your mind when mention is made of Middle America? Or do you think of bananas, coffee, pineapples and other tropical fruits? To many this storied region, from Mexico's border with the United States down through Panama, may be just an exotic vacation. playland with enchanting native foods and entertainment. Well, Middle America is all of this and more!
Here Christopher Columbus and other adventurers came in search of riches. Here the Spanish conquistadores discovered wealthy cities of brilliant civilizations those of the Mayas and Aztecs. Here European empire builders subdued the natives and forced them to become converts to Roman Catholicism. Along these shores sailed the buccaneers, taking their toll of the treasure-laden transports. Here, after centuries of harsh domination, the now-mixed population fought for and gained independence.
But all of this is history. Where is Middle America today—politically, economically, religiously, socially and morally?
The best way to find the answers to these questions is to visit personally this region. Such a visit became a reality for many hundreds of our readers during the month of December 1966. The occasion
was a series of international assemblies that were organized by Jehovah's witnesses in Central America. Guests were invited and expected from Canada, the United States, Great Britain and other countries. At this time of year it meant that many of these travelers would be leaving behind cold northern latitudes, heavy warm clothing and gray skies. As they prepared for this journey, whether by car, bus, train or plane, they eagerly anticipated the opportunity of having a firsthand look at this part of the world, which so often is featured in the headlines of the world news.
We are sure that readers of Awake! magazine are keenly interested in knowing what those visitors saw and heard as they traveled from one country to another, attending the assemblies, visiting towns and villages, marketplaces and natural beauty spots, talking to the natives and seeing how they really live. Politically, Middle America is the battleground of different ideologies; economically, it is between the rich and the poor; religiously, great changes are being made; morally, the people are cascading downward with the rest of the world. More details of this close-up view of Middle America had by these eyewitnesses are presented in the following pages for your benefit.
AS WE stepped aboard our powerful jet airliner and settled down for the start of our long-anticipated trip to Central America, the atmosphere was filled with excitement about what lay ahead. Of course, we knew that there would be hundreds of others of our spiritual brothers from Canada, Germany, Australia, and so forth, thirteen countries in all, embarking on a similar venture. Now it was our time for a firsthand look at a land of contrasts—Mexico!
We soon learned that we had to be prepared for new things, since everywhere the visitor to this land turns he is confronted with a combination of the familiar and the unusual, the ancient and the ultramodern, the ordinary and the rare. The new arrival in Mexico City who speaks only English is immediately confronted with a change: why, everyone is speaking Spanish! But to our surprise many of the common people know a few words of English. This, together with their helpful disposition, made for an interesting and very pleasant trip.
After passing through Immigration and Customs, we were ready for our first taste of real Mexico. If up to this time we had imagined the people to be forever slow-moving and casual, our first taxi ride altered that view. The cost was very little and the driver got us to our hotel without any complications. But by the time we arrived we were convinced we knew how small a "hairbreadth" is. We were sure it is the distance between two Mexican taxis weaving in and out of heavy traffic with split-second timing. And to make matters even more exciting, we were trying to get used to the idea of loaded buses picking up and depositing people while still moving.
A Look Around the City
While our chief interest in Mexico was the assembly to which we had been invited, let us first take a look at the city. Our brief tour solidified the opinion that Mexico is a land of contrasts. Eye-catching to the stranger is the great variety of architectural designs. How impressed we were with the large, modern office buildings, which serve as a tribute to competent designing and engineering? Yet in contrast we noticed buildings of great antiquity, some dating back practically to the beginning of Spanish rule. Even these, though, testified to the ability and artistry of the builders.
Who could speak about Mexico without making some comment about the beautiful art that is everywhere in evidence? Before our visit was completed we had seen many frescoes and murals in hotels, restaurants and public buildings of the city. We must admit, though, it was quite a surprise to see some of the subjects of these murals, especially the famous and controversial ones by Diego Rivera. In addition to emphasizing social struggles and revolutions in the country, he often portrayed the Catholic clergy as having been oppressive and greedy in their dealings with the people.
One of the tours arranged for visitors to the assemblies in Middle America was to lovely Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, where the National Museum of Anthropology is located. The park, we learned, had been used as a place of entertainment as far back as the time of the Aztec ruler Montezuma II in the sixteenth century, and we could well believe it,
Scene from the Felklorico Ballet presented in the Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City
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Victims of Catholic Inquisition about to perish, woman to be garroted, man to be burned. As depicted in mural by Diego Rivera in the National Palace, Mexico City
for with lakes, trees and flowers it truly is a beautiful garden spot. It derives its name from the chapulives (Indian for "grasshoppers") that were so plentiful here in former times.
The museum was to us another example of contrast, for the structures themselves were most handsome and modern and yet they housed ancient relics of Mexico's past. Compared to historical museums many of the visitors had seen in other countries, this one was outstanding. The museum provided a free tour guide who helped us to understand, to a degree, the different civilizations and cultures of the ancient Teotihuacans, Toltecs, Mayans, Aztecs, and so forth. The intelligent and helpful way in which the material is presented and classified made the visit most informative. It was evident that the ancient Indians usually had every phase of life dictated by their religious beliefs.
We noticed that these Indians worshiped the sun, moon and stars, and also that sex and serpent worship figured prominently in their
serpent worship figured prominently in religions. While all the tribes were idolatrous, the Aztecs, who dominated the Central Plateau, are infamous for their barbaric worship involving cannibalism and human sacrifices to the extent of 100,000 victims a year. And then we saw the mammoth Stone of Tizoc, or the Sacrificial Stone. The groove hewn on its surface has led many to believe that, on such a stone, black-robed Aztec priests would, with a quick slash of an obsidian knife, gash open the chest of a victim, just
below the ribs. Then, while it was still pulsating, they would rip out the bleeding heart and offer it as a sacrifice in order to ensure the rising of the sun each morning.
Religious Temples Past and Present
Our fascinating tour through the National Museum stimulated our desire to visit the actual sites of some of these archaeological excavations. One such visit took us to the site of the giant pyramids near San Juan Teotihuacan, some 29 miles northeast of Mexico City.
From a distance we saw the gigantic structures looming above the countryside. But before getting a close look, we went through the museum at the site and learned something about these colossal pyramids built about 200 B.C.E. by the Indians called the Teotihuacanos. The very name Teotihuacán is mythical, signifying "the place where men become gods," or "place where the gods reside." The ruins we were about to visit at one time constituted a "holy" city, and the priests and religious leaders were the rulers of the people.
No one is quite sure where the people who built these massive structures came from or even what language they spoke. Unlike the pyramids in Egypt, which were usually tombs of the Pharaohs, the ones before us closely resembled the ziggurats of ancient Babylon and served the same function, as bases for elevated temples. First we walked around the Citadel, a vast stadium surrounded by a wall and enclosing several temples. One of them, the temple of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, gave us insight into the religion practiced there. Not far from the Citadel is the Pyramid of the Sun. When this monumental pyramid was in its glory, covered with stucco, hand painted a reddish color, and with a temple on its summit, it must have been awe-inspiring. While its base is about the same size as the Cheops Pyramid in Egypt, it is only about half as high. We accepted the challenge to climb to the top, but long before we got to the top our panting and aching lungs reminded us that at 7,000 feet it is not easy.
The temple that once crowned the pyramid
Huge Pyramid of the Sun and the Avenue of the Dead at Teotihuacan, Mexico
Heads of serpents and other delites ornament the temple of Quetzalcoatl, Tocilhuacán, Mexico
this one site there were many evidences to support the claim that these people, or their ancestors, derived their religious ideas from ancient Babylonia, where zigzurgats, serpents, crosses and astronomy were all integral parts of false religion.
We were looking forward to a visit later that day to a modern religious site, but decided to stop for a typical Mexican meal. It did not take too long to get across to a helpful Mexican waiter what we wanted and then proceed with the new and unusual. There were enchiladas or flat corn cakes called tortillas stuffed with chicken and covered with spicy mole sauce, crispy tacos made out of fried tortillas filled with vegetable and meat, guacamole or avocado salad, and a fillet of steak.
is gone, but still we were impressed by the grand panoramic view of all that is below, including the "Avenue of the Dead" stretching in front of us. While archaeologists do not fully understand all the aspects of the religion carried on at this "holy" city, it was obvious that the worshipers were very interested in the sun and the moon. The whole city, in fact, was built according to very critical astronomical calculations as to the relative positions of the sun and the moon.
Before the tour was over we also visited the Pyramid of the Moon and the beautiful buildings designed for the luxurious living of the Teotihuacan priests.
Having already seen other evidences of Babylonish religion, we were not surprised to see a painted "cross" among the things worshiped by the Indians. Yes, even at
For sake of Indians who claimed that Jesus impaled was human sacrifice and so no different from their religion, Catholic church depicted only Christ's head on this cross outside Mexico City
Devotees frequently approach the Catholic shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico City, and 2,431 persons on pilgrimage here were treated for injuries, mostly bleeding knees
It was, as we learned to say, delicioso!
The Roman Catholic shrine of Guadalupe was our next stop. According to the historical facts, when the Spanish conquistadores moved in, Roman Catholic missionaries followed in their wake. Church-State rule became the
Native Mexican woman preparing "tortillas," thin cakes of unleavened cornmeal
way of life in "New Spain," as Mexico was called soon after it was conquered in 1521. The Catholic church was bent on converting the Indians, even resounding to the terrible "Holy Inquisition" from 1571 to 1820. Nonetheless, from what we saw at the Guadalupe Shrine, we realized that in many respects the Catholic church had made compromises and concessions in its efforts to convert the Indians.
In the very courtyard of this large church the Indians on certain festivals offer up their children, in pantomime, as a sacrifice to the sun-god. While we were not there for such a festival, our visit did reveal many Mexican men and women following the tortuous practice of crawling on their knees up to the
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church, sometimes covering a mile or more. Visitors to this shrine should not be shocked if they see blood on the pavement. We were even more startled, though, when inside the church, to see what was going on at a glass case containing a religious relic. The worshipers were rubbing their hands over the glass case and then wiping their own faces and the faces of their young babies, in order to receive blessing or protection.
How much did the Indians have to change in order to become Catholics? Well, before the Spaniards arrived, the hill of Tepeyac, where the Catholic shrine is now located, was the site of a shrine to Tonantzin, an Aztec goddess of earth and maize. It was also interesting to learn that the "virgin" idolized at this place, and, who supposedly appeared
in vision to a native in sixteenth century, has a dark complexion. Since many of the people in Mexico are similarly complexioned, the image of the "Dark Virgin" hanging in the church would be more appealing than a fair-skinned likeness. Understandably, one writer commented: "Many orthodox Catholics have complained that the Mexicans were never Christianized at all, and that Catholicism was, instead, Mexi-
Mexico, such as at beautiful University City that had its founding with a special charter from the king of Spain in 1551. However, many of the common people first need to learn to read and write, so they can study the Bible. But why the Bible? Because it is the Word of the true God. From it the people can learn the truth that can set them free from the superstitions and creeds of men, both those brought down from pagan forefathers and those propagated by the clergy of Christendom. By studying the Bible and letting its moral principles mold their lives, people can gradually pull themselves out of the cesspool of immorality in which so many wallow.
Library building, National University of Mexico
canized."—Mexico by W. W. Johnson and The Editors of Life, page 136.
The Needs of the People
Some of the visitors who came by automobile were especially conscious of the contrast between those who lived in the city and those in the rurals. Though Mexico has produced engineers, scholars, doctors and lawyers who have turned the capital into a modern city, facilities and conveniences such as hospitals, schools, electricity and adequate water supplies are not found everywhere. One can drive through town after town at night and never see a light.
The visitor to this land of great contrasts who stops to ponder the question "What do these people need the most?" comes to some very definite conclusions. Education is at the top of the list. It is true that for some there are opportunities for advanced learning in
A Grand Assembly
There are many in Mexico, as in other countries, who are devoting themselves to a study of God's Word and shaping their lives in accord with its principles. We had accepted the invitation to attend this national convention in Mexico City under the sponsorship of La Torre del Vigia de Mexico, which had delegates from all the Mexican
states. Preparations had begun months earlier, since some 23.000 delegates were expected, and never before had Jehovah's witnesses
in Mexico assembled in such a large group. For the delegates coming from distant parts of the country, transportation was a problem. Hence, arrangements were made for special trains. The National Railroad Company cooperated by allowing representatives of the convention's Information Department to board the four special trains eighty-five miles outside the city. Then, while the final miles were clicking off, the convention delegates received information as to transportation within the city, location of hotels and rooming accommodations and other arrangements made for their comfort and enjoyment. However, there were other trains on the way that in effect became "special" trains as time went by. As regular trains passed certain locations, additional coaches full of Jehovah's witnesses were added. One train from the northern part of the country could not pull all the passenger coaches that were finally added, and, as a result, the train had to be divided and an extra locomotive used to bring them to the assembly city.
The arena in Mexico City was ready and waiting for the arriving delegates. A week before the opening date Witnesses from the city had converged on the arena and given it a thorough cleaning. In fact, the watchmen at the Arena Mexico commented, "This is the best cleaning the Arena has ever had!"
President N. H. Knorr of the Watch Tower Society (on the left), through addresses that links gates to the cultural convention in the Arena Mexico
A high percentage of those in attendance had been taught to read the Bible by Jehovah's witnesses. For example, in 1644, 199 reading classes were in operation and 1,230 adults
learned to read and write. The Mexican Minister of Public Education acknowledged this by writing a letter of commendation to the representative of Jehovah's witnesses. Once the humble Mexican people learn to read they are able to study God's Word and apply its principles in their lives. Such ones were especially thrilled at the convention when Rodolfo Lozano from the branch headquarters in Mexico released a pocket-size version of "Things in Which It Is Impossible for God to Lie" in Spanish. Later the president of the Watch Tower Society, N. H. Knorr, when invited to address the audience, released the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God in Spanish to 28,818 assembled Christians. The visitors who were invited to attend the English program were delighted to have a glimpse
of some of the Witnesses from distant parts of Mexico in their native costumes. They knew that, though these people spoke a different language and in their bright clothing looked quite unusual, they were at heart unitedly worshiping the same God.
All at the convention rejoiced together when, for the main lecture, "Mankind's Millennium Under God's Kingdom," on Sunday, December 4, the attendance was announced as 36,556! This was about 13,000 more than originally expected. And there was the additional joy of knowing that 1,082 persons dedicated their lives and indicated they were now Jehovah's witnesses.
Travel by Automobile
While many of the foreign travelers were leaving for Guatemala by plane, some drove by automobile to the next assembly. After negotiating the crowded, fast-moving traffic of Mexico City, what a contrast it was to get out on the open roads of the country, where one meets stubborn burros and slow-moving oxcarts as often as automobiles and trucks. Driving at night especially was "hair-raising," since one never knew what to expect around the next curve. And curves there were! Coming down out of the mountains to the coast near Arraga there were so many sharp twists and turns that one felt like a
corkscrew by the time he reached level country.
Many drove down to Acapulco, the famous resort area. While most persons who go there are solely interested in swimming, eating and pleasure-seeking, the Christians visiting there after the Mexico City assembly were able to associate with spiritual brothers making up the ten active groups of Jehovah's witnesses in that city.
Looking back on Mexico, we visitors hold fond memories of this land of contrasts, where the rich and poor, old and new, enlightened and mysterious exist side by side. We will long recall what we have seen and the pleasure of associating with our brothers who also are looking forward to the time of total peace and paradise under God's kingdom.
Acapulco, famous international resort. Here 1,100 of Jehovah's witnesses carry on teaching work HE first planeload of visitors arriving at Guatemala's "La Aurora" Airport to attend the "God's Sons of Liberty" Assembly, December 7-11, 1966, surely received a hearty welcome.
Smiling missionaries and local Witnesses, some splendidly dressed in colorful native style, furnished visiting sisters with beautiful corsages, and the Guatemalan Airlines provided the illiting music of the
GUATEMALA
their hotel rooms. At the hotels, too, the "Welcome" signs were out.
And what was the first impression of Guatemala? What could it be but one of friendliness and color? A land of lofty mountains and deep valleys, of forests and green highlands, of hot lowlands and invigorating altitudes, surely reminded us of Switzerland. The Indian population, constituting over 55 percent of the total, are noted for their colorful dress and their tribal handicrafts, which are to be seen in profusion in the village markets. Even among the crowds at our assembly one could quickly note the outstanding features of this or that tribe.
The main exhibition hall of the beautiful Parque Centro America, out on the edge of Guatemala City, was the meeting place of a truly international group. United States citizens, Canadians, Mexicans and visitors from over-
marimba. A huge sign bearing the message "Welcome Jehovah's Witnesses" adorned the façade of the airport building. Cooperative officials waived customs inspection, and the excited travelers boarded chartered buses to
A Tropical Switzerland
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seas mingled with a fine cross-section of Guatemala's own people. At one end of the long hall on the platform there was a typical native hut of corn cane with thatched roof, and in front were colorful floral decorations. Around
The lilt of the marimba at Guatemala City's airport welcomes foreign delegates to the assembly
Sign on Biltmore Hotel, Guatemala City, bids arriving Witnesses "Welcome"
the main building and other lesser buildings of the Centro the peace and quiet of a pleasant park added to the delight of the conventioners.
The assembly's Rooming Department had quite a problem to care for the influx of visitors, not alone from other lands but from all across Guatemala, from Atlantic to Pacific. Rooms in homes and hotels were soon exhausted, and many who had come from remote parts of the country had little money to spend for accommodations, and at the same time would be easily bewildered by city travel. The solution: One of the clean, large auxiliary buildings of the Parque Centro America was set aside as a place for families to sleep on the floor in their own little groups, happy to be surrounded by scores of other such family groups who had come to this city to enjoy the
View of a volcano across beautiful Lake Atitlan.
glon. As the late afternoon approached we were glad to have sweaters and wraps along, for the air at these altitudes is distinctly brisk.
High up on the sides of hills we observed the coffee plantations, the coffee trees flourishing under the shade of taller trees that protect them from the full strength of the tropical sun. When the coffee berries ripen to a rich red, men and women and children will come and pick them by hand, readying them for transport to a coffee processing plant. We were told that in blossom time the mass of white flowers on the coffee trees sends forth a fragrance rivaling that of the orange grove
not far from Guatemala City
spiritual good things of the assembly. For some it was not at all unusual to sleep on a mat on the floor.
A Look at the Country
The features of Guatemala are almost as varied as the tribal groups it contains. In area the land is more than twice the size of Switzerland. There is a hot trople plain along the ocean where corn, cotton and cattle are the main products. Coffee plantations ascend well up the slope to an altitude of some 6,000 feet above sea level. At 5,000 feet there are passes that penetrate to the interior mountainous
in bloom.
In the upper highland regions of this tropical Switzerland the population is almost solidly Indian. Illiteracy is high, and Catholic tradition, admittedly mingled with preconquest paganism, enslaves the minds of the majority. However, it is in just such an area that Quetzaltenango, second city of Guatemala, is located, a place where there is now a flourishing congregation of Jehovah's witnesses. Even one of the Watch Tower Society's travelling representatives in Guatemala is one of these humble Maya Quiché people.
Fusion Religion in the Highlands
plateaus and alpine valleys that may reach an elevation of 10,000 feet, topped by volcanic peaks towering as high as 13,000 feet. In the temperate highlands, where the air is cool and invigorating, apples and fresh vegetables abound. The mountain slopes of this tropical Switzerland are usually covered with pine and other evergreens.
One of the tours arranged for visitors at the assembly took us up into those highlands to see beautiful Lake Atitlan, nestling in a ring of volcanoes. At a vhl-
of volcanoes. At a village along the way and at other little villages around the lake we had opportunity to see and mingle with gaily
had seen in Mexico of Indian religious practices had prepared us for anything to come. How wrong we were! What we came upon in Chichicastenango, another town of the Quiché territory, brought home to us how deep-rooted paganism is among the Catholic Indians of this whole region.
After a tortuous drive over dirt mountain roads we were happy to park our little automobile where traffic came to a standstill in the town. But why were the streets so crowded on this Sunday afternoon? Like carefree tourists we strolled down the crowded thoroughfare, quite unprepared for the shock that
dressed Indians in outdoor markets, where all sorts of strange fruits, vegetables and local handicrafts were changing hands. Some of our companions were heard remarking that they had not seen anything so beautiful since they had visited Switzerland, so impressed were they by the scenery in this re-
Visitor fascinated by scenes at village well in Guatemala
awaited us just around the corner. Before we realized it we were in the midst of a religious procession temporarily stalled as a large bus was forced to back down out of the way. Then the music started. In front of us rose the slow, booming tones of Indian drums. From behind came the shrill,
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nized in the smoke of the incense and of the thousands of candles and punctuated by the murmur of prayers in a language of strange origin, are an interesting mixture of paganism and catholicism."
All too soon we had to turn our backs on Chichicastenango and head toward Lake Atitlan, which we hoped to see before sunset. On the way we passed an Indian staggering down the middle of the dusty road, swinging his machete in long arches. According to the Indian idea, he must have been very close to the spirits of his ancestors. How long we will remember the sights and sounds of colorful and startling Chichicastenango!
Parading the image of Santo Tomás through the streets of Chichicastenango
corte声 of Helfike chirimba (pipes). Sollemn Indians in bright handmade garb, bearing incense holders and portable shrines, slowly shuffled down the street. Meantime we were cautiously backing out of the milling crowd and heading toward the Guatemalan Witness who accompanied us. Perhaps he could explain.
It seems that Chichicastenango is a focal point for worship by thousands of Indians in the adjacent mountains. They still maintain the pagan rituals Inherited from their ancestors. Down at Santo Tomás Church we
Other Facets of Guatemalan Life
The Spanish influence, as distinct from the Indian, is most noticeable at Antigua, the ancient capital, some twenty-five miles from Guatemala City. Back in 1773 severe earthquakes reduced much of this place to ruins. However, we could still see the typically Castilian homes surrounded by high walls and guarded by heavy wood doors, ornamented with brass grills and knockers, and often surmounted by a coat of arms. Churches and chapels, colleges and hospitals, though now mere shells, testify to the solid masonry employed in their construction. Once a bastion of Babylonish religion, Antigua now has a congregation of thirty-two of Jehovah's witnesses in addition to two
watched in amazement as they first approached a large burning brazier on the lower steps and burned copal so that the smoke might guide their prayers to the gods, just as their ancestors had done long before the Spaniards arrived. They crawl on their knees up into the church to light candles on the floor. Each candle supposedly represents the spirit of an ancestor, who serves as an intermediary in gaining them favor with the gods. Flower petals are placed around the candles to represent favors owed, and liquor is sprinkled on the petals. Food offerings are even made. And all of this paganism is conducted down the center aisle from the front door to the altar of the Catholic church, year in and year out. Reference to the liquor used in these core
full-time Watch Tower missionaries.
In its central plaza one could easily imagine himself to be in old Spain. The fountain still operates, and around the square are fine old buildings, some of them with arched balconies of the Spanish Renaissance era. In the heat
monies reminds us of something we were told: Many Indians believe that when drunk they are much closer to the immortal spirits of their dead. As if these pagan practices on the steps of and inside the Catholic church were not enough, many of these Indians go to the mountaintops to bring their grievances before ancient stone idols, feeling that these know more about righting wrongs than does the god worshiped in the Catholic shrine.
Concerning this fusion of pagan and Catholic ritual the Guatemala Tourist Bureau offers this observation: "The religious rites solemn
Cross-bearing priest blesses slaughter of native
judlans by the Spanish, as depicted in mural
in National Palace, Guatemala City
A cemetery where the dead are put in wall tombs but only for as long as payments continue
of the afternoon people sit in the shade of the plaza's trees and enjoy a siesta. Always there is a great number of vendors who suddenly come to life on the approach of anyone who looks like a tourist.
In Guatemala City itself we went around to see some of the unusual places and activities. For example, we visited a handweaving establishment where colorful designs are woven from memory by expert craftsmen. Then there is that unusual cemetery where, in great thick walls that rise some fifteen or twenty feet high, the remains of the dead are filed away in what look like the openings intended
for drawers in a filing cabinet. We were interested in knowing why some were empty. It seems that the first payment for care of the remains covers a period of five years. Then, if additional payments are not forthcoming, the cemetery authority removes the remains to a field. This opens the vault for another paying customer. Elsewhere in the same cemetery are the palatial chapels for housing the dead of the wealthier classes. On the religious "All Souls Day" Guatemalan Witnesses come here to offer comfort to mourning ones of all classes with the Bible's message of resurrection and life in God's new order.
Monuments of the Past
Guatemala abounds with archaeological sites where remains of a long gone civiliza
tion have come to light. One group of twenty-eight visiting Witnesses tell of their thrilling plane trip over mountains and tropical jungle to the Tikal ruins in the northern province of Petén. Imagine walking as they did around the huge pyramidal structures. Some of these structures are as high as a twenty-story building. From atop the highest the scene is one of jungle greenery stretching away as far as eye can see, broken here and there by the plastered tops of other Mayan edifices. Immediately below and all around, the ground is screened by tree branches festooned with vines.
The visitor cannot help meditating on what must have been here at one time—exactly when we do not know. Tens of thousands of laborers must have felled the trees, fashioned the heavy beams, dragged the heavy stones, mixed water and lime, hoisted materials higher and yet higher until the finishing touches were made. Then hundreds of artists were needed to paint beautiful designs on the inner walls of temples. Expert craftsmen were needed to execute the sculptures appearing on altars and monuments. What a teeming population there must have been! But now all is desolate and silent, and the few inhabitants today are made up of some chieferas, who collect the sap of the sapote tree for the chewing gum industry, and those who are in demand as laborers at the archaeological diggings.
The skill that produced those mighty monuments, as well as the pottery and the tiny carved objects of jade, wood and obsidian, is all of a high order. There must have been efficient organization. Great crops must have been grown to support a vast population. Yet no one today knows what became of the population, why they forsook their great ceremonial cities, or where their burial places are. Indeed, in this entire Tikal complex only a comparatively few skeletal remains have turned up. It may be that these mysteries will not be cleared up until resurrected Mayans tell their own story.
the Temple of the Giant
Jaguar, towers 155 feet out
Guatemala
Good News for Guatemalans
Guatemala thus has its mysteries. And it has its problems too—illiteracy, poverty and
Guatemalan Witnesses received the new Spanish-language book "Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God"
banditry. During the present uneasy situation, with Communist guerrillas active in a number of regions, those driving through the country are halted frequently at checkpoints along the routes. Describing the experience, one of our delegates said: "I saw the large ALTO (Stop) sign and two officers with rifles waving me to a halt. One got on each side of the car. The one on my side asked to see my personal papers and the documents authorizing me to have the car in the country. While he was reading them I glanced over at the other soldier, who looked rather nervous with his rifle in full view and his finger on the trigger. And if he was nervous, I can assure you, so was I! The papers in order, they made me open the trunk and glove compartment. Of course, there were no guns or grenades. When satisfied we were not guerrillas, they smiled and signaled me to proceed. I did, with pleasure and relief. But it would take a long time to get used to this kind of thing."
Yet, even with such difficulties in the land the growth of the Kingdom work in Guatemala is impressive. Since President N. H. Knorr of the Watch Tower Society first visited a few publishers here in 1944 there have been gratifying results from the labors of zealous missionaries and local Guatemalans. Indeed, during the past eight years the number of Witnesses in the country has doubled.
At this assembly the evidences of continuing increase were to be noted. After the speech on the subject "Responsibilities of a Baptized Witness," Friday, December 9, 102 Guatemalans signified their dedication to Jehovah God by submitting to immersion in water. In doing so they were, in effect,
saying to all observers, "We are determined to serve as faithful witnesses of Jehovah and his Kingdom as long as we have breath."
Sunday morning at ten o'clock the main public discourse of the assembly was presented by President Knorr. The audience of 2,475 (which exceeded by a thousand the number of Witnesses in Guatemala) gave rapt attention as the speech "Mankind's Millennium Under God's Kingdom" was interpreted to them. Prolonged applause indicated the appreciation of these eager listeners for the recital of thrilling prospects in store for lovers of God and righteousness in a New Order now near.
As we parted from our Guatemalan brothers and sisters, they assured us of the great encouragement and pleasure they had derived from the presence of so many visiting Witnesses in their midst, and we felt truly appreciative for the comparatively peaceful and easy conditions under which we can serve Jehovah in our respective home countries. Many of us had accompanied the Guatemalan Witnesses in the field ministry, preaching from house to house, and had observed the willingness of the people to listen to the Bible's message. But we had also observed the lack of education and the other problems that many of these humble people face. How easily now we shall be able to visualize the faithful work of our spiritual brothers in Guatemala as they patiently continue to search for sheeplike persons and "deliver them out of all the places to which they have been scattered"!—Ezek. 34:12.
Heavily loaded Indian woman receives assembly invitation from a Guatemalan Witness
El Salvador
A Gem of the Tropics
GAIN it was time to mount our great mechanical bird and take off into the clear blue skies of Middle America, winging our way over lofty mountains and deep valleys, on our way to San Salvador. Actual flight time from Guatemala City is only about thirty-five minutes, but minutes that are filled with awe and delight at the breathtaking grandeur of the changing scene far below.
When we touched down at the bright little airport on Sunday, December 11, the assembly of Jehovah's witnesses was already under way, having commenced the previous afternoon. The smiling faces and warm handshakes of Watch Tower missionaries and Salvadoran Witnesses welcomed us and we were swiftly transported to a modern hotel perched high on a hill overlooking the city. From the hotel entrance rose the majestic mass of a volcanic peak. It was extinct, we were assured, but well worth seeing, so we made mental note to arrange our affairs so as to examine it at much closer range.
First we were eager to get to the National Gymnasium where our spiritual brothers would be assembled. As we drove through the clean streets, passing gracious homes and gardens filled with tropical plants and multicolored flowers, we were surely impressed by the up-to-date look of the city. The Gymnasium, a large round concrete structure shaped like a covered bowl, was already humming with convention activity. Salvadoran Witnesses were anxious to greet us even though they knew no English and we little or no Spanish.
Between sessions it was a delight to chat with missionaries, be introduced to many with
whom they are conducting Bible studies, and, with a straw, slip the refreshing milk of the coconut through a small hole punched in its tough exterior.
Gems of Scenic Pleasure
the tropical park called "Los Chorros," featuring a deep glen carved by waterfalls through the surrounding rock formation. On huge stepping-stones that seem to be precariously floating in the stream we made our way upstream to a cavernous bowl into which water gushed from above in numerous streams.
El Salvador has been called "Gem of the Tropics," and provision had been made for us to view some of its scenic spots. One tour took us to
Chartered buses took us through rich farmlands where coffee and sugarcane dominated the scene—our destination, the beautiful Lake Coatepeque, the steep volcanic shoreline of which we had noted from the air. Were it not for the form of the shoreline it was difficult to believe that this peaceful, azure lake had at one time been the scene of a belching, steaming volcano. Along this lake's edge the Salvadoran Government maintains a beautiful park with furnished cabins that may be used without charge for several days after obtaining the appropriate permit. From this point our party boarded buses again and traveled upward through the green countryside to a point where we could get a rewarding view of the volcano Izalco in action. True, on this occasion the peak was releasing only lazy clouds of steam, but it was interesting to get so close to a live volcano.
Now we must go and see Boquerón. Yes, that is the volcanic peak that seems to rise practically from the vicinity of our hotel. It seems so near, yet a considerable time is required to negotiate the steep gravel road that approaches the summit by many twists and turns. The last few hundred yards must be made on foot up the rough trail, but what a view! Looking back we had a panoramic view
of San Salvador with its gleaming houses and its backdrop of verdant mountains. But wait till we reach the rim of Boquerón. What a strange sight meets our eager gaze! Here is a huge inverted cone, hollow, approximately a mile across at the rim and dipping steeply down to a depth of some 1,500 meters. And, strange to say, the sloping sides are clothed with lush undergrowth and trees, the color of which takes on a deeper shade where the sun's
AWAKE!
direct rays cannot reach. Gradually, as the eye becomes adjusted to the scene, the visitor can detect first one little house, then another, then others. Yes, away down those steep interior sides of this volcano people are living and raising crops on the rich volcanic soil. But how do they get down there and how do they bring out their crops to market? Ah, there are narrow paths that wind downward into the crater, in places ren-
Stone relics said to date back to 2000 B.C.E. bearing cross symbols. Dug up in
trived religious festivals were substituted for pagan festivals, frequently using the same rituals. Thus even today Salvadorans will practice the forms and ritual of their Indian forefathers in combination with those of the Roman Catholic Church. As one historian describes the religious situation in Middle America: "Especially in Indian towns the ceremonies of the Church appeared inseparable from the old pagan forms
dered safer by means of cable El Salvador stretched across the steeper and more dangerous spots. Do you wonder how it feels to be living in the crater of a volcano? These folks just conclude that, since nothing has happened in the last fifty years, why should anything happen in the next fifty years? Meantime they surely live a secluded life.
Then there was the "Museo Arqueológico," a small museum, but well laid out, and containing a number of intriguing pieces that have been dug up in El Salvador. One that catches the eye is a pottery bowl, probably once used for copal or incense. Strange shapes and figures have been sculptured around its exterior one of them a cross. When we asked
of idol worship. It may be safely said that in many communities in the [Spanish] colonies, the Roman Catholic religion had broken down and had become devoid of much of its European significance by grafting upon it many nonChristian practices."—Outline History of Latin America, Wilgus and d'Eca, published by Barnes and Noble Inc., New York, page 94.
Historian Santiago Barbarena, in his Historia Antigua de la Conquista de El Salvador (Ancient History of the Conquest of El Salvador), declares that the Indians already had a high priest or pope called Papahuaquin when the Spaniards arrived in America. The conquistadores found it difficult to account for this and many other similarities to their own re-
the curator the approximate date for the bowl. he told us it was probably 500 B.C.E. And other specimens are said to date back as far as 2000 B.C.E. So, even if this latter date is off a few hundred years, here we have the cross emblem in use some 3,000 years before the Spanish conquerors introduced their religious imagery to Middle America!
Religious Confusion
In El Salvador we encountered considerable evidence of the confusion of mind among the people with respect to religious worship. After four hundred and fifty years
religion. Later chroniclers purposely avoided use of this term in order not to confuse the Indian pope with the Roman pontiff.
Lack of accurate knowledge of Bible principles is reflected in many ways in the family and public life of the country. Trusted servants are difficult to find. Men worry about the safety
After four hundred and fifty years of effort at conversion of the people to Roman Catholicism, the majority know little or nothing about the Bible and God's purposes. Instead of making a clean break and a clear distinction between paganism and Christianity, Catholic policy was to throw down pagan temples and build their own on sites considered holy by the natives. Specially con- MARCH 8, 1967
The market comes to one's doorstep in San Salvador
of their wives and daughters if they go on errands or to school unaccompanied.
The 1964 edition of Anario Estadístico (Yearbook of Statistics) reports that more than 50 percent of all births in El Salvador are illegitimate. The religious confusion affords no restraint upon such a situation.
Real Gems in El Salvador
Bible knowledge, however, is reaching many people in this beautiful land. They are learning that opportunity for life in God's new order is open only to those who now conform their lives to the righteous standard of Jehovah God. They are happy to make the changes and associate with a clean organization in which people can trust one another and find honorable, peaceful fellowship in the service and worship of the true God, Jehovah. The depth of their appreciation is shown by the obstacles they will overcome in order to attend Bible-study meetings and further the interests of Kingdom preaching. One family, for example, has to cross three miles of lake in a dugout canoe to get to meetings. When the lake is low they wade through three miles of swamp instead, and this three times each week.
Getting to the assembly and enjoying all its sessions was no easy matter for some. One Salvadoran father of four children was determined to be there with his family even if he had to sacrifice his secular job. His employer, not normally lenient about such matters, gave his permission and then later tried to retract it. The Witness told him that in that case he would have to find another employee. The matter was reconsidered and the permission granted. Another Witness with a similar problem was advised by an acquaintance to lie about the purpose of her request for leave of absence. She refused to do this and was frank with her employer. He said: "That is why you are different from the others. You can have the five days off."
Branch Office of Watch Tower Society in San Salvador. Auditorium serves as a Kingdom Hall for local Witnesses
But, now, back to the Gymnasium and just in time for a meal in the assembly cafeteria. As we passed along the serving line, how interesting to observe the various items served: rice, then shrimp with ginger sauce, fresh watercress, fried bananas with sour cream, mashed beans fried crisp, tropical fruits, and finally tortillas or hot corn cakes!
After the fine meal some more happy fellowship with our spiritual brothers and sisters and then another session of the assembly program. This is the public lecture "Mankind's Millennium Under God's Kingdom," to be delivered in Spanish by the vice-president of the Watch Tower Society, F. W. Franz. There was an atmosphere of expectancy as the crowds came in and filled up row upon row of the concrete seating around the bowl. The total of 4,780 in attendance gave rapt attention and loudly applauded at the close of the session.
On Monday morning a goodly number turned out to hear the discussion on "Responsibilities
of a. Baptized Witness." One hundred and five persons rose to signify that they had dedicated their lives to the service of Jehovah God and were ready to submit to water immersion as public testimony of their decision. This is but another evidence of the rapid growth in the number of Jehovah's witnesses in this land. In the past ten years the number has more than doubled, and the attendance at this assembly's public discourse was four times the total number of Witnesses in all of El Salvador.
El Salvador truly has many honest-hearted persons who long for the righteousness of God's kingdom. It is with satisfaction that we reflected upon the fact that there are many capable missionaries and ministers of Jehovah's witnesses who are willing to lend them a hand to get on the road to life. Even some of the visitors from abroad to this assembly are wondering if they cannot somehow arrange their affairs to move to this land and join in bringing the message of the Kingdom to people who thirst and hunger for Bible truth.
AS WE were about to leave San Salvador's very modern airport, it was learned our plane was headed for San Pedro Sula in Honduras, where we would have to change to a smaller plane for the trip to Tegucigalpa, the capital of the country. This, then, was the start of our trip into this land that stretches from the Caribbean Sea on the north down to the Pacific Ocean on the south.
We were content, however, with this side trip to San Pedro Sula, even though it meant traveling more than three times the distance and took us four times as long, for it afforded a chance to see the northern part and coastal area of the country. As we descended to this low coastal plain we found ourselves flying over flat tropical land that is cut up by many rivers and streams. Much of this land has been cleared of tropical jungle and turned into banana plantations. The houses we saw from the air were all built on stilts because of the dangers from flooding. When our plane landed, the heat and humidity hit us especially hard because of our coming down from the cooler elevation of San Salvador. After a brief stop to change planes and to go through Immigration and Customs, we welcomed the invitation to board the plane and head for Tegucigalpa and its higher altitude.
The coastal plain of Honduras extends east of San Pedro Sula for many miles into the Mosquito territory, so named after the Indian
tribe of that area. In this jungle country they build houses out of mahogany because it is cheaper than pinewood. And it was along this coast of Honduras where Columbus touched land on his fourth voyage, in 1502.
"70 percent avoidable deaths," 70 percent of the people live in the primitive conditions of the rurals, 70 percent of the population are illiterate and 70 percent of the children are illegitimate.
A former president of Honduras described this land as "the country of the four 70s." (Time, May 19, 1961) He said this because of
It is the same story as told in many countries. Where Roman Catholicism has ruled with a high hand the people have suffered and in darkness have been held back from making progress. In the early sixteenth century, after securing their hold on Mexico, the Spanish successfully pressed their campaign of conquest into Honduras, bringing her people also under the heel of Rome. The countries that first rebelled against such clerical oppression were the first to begin making progress toward the light; countries less fortunate were slower in making the change.
Obviously, one of Honduras' greatest problems is the economic plight of her people. A poor people cannot be heavily taxed, and lack of tax money hinders a government from building schools and hospitals, paving roads and improving the living conditions of the people. For such reasons, it is argued by some, the national lottery is the best form of taxation. But, in reality, this is one of the curses of the country, for those that can least afford to gamble are the greatest victims.
What, then, is the solution to the problem of raising the living standard of the people of Honduras? Those who have little or no education, who live a very primitive life, who
have only the minimum amount of food, will, in turn, work for little or nothing more than their daily ration of food. It is such people who provide the manpower for the cultivation of the vast plantations of coffee, bananas, pineapples and cotton for which these Latin countries are famous. To change drastically the cost of labor in any one country would immediately price that country's produce out of the world market.
For example, if Honduras were suddenly to start paying the common laborer a minimum wage of 1.50 per hour, instead of perhaps1 per day, the people would, in turn, have more than ten times as much money to spend. They could live in nice homes and enjoy the finer things that a higher living standard affords, and at the same time be in a position to pay much higher taxes so that more schools and hospitals
55,000 acres are devoted to bananas, Honduras' most important crop
could be built. But just as suddenly as this was done the price of coffee, bananas, and so forth, would be raised to ten times their current prices in the American grocery store, and either the housewife there would buy one-tenth as much or would find a substitute altogether for the product. So just as suddenly as the Honduran coffee picker got a raise to ten times what he was earning, just that suddenly he would work only one-tenth as long, if indeed he had a job at all.
So it seems to be a vicious circle, this economic one, and one that is most difficult to break. The problem of raising the standard of
living of these people as a whole is far more than that of one or two countries here in Middle America. It becomes a world problem.
It is for these reasons that many men in authority are content with the status quo. If the native is given little education, not encouraged to raise his standard of living, he remains hopeless of having any more than his meager existence, does not
But changes for the better have been made in Honduras. It was a little slower in coming because it took longer for the country to free itself from the shackles of Church-State rule, and because of the frequent turmoil and insecurity caused by successive revolutions. Twenty years ago there were few paved roads in the capital, only one hotel and no high buildings.
quit his job to seek other employment, and the price of coffee and bananas on the lower east side of London or New York remains about the same.
Today the large towns here are like islands of prosperity in the midst of the land. International business interests and the constant flow of visiting tourists into the capital give Tegucigalpa a glitter of good times not seen in the country as a whole. Here are all the latest inventions of the twentieth century for sale—transistor radios, stereos, electric appliances of all kinds, some of the world's finest watches, imports from Europe, America and Japan—and at a price 50 to 100 percent more than their regular value. In this way the government seeks to protect the local currency and stop the flow of money out of the country. But this, in turn, tends to create a two-class society, the very rich and the very poor, those who can and those who cannot afford these finer things of life.
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