Petén Region 

Eduardo Marroquin knew instinctively the importance of teaching his children at an early age that God’s work of pointing people to Christ was the only work with eternal value. 

Beginning at age nine, Eduardo’s son David was first exposed to the difficulties of ministry work in the department (state) of Petén where Missionary Marvin Loyd served for ten years. It was a very difficult, dangerous, and untamed jungle area, but David Marroquin learned through the struggles and heartaches that ministry, although difficult, was worth it for the salvation of Guatemalans. 

But God didn’t stop there!

David remembers obstacles like the harrowing travel on deeply rutted or impossibly muddy roads. He also remembers river alligators and tigers roaming at night. The untamed jungle wilderness encountered by Marvin Loyd and those early ministry workers profoundly shaped David’s life and ministry and left a legacy of hard- working Guatemalans who prayed for the salvation of their communities.

San Andres, Petén

Fast forward to 2005 and Petén was still a very poor area with only scattered houses, but gradually new structures were built, then villages and finally churches were started. Brother Marvin had been retired for many years by that time, and his efforts to improve the area and plant churches were inspiring to a generation of ministry workers. 

One of those ministry workers was a young church planter, Oscar Monterosso, who is re-igniting the work there.

Bro. Oscar and his wife Jacqueline moved from Guatemala City (the capitol) to San Andres, Petén, eighteen years ago to revive churches. The BMA Guatemala property where they live was established by Brother Marvin. What used to be three training rooms for pastors and church planters is now the Monterosso’s home. There is also a church on the property that can be expanded to accommodate more people, and in time they hope to add a camp or Bible institute. 

While infrastructure has improved exponentially since nine-year-old David first traveled the dusty road to Petén, there is still work to be done. Oscar’s house has flooded several times, and the property’s un-level, flood-prone land requires dirt work, but the population is growing, businesses are moving in, and houses are being built. For the Monterossos, improvements bring people, and people bring opportunities for gospel conversations

In the same way that David Marroquin learned from the hard work of his father, Marvin Loyd, and other Petén ministry pioneers, Brother Oscar is doing the same as he disciples young men and women, some of whom have been neglected and abused. Jaqueline was never able to have children, which caused a deep, dark depression.

But again, God didn’t stop there!

They have unofficially “adopted” several young teenagers who call her “Mom.” 

La Libertad, Petén

Guatemalan pastors, church planters and congregations are becoming more willing to offer up talents and financial resources to their own churches, and the same is true of another Petén congregation in La Libertad. Brother Mauro was a church member there who had more financial resources than his peers. He first saw his role as encouraging members to build a new church on their own. So with great enthusiasm, they began.

Long before the work was complete, however, the pastor left and a replacement could not be found. As coordinator of the work in Petén, Brother Oscar prayed about a new pastor for the La Libertad congregation, and God led him to an unlikely man, Brother Mauro, who is decades older than the average new pastor. But with support and training from Oscar, he was ordained, and the church completed a beautiful place of worship for its large congregation.

But God didn’t stop there! 

The La Libertad church has helped establish what is now a thriving village because of its reputation for serving others. All three of Eduardo Marraquin’s children are ministry leaders and serve BMA Missions efforts in both Central America and the U.S. But again, God didn’t stop there! This family of ChangeMakers includes five grandchildren who serve the Lord alongside their parents.