In 1960, civil war broke out in Guatemala. At a time in world history where major ideologies were competing for global influence, the country of Guatemala got caught in the middle. The result was a 36 year civil war that devastated the country. During the war between the Guerrillas and the Guatemalan Army, over 250,000 indigenous, non-military people were killed.

Millions of rural people were forced into hiding and driven out of their historic villages and homes. During the 1990’s, when the civil war was coming to an end, the indigenous people in the highlands of Guatemala either returned to historic devastated villages or established new communities. Beginning with nothing, they began to rebuild. 

XEO is one such newly established community in the highlands of Guatemala. In 1990, a few families re-settled this village on the side of a mountain. Initially they built their houses quite close to one another because they were still afraid of Guerrilla soldiers hiding in the mountains. We can only imagine the constant fear they lived in.

Over time and against great odds, XEO has grown to over 500 people. They have a school for K-8th graders that needs to be expanded to accommodate the 138 (as of 2019) children living in the village. Four Protestant churches are present in the community and one Catholic church. 

Although the community has come a long ways, they are in need of support to move out of the poverty they are in.