Guatemala

Back at the end of the 1970'a and early 1980's, I was a part of a user's group which governed the Hewlett-Packard 3000 series of computers.  I had known both, Hewett and Packard, quite well before this, so had some insight into HP thinking and direction.

At one of the BIG conferences, down in Portland, I crossed paths with Alfredo Rego.

At the time, he was the owner of a firm in Guatemala City.  He apparently came up scouting for talent.  By the end of the conference he had made me a substantial offer, about 5 times what I was currently making and tax free to boot!  :)  Total temptation!

But, I would have to relocate to Guatemala.  And, I was side tracked setting up the computers for my father's firm.  I could still do this from there, though a bit more travel would be required!  And, I was in the middle of buy several thousand acres in Australia for a new opal mine.  So, I prayed concerning this - really wanting to!  But, by the very next day, Guatemala City was flattened by a major earthquake!  I took that as a "NO!".

Alfredo was a bit bummed but did check-in with me for several years to try and get me to come down.  I just did not think it "right", in the face of what I knew.  Though I had no idea as to why.  Now one of the ladies, Star, in my Bible Study group, felt led to go checkout Guatemala as a missionary.  And all I can say is that her letters to me in no way matched the nightly news!  Having no other recourse, we prayed a great deal for her!

So, this morning, I was sitting and watching a documentary while nursing my tea.  It was on the 36 year Civil War Guatemala had survived.  (Civil War is a bit of a misnomer! The government declared war on the modern descendants of the Maya Indians!

It now is estimated that death squads were driving around the countryside and randomly herding Maya peoples and anyone with the Maya up and shooting them!  What the heck is wrong with our news service that there was never even a hint of this!?!?!?!?!?  Of course, American news reports were busy trashing Reagan for getting involved with Costa Rica and the problem of overthrowing Nicaragua!  It is believed that 200,000 have gone missing in Guatemala, assumed now to be in  mass graves!

I am stunned!

The show went on in they went about finding the mass graves, recovered the bodies and set about identifying the victims and then re-buried them!  I was a very good program.  And Star's letters suddenly made much more sense.

Evil truly is real in this world.  It just amazes me!

But, the real question is: will anyone be found culpable and ever face trial?
Something new to pray for!

As for Star, she was captured in a high publicity raid to grab arms smugglers.  Lower news coverage and they probably would have just  shot her.  As it was, they deported her.  And probably shot everyone else in that village!
Yeah, not real nice people and a very stupid star!
She forgot she is representing God - not Remington Arms Corp!

And, the opal mine ended up a bust!
Fastest way to lose 57 million I have ever seen!
Yeah, in a place where it never rained in recorded history, it rained!
Two of my friend, who were doing chip samples acrss the area had to be helicoptered out!
Yeah, lots of water!
In fact I now own the largest fresh water lake bottom in Australia!
Australia was kind enough to let me know that I was expected to continue paying taxes on a lake bottom.
Of course, Australia was kind enough to let me know that they now owned the fresh water lake!
I only had the bottom of the lake!
And it was all on my property!

Such a disastrous year that was!