‘Strong in Cobán’: Stories of Faith From the Cobán Guatemala Temple Dedication

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By Trent Toone, Church News

On June 9, a calm Sunday morning with blue skies and white clouds, President Mario Chocooj of the Cobán Guatemala Stake smiled as he escorted his father, Julián Chocooj, to the Cobán Guatemala Temple dedication.

For the stake president, the new house of the Lord was a “miracle.”

“It’s an answer to the desires, the actions and the prayer of many pioneers that had the faith that there would be miracles most of them would never see but that future generations would see,” he said in Spanish. “The temple in Cobán will be a refuge for everyone to come closer to Him.”

President Chocooj and his father were just two of many Latter-day Saints who attended the temple dedication, with tender feelings and meaningful experiences stirring their hearts on that special occasion.

‘Strong in Cobán’

In his more than 40 years as a Latter-day Saint, President Mario Chocooj said he has witnessed many miracles personally and in the Church.

In 1985, when he was a young boy, his father was fond of drinking alcohol in part because it was a cultural tradition. But his family was loved by a Latter-day Saint neighbor who introduced them to the Church and sent the missionaries. One by one, each member of his family was taught and baptized. Julián Chocooj, the father, later served as a branch president.

President Mario Chocooj said he gained a testimony at age 12, participated in seminary and served a mission in Nicaragua from 1999 to 2001. “I learned to walk by the hand of the Lord,” he said.

In 2013, he drank some poison by accident and knew he was going to die. He credits his survival and healing to a priesthood blessing he received from his older brother. Two years later, he was called to serve as a bishop.

As he continued to reflect on his life and the events leading to the temple dedication, President Chocooj expressed gratitude for the early members who faced opposition and walked long distances to attend Church meetings.

“The example of those pioneers and their faith has blessed future generations,” he said.

One example was his mother. After she died of cancer in August 2021, a neighbor told him a story he hadn’t heard before.

Out of work, the neighbor said her family hadn’t eaten in days when a starving son began asking for chicken soup. Unable to feed her son, the neighbor, who was ashamed to ask for help, went to a quiet corner of the house and cried. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. She dried her tears and opened the door to find President Chocooj’s mother standing there. “This morning I made some chicken soup, and I felt like I needed to bring you some,” his mother said.

“How did she know?” the neighbor said.

There are many stories of faith and service like that among the Latter-day Saint pioneers of Cobán, President Chocooj said.

“That’s what makes the Church strong in Cobán — the faith of the members,” he said.

‘God Knows Me, God Knows Them’

From 2003 to 2005, Michael Peck served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Guatemala Guatemala City North Mission. His first area was the city of Cobán, a five-hour drive north of Guatemala City.

Early in his mission, the native of Sandy, Utah, and his companion met a family that primarily spoke Q’eqchi’, a Mayan language spoken by hundreds of thousands in the remote highlands and Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala. Communication in Spanish was limited, so the missionaries asked a local member who spoke Q’eqchi’ to interpret for them. Occasionally another missionary who knew the language would assist when available.

Peck eventually grew tired of the interpreter routine and informed his mission president he wanted to learn Q’eqchi’ and serve in the villages where it was spoken. His mission president agreed.

Resources were limited, but one companion knew the language, and Peck found a Q’eqchi’ grammar book written in Spanish. Peck also used limited study time each day to practice reading, writing, speaking and listening to the new language.

Within three months, he could communicate the missionary lessons, but understanding the language was still a challenge for some time. He eventually became fluent, and the reaction of the people when they heard him speak was evident.

“It’s always a huge surprise for them to see somebody from the United States speaking Q’eqchi’,” he said. “It’s the last thing they expect, so it brings a smile to their face, it warms their heart, and suddenly it’s really easy to be friends.”

After his mission, Peck was invited to be a member of the Church’s translation team for the updated translation of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, a project that lasted several years. During the course of that project, he was hired full-time in the Church’s Translation Department, where he continued to work on Q’eqchi’ translations for manuals, the hymn book and Children’s Song Book. He has also translated in Q’eqchi’ for general conference.

Two decades after his mission, Peck was honored to return to Guatemala and serve as an interpreter at the dedication of the Cobán Guatemala Temple on June 9. He encouraged missionaries who learn a language to not let those skills fade, because the Lord will have uses for it in the future.

“What it means to me is God knows me and God knows them,” he said. “As a missionary, you think you’re just going to learn the language and use it on your mission. But then certain promptings come throughout your life that make you feel like you need to keep at it and keep yourself available. Then things like the Cobán temple and the invitation to interpret come up, and you realize the Lord has had me in mind and He’s had these people in mind. It’s gratifying to know that I followed some of those promptings and that the Lord has really been at the head of it all.”

Sharing the Gospel in Q’eqchi’

Today more Latter-day Saint missionaries in the Guatemala Cobán/Belize Mission are learning multiple languages.

According to President Jorge Alvarado, North American missionaries spend the first half of their mission learning Spanish and the second half learning Q’eqchi’. Latin American missionaries learn Q’eqchi’ and then English. In some cases, missionaries are learning Spanish and Q’eqchi’ at the same time. Language classes are taught by advanced missionaries and senior missionary couples.

“We have good examples of missionaries who have already learned or are progressing very well in Q’eqchi’ and English,” the mission president said.

In September 2023, two American missionaries had a conversation with a local community leader in Q’eqchi’ that was shared on social media and featured on the Church’s website. The community leader, Mayor Windter Coc of San Pedro Carchá in the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala, was impressed and invited the elders to his home for a meal with his family.

“These missionaries, friends of ours, are extraordinary and are a great example of how to learn a new language and speak it with confidence,” the mayor said.

‘Witnessing the Lord’s Work’

Peck wasn’t the only former missionary who returned to Cobán for the temple dedication.

Sola Malaga, of Samoa and West Valley, Utah, was there with his 10-year-old son, Aiden, and accompanied by Ty Taylor, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Jon Christensen, of Shelley, Idaho. More than 15 years earlier the trio had served in Cobán as part of the Guatemala Guatemala City North Mission. A warm feeling filled their hearts as they stood together on the temple grounds.

“We are so grateful to have the opportunity to witness the Lord’s work among the people here in Alta Verapaz,” Malaga said.

Christensen said he still thinks about his mission every day. “We’ve had a few members talk about the work that was done before and tell us thank you for the work that we did so long ago and how it has made a difference. It is impactful to me.”

Taylor agreed. “When you give so much of your energy and love to somebody, especially this wonderful people, it’s hard to forget them. You love them so much that you hope they have success in life and in the gospel. So it’s beautiful to see the gospel thriving here.”

‘A Sign of His Love for Them’

Carmen McPeek, a native of Guatemala and Latter-day Saint convert, also served as a missionary in Cobán many years ago. Along with her love for the area and its people, she returned for the dedication as an interpreter.

As a young girl, McPeek loved learning but lived in a culture where education was not a high priority for women.

“I wanted to speak English and travel the world. I wanted to be a translator, even though I had no idea what a translator was,” she said. “Looking back, I realized it was Heavenly Father who was putting ideas and dreams in my head to give me hope.”

Determined, McPeek began learning English vocabulary by studying an old dictionary.

At age 14, she found employment at a farm where she worked every day from 5 a.m. until noon to pay her own tuition at a private school. The school work was intense and McPeek estimates she only slept a few hours each night for three years. Along the way, several people said discouraging things like she was wasting her time and that she would never use English.

McPeek’s sacrifice was validated when she graduated at the top of her class.

At age 19, she met Latter-day Saint missionaries and learned she was the daughter of a loving Heavenly father, a truth that changed her life. She was the only member of her family to accept the gospel and a year later left on a mission and served primarily in the Cobán area. During a difficult period of her mission, McPeek says she had a spiritual dream about a future temple in Cobán that helped her know she was making a difference.

“I feel like Heavenly Father was saying, ‘You are preparing at least one person to be there one day,’” she said.

Following her mission, McPeek continued her education at Brigham Young University. She volunteered as an interpreter at the Provo Missionary Training Center, where she showed her talents and became an interpreter at the Conference Center. Today she works for the Church as a global interpretation manager.

McPeek was interpreting during the session of October 2019 general conference when Cobán, Guatemala, was announced as a new location for a house of the Lord.

“This temple, to me, is a miracle and a historic moment because of the people it is going to serve,” she said. “I have a testimony that they are very special to Heavenly Father and this temple is a sign of His love for them.”

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