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anymore. In the street I was member of a group of the \u201Cmaras\u201D gangs and committed a series of crimes with them. Nevertheless, everything changed in my life when I attended a group of the twelve. A friend invited me to participate and I began to attend. There I knew the love of other lads and the love of Jesus Christ who changed my life and gave me new meaning. After attending a retreat with members of my cell group I assumed the leadership of a group. Things began to change in my life.\u000AReligious conversion produced in lay people a change of religious conduct and of vision that helped them to transform aspects of life and way of thinking in order to face life. The case of this informant illustrates the possibility of transforming dangerous social conduct. The \u2018maras\u2019 who are gangs of violent young people, are a real problem for Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. According to newspaper reports thousands of young people from both poor as well as middle class families are involved in these gangs (Reynoso Prensa Libre August 17, 2003). It is the second factor affecting the increase of violation of women, robbery, violence and crimes in these countries. The policies that most of governments have imposed on these groups is to put them in jail with long sentences and in some cases they have even been object of \u2018social cleansing\u2019 (violent deaths).\u000AWithout leaving a side the structural problems of the country, the case of that informant shows the problems of many Guatemalan young people including lack of love and care from their parents. Analysts of this phenomenon in Guatemala, indicates that a key factor that feeds the growth of these gangs is \u2018family disintegration and the way society excludes them\u2019 (Reynoso Prensa Libre August 17, 2003).\u000AHe affirms that these young people of poor families and even of families of the middle-classes have not been treated as they should be and that their parents do not know what they do. The FGs become for many of these young people an extended family. According to the LDG pastors have managed to form family groups in dangerous areas where these gangs operate. They have formed among them communities that provide an experience of faith and brotherhood which helps many of these young people to change their lifestyle.\u000A 153\u000A