Reporters on the Job

• Latin American Model: Staff writer Sara Miller Llana was inspired by the lives of many of those people she met while reporting her three-part series "Latin America's New Gospel."

In Guatemala, she interviewed Doris Cuxun, an unwed mother at age 16 who was told by her mother and many in her family that she would never amount to anything. She was admonished that her dreams were "too big." Today, she credits her church for helping her start a beauty salon (see story).

While at Doris's house, Sara met many of the people that had given Doris little or no support. "They all live in the home that she built, and to this day she foots most of the expenses. Yet, she carries no resentment," says Sara. "She told me that her capacity to forgive comes from God. Regardless of my beliefs, she is definitely a model to follow."

– David Clark Scott

World editor

• MONDAY, DEC. 17: Moscow – The pro-Kremlin party, United Russia, holds congress to choose presidential candidate.

• TUESDAY, DEC. 18: Dusseldorf, Germany – Trial of one of main suspects in last year's failed train bombings.

• WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19: Seoul, South Korea – Presidential election. Conservative Lee Myung Bak, a former mayor of Seoul, is the front-runner.

• FRIDAY, DEC. 21: Heringsdorf, Germany – Border controls are removed between Germany and neighboring Poland and Czech Republic.

• SUNDAY, DEC. 23: Tashkent, Uzbekistan – Presidential election.

– Associated Press