Join us in: Guatemala

DATE: 9/30 - 10/07.

ESTIMATED COST: $1,200 (less airfare)

OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

This service trip focuses accessing the needs ASELSI has and how we can best support them through yearly trips. We will also be taking part in one of their many ministry opportunities such as -

- Teaching and preaching 

- Construction projects

- Working in the clinic 

- Making a toy with mothers for their babies in the Milk Program

We will also have the opportunity to:

• Touring the local area 
• Touring Guatemala City or Antigua.

EXAMPLE SCHEDULE

Saturday: Flight arrives

Staff meets team at the airport and takes them for a meal and lodging.
Lodging in Guatemala City based on the team’s Budget.

Sunday: 

- Breakfast
- Travel to Chichicastenango ( can take from 3-5 hours, depending on weather, traffic, road conditions)
- Lunch at ASELSI with brief orientation. We have a Hospitality House with 2 dorm style rooms  and one private room, small kitchen and living room. Sleeps 18.
- Time to visit the market in Chichi
- Supper in town
- Visit a local church service (all are in the evening due to the market in the daytime)

Monday:

- Breakfast by the cooks
- Full orientation and tour
- Coffee break

Options for the team:

- Help in the clinic: Drs, nurses, count pills in pharmacy, pray with patients. We have a portable dental set up for cleaning, extracting and filling teeth. Therapists and teachers can work in our programs for special needs children.

- Construction Project: At ASELSI campus or in the community. Our social services and projects director has a list of people requesting new tin roofs, simple houses, latrines, etc. The projects are based on the team’s funding and abilities

- Home visits: bringing a basket of food to a family in need. Praying with them.

- English or hygiene teaching at a local school.

- Training of local pastors and leaders

- Training for the local health care personnel

- Sports programs with local youth

- Evening youth group activities with a local church

- VBS if during the fall months (School is in session from January through mid October)

- Some teams choose to go to a village a few hours away, sleep on camping cots in a church and do medical clinics or construction projects. 

- Any other activities. We have had some firemen train the local firemen in rescue. Some have sponsored conferences for pastors and leaders. Some have trained teachers.

Tuesday – Friday afternoon

- Continue with whatever ministry the team has chosen.
On site we have:

- General medical clinic staffed by 2 Guatemalan doctors, 2 professional nurses, several aids. - - General clinic is on Mondays and Thursdays. Within the clinic:

- Ultrasound for pregnant women

- Nutritional program for babies through 2 years old

- Well baby clinic

- Pharmacy 

- Therapy services

- Monday evals

- Tuesday and Wednesday therapy by appointment with locally trained aides

- Classes Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for special needs children.

- Bible Institute: EBA (Estudios Biblicos ASELSI)

- Local classes meet on our campus on Saturdays

- We have extensions in various parts of Guatemala that meet during the week. Some teams visit the extensions to teach.

- We also offer on line classes.

Friday's a team can choose to spend the day in either Antigua or Panajachel, as a tourist day. Or they can continue with their projects at ASELSI and leave for Guatemala City in the afternoon. Due to possible difficulties with the roads, we always recommend spending the night on Friday in Antigua or Guatemala City. Teams fly out on Saturday. 

More information from ASELSI - 

ASELSI stands for Association Equipping the Saints International. Our goal with teams is to equip the local churches, and send teams home better equipped to serve in their local churches. Each schedule is tailored to the team member’s gifts, talents, interests, etc. We want to encourage our teams to interact as much as possible with our Guatemalan staff and the community people they are serving, believing that relationships are the most important part of the visit. We take care of every detail from the time the team walks out of the airport until we drop them at the airport. Teams usually come Saturday to Saturday, but we are currently evaluating this. Flights seem to be much cheaper during the week. Our budgets for the week are based on the team’s desires. We have options for food and lodging in Guatemala City on the arrival and departure days, based on the team’s desire. (seminary dorm vs 4 star hotel and fast food vs nice restaurants). We provide translators. Most of the people we serve have the Mayan language as their first language. We encourage teams to try to learn some Spanish. Very few here speak English. Chichicastenango is over 95% Mayan and most people live in one room adobe houses with tin roofs and dirt floors.

SUPPLY LIST

What to Bring

Everyone: Lightweight jacket, sweatshirt, good shoes & raingear are must haves

• (shorts ONLY to be worn for soccer—long shorts-- or in your room)
• Hat for the sun.

Men:

• Jeans for working, slacks for church and other activities, depending on your
• schedule.
• Casual shirts
• Collared shirt and a tie if you will be preaching in church
• Work boots for construction
• Swim trunks if staying at a hotel with a pool
• Warm nightwear

Women:

• Skirts or dresses below the knee (for church, and other ministry activities)
• Pants/Slacks /sweats (no shorts)
• Comfortable tops (no tank tops or sleeveless tops)
• Swimsuit, one-piece please, if staying at a hotel with a pool
• Jeans for working
• Work boots for construction
• Modest (and warm) nightwear

Personal items

• Your Bible – (can be on your phone)
• A copy of the main page of your passport - carry separately from your original
• Prescription meds or over-the-counter meds that you use or might need.
• Toiletries (small shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc)
• Refillable water bottle
• Phone charger
• Insect repellent
•  Sunscreen – you will be closer to the sun and will burn easier
• Sunglasses
• Eye care supplies for contact lenses
• Spending money - most good shoppers can spend $100 or more without too
• much effort! (No Travelers Checks. We’ve had problems cashing them here.)
• Photos from home to share
• Extra batteries for anything battery-operated
• Kotex, tampons – (tampons are difficult to find here.)
• Favorite snacks, if you have dietary restrictions
• Hairdryer (current is the same as the States)
• Antibacterial hand cleanser to carry with you
• Dramamine, if you get car sick (This is not available in Guatemala)
• Flashlight
• Small notebook to keep a journal
• Leave your good jewelry at home!

HEALTH & SAFETY

Helping Hands International recommends you follow those health and safety recommendations readily published by the CDC and Travel Alert program offered by the US State Department, as well as those recommended by your personal physician.   COVID-19 testing varies by Country and may be necessary before this trip departure and before returning to the USA.  Please note, if you take prescription medicines, please check with your local pharmacist to ensure the medicines are not considered a controlled substance in the location you are traveling.  Finally, please be sure to read HHI's COVID-19 policy, and Consent to Leave the Country (for minors) form, requirements below. 

PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

Please be sure to read specific passport and visa requirements listed here, per the U.S. State Department.