Every day is full. We typically start with breakfast between 7-8am and go hard all day long. There will be a variety of humanitarian projects and experiences, adventure, culture, and team building. You will be tired at the end of each day. We go-go-go!
On family trips, there is no age minimum. We feel like you know your child better than we do, but they need to be adaptable and flexible and able to handle long days, or you need to be willing to help them and stay back with them.
On Teen trip they need to be 14 and older. If a parent is a chaperone there may be an exemption, please reach out if you have questions.
The deposit is nonrefundable, and it is $300.
No, the deposit is not refundable. Our trips fill quickly and in order to save your spot, you need to be committed enough to pay a nonrefundable deposit. We understand circumstances change, and unexpected things happen and this can be difficult, so we offer a refund from your remaining balance if done 6 weeks before the trip or sooner, but the $300 deposit is nonrefundable.
Due to requirements ever-changing with COVID, we strongly encourage that you stay up to date on the current requirements. As far as other vaccinations, nothing is required, but there are recommendations from the CDC https://www.cdc.gov/. We know people that aren’t vaccinated that have traveled to Guatemala and some that got every vaccination suggested, the choice is yours.
Yes!
You don’t need to do anything prior to arriving. They will stamp your passport with a 3 month visa. You won’t even know it happened.
No, we will have interpreters that will help with communication. If you do speak Spanish, please let us know!
We do not cater to picky eaters, so make sure you bring plenty of snacks. With a large group, we will have 2-3 options for most meals, but in order to have the food ready so it doesn’t take all day, options are limited.
Please advise us of your allergy/medical condition and we will let you know if we can accommodate you. When at all possible, we try to accommodate allergies/medical conditions.
Yes! You are welcome to purchase the flight that best suits your needs. We will let you know when our drivers will be picking the group up and you can arrange your flights accordingly, and arrange an extra hotel stay if needed.
Yes! We did the same and it was an incredible experience for them. First, get the word out that they are earning money to go to Guatemala on a mission trip and let people know what they are willing to do. Social media is a great place to get the word out. Some specific ideas for fundraising are, yard work, house cleaning, watching pets, house sitting, babysitting, bake sales, lemonade stands, garage sales, walking dogs, or asking for sponsors from friends and family or businesses. Many people want to be a part of something like this, but not everyone can go, so allowing others to help monetarily is a blessing for many.
We had the same reservations and concerns, but God truly opened doors. If you feel like you should go, but it doesn’t make sense on paper, ask God to open doors and He will. If you want to go, but it doesn’t feel quite right, start saving and preparing and you will know when it’s the right time for your family.
All of our humanitarian work is aimed to help them to help themselves. We focus on basic life-changing things that will empower them. If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. We are very careful not to come in and “save the day” or bring an abundance of donations to just give. That can cause unhealthy dependence or jealousy in the community. It can also ruin the economy for those working so hard to run a business. We work with locals to find out the needs of the villages and communities and our humanitarian work always revolves around education, health, and inspiring our team and those we serve to live their mission. Some examples are:
1. Helping them become sufficient with food - food towers, chicken coops, etc
2. Helping provide safe water and sufficient water for families and communities.
3. Shelter/Home repairs
4. Ventilation/Cooking improvement in the home - many cook with fires in their homes that have no Ventilation
5. Installing solar panels for families without light
6. Providing Mental and Physical Health Kits and support
7. Teaching and helping in the schools
8. Teaching adult education classes
9. Donating Angel Gowns to communities and hospitals
Yes! It is uphill for 5 miles to base camp, with an additional 1 mile to summit in the morning if you choose. You start at about 8,000ft elevation and end at about 13,000ft elevation. It’s not for the faint of heart, BUT it is so worth it! You get to see an active volcano erupt if the weather and volcano cooperate. It’s incredible!! One of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for most. For family trips, there is an option to pay extra for a horse to ride up the volcano to base camp. This is not an option for Teen Trips unless there are extenuating circumstances that we have discussed. The horse is about $100 extra.
We will get a team email going about 3 months before your trip to help everyone prepare and answer your questions.
That is completely up to you. You can purchase them early if you find a good deal, or for peace of mind, or you can purchase them after we meet as a team. Whatever is best for you is great!
We will send out a packing list with everything we recommend you pack.