Guatemala Mission Trip
"During our week of service with Mission Guatemala, we began construction on a new school kitchen in San Andres, and we built three garden beds in the abandoned pool at the River House. The River House is where work teams stay and the executive director lives with his family. It was an amazing experience."
Destination: Panajachel, Guatemala
Panajachel (often called "Pana") is a town of 15,000 inhabitants located in the southwestern Guatemalan highlands on the northeast shore of Lake Atitlan, about a three-hour drive from Guatemala City. It sits at an elevation of 5240 ft. This was the fourth Mission Work Team from MSUMC to visit Guatemala. Earlier visits were in 2016, 2018, and 2022.
Trip Sponsor: Mission Guatemala
Mission Guatemala Inc. was founded in 2009 by Tom Heaton, a United Methodist pastor who has supported the needs of the poor of Guatemala since 2000. In the spring of 2010, Mission Guatemala located a mission site in the community of San Andrés Semetebaj. It began the needed renovations to open a medical office, preschool/nutrition center, and dental office. Though their services have expanded over the years and staff has grown, their core mission has remained the same – partnering with local communities and schools to positively impact the areas of health, nutrition, and education in the communities of San Andrés Semetebaj and beyond.
This was the fourth team from MSUMC to visit Guatemala since 2016, with previous groups having had memorable, rewarding, and fun experiences.
The Work: Light construction
Past groups have worked on construction of a school kitchen, a ramp/walk to an administration building, a school play area, and general improvements to Mission Guatemala facilities. Tasks have included painting, concrete mixing and pouring, block laying, wall demolition, brick cleaning, rebar forming, etc.
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Our Typical Day Included:
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Breakfast Together
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Travel to the worksite
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Lunch at the worksite
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Leave the worksite between 4-5 pm
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Dinner together
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Evenings are free for group activities or individual time
Although construction activities are the tangible goals of the trip, the really crucial tasks are interacting with the local people and sharing our faith as well as our resources
A work team from Meridian Street traveled to Guatemala in the fall of 2024 to work with Mission Guatemala, an organization supporting the needs of the country's poor since 2000. The group served many while they engaged in “light construction” activities.