We welcome you to join us on a Central American mission to bring aid to needy people of Guatemala. The Dreamer Center for Community Development works hand in hand to improve the living conditions of the poorest families in Guatemala. God’s Child Project in Antigua along with Mayan Families in Lake Atitlan area in Panajachel Guatemala.
Among our projects to visit are the Dreamer Center for Community Development, enjoy an informal picnic with the children and their families. Volunteer in their center.
Enjoy cuddling and helping to take care of the babies at their new Baby Hospital. Along with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Meet the Mayan people of Guatemala and their most precious ancient customs while enjoying the most beautiful Lake Atitlan in the South, nestled between volcano’s and mountains.
God’s Child Project www.godschildproject.org is a non-profit charity based in Antigua Guatemala. And Mayan Families is a non-profit based organization based in Panajachel. More information is available at www.mayanfamilies.org.
Here is a video highlighting our projects there
To Participate in a Mission:
- Please fill in this registration form. It asks you to make a $200 donation to the mission.
- You must be also an Airline Ambassador Member.
- If necessary, please renew your membership or join Airline Ambassadors in our Membership Section.
- Each participant will be required to sign a Release Form prior to the trip. Please download your Release Form and return it to us.
Marie Rivard is the mission leader for this mission and see this letter from her:
Welcome to each of you and thanks for your interest in helping children and families in Guatemala!
We will each pay for our own costs but we ask that each participant make a donation of $200 (use the form linked above)
Each mission participant will pay a tax deductible $200 in advance to Airline Ambassadors which covers the following;
Transportation from Guatemala City to Panajachel on March 27th and from Pana to Antigua on March 30th and from Antigua to the Hilton Garden Inn Guatemala City on March 31st, the last day.
Transportation costs to Mayan Families projects while in Panajachel, services of translators and Mayan Families staff on visits to Mayan Families projects.
Donations for Industrial Washing machine for Casa Jackson.
Appliances for the The Scheel Center.
Food basket for student’s family at the San Antonio Preschool.
Guatemala Mission Itinerary
Day 1 Sunday, March 26th
Fly to Guatemala & meet all participants at airport. If people arrive early they may take the shuttle onto the Hilton Garden Inn. Rooms are in my name, Marie Rivard.
Day 2 Monday, March 27th
Breakfast at Hotel. Pick up at 9-9:30 am to drive to Panajachel, on Lake Atitlan, arrive in Panajachel around 1:00pm.
Hotel Posada de los Volcanes Lake Atitlan Check In.
www.posadadelosvolcanes.com and have a late lunch DT Pana At Deli Lama.
Tour of Mayan Families facility, Preschool and Sewing Center on site.
Go back to Hotel Prepare donations.
101 Hygiene Kits for the Elderly Center.
And prepare for 46 students at the San Antonio Preschool.
Dinner DT Panajachel
Relax and see the sunset on Lake Atitlan at Sunsets Café.
Day 3 Tuesday, March 28th
Breakfast at Hotel
Travel to San Jorge where Elderly Center is. Hand out 70 Hygiene Kits and help pass out lunch meals to the Elderly. There are another 31 Elders at another Center in San Jorge, we would like to include them also. Mayan families will distribute them.
This is the only meal they get daily. They receive it Monday through Friday. Many have been abandoned by their families because they cannot afford to feed them.
They are now feeding orphans at the Center. I can’t wait to meet them.
Spend time with the Elders and the Orphan’s.
Dinner in Panajachel
Day 4 Wednesday, March 29th
Breakfast at hotel
Ride to San Antonio Nutrition Center and Preschool
Deliver donations. Set up the Angel of Hope.
Distribute Angels of Hope T-Shirts to all children.
Do a Teeth Brushing class.
Visit a Preschooler’s home and deliver a food basket!
30 days worth of food for a family.
This Preschool will be supported as an on-going sustainable project with AAI.
We will support them early in the year with January missions to distribute school backpacks, school supplies and hopefully sponsorships.
On-going building project to help serve more children through time. And on future missions we can choose the most needy of families to donate the food baskets.
Feel free to donate an extra food basket to a needy family. $40
Day 5 Thursday, March 30th
Breakfast at Hotel
9-9:30am Travel to Antigua … 2 hours
When we arrive in Antigua, we will check into
Casa Buena Vista Hotel www.casabuenavista.com
Late Lunch at Cacao Museo in Centro Park Square.
We will walk to The Dreamer Center, “La Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados”.
Four blocks down the Road To San Felipe!
Tour facility and projects. Tour of Casa Jackson Baby Hospital for mal-nourished babies. See Industrial Washer.
We may go to the store and purchase small appliance if not already done.
Play with and Help with the babies.
There were two other participants, Summer and her son Brock, Flight Attendant with AA, they could not make our dates so they will go ahead of time (March 17th-21st) to distribute 6 – 50 lb. bags of baby formula.
This is an on-going program AAI will support. We are hoping to support supplements for a Casa Jackson feeding program with FMSC Manna Packs and Potato W Super Nutritious Food for starving children by sending containers of food supplements to La Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados and Mayan Families to share in their projects.
We have been invited to Dinner with “The Dreamer Center” to celebrate the Casa Jackson opening.
Day 6 Friday, March 31th
Pick up at 9:30am for ride to The Scheel Center, (School for street children)
Deliver guitar and recorder.
Distribute appliances, activities and games with the children, help serve lunch.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at La Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados
Around 6pm, we will go back to Guatemala City and stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Day 5 Saturday, April 1st
Breakfast at Hotel, Fly home.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or special needs.
Please click on attached links where you can read information on the non-profits and projects we are visiting.
Trip Costs
Hotel Costs:
Hotel costs are paid individually by each mission participant:
With the exception of the Hilton Garden Inn: Guatemala City, Guatemala
I am employed by the Hilton Mpls, MN.
I get a special rate. The rates are different for each room. They range in price from $45 to $110. I am splitting the total room fee by 7 participants on March 26th, which will be $40 each.
March 31st I will split the rate by 6 so that will be $45 each.
Thank You I appreciate that!
And both of those nights we will have to share a room with another participant. Susan and her daughter will share a room. Lori and myself will share a room and so it is up to Karen, Mimi or Beth to share a room.
I have booked 4 rooms the first night and 3 rooms the last night.
All rooms booked are double beds.
This is the only time we will have to share a room on this mission.
I do try to make it as in expensive as possible for everyone!
Hotel Posadas de los Valcanos – 3 nights X $45 (single room) includes tax, resort fees and breakfast $135 (credit cards not accepted at this Hotel so please bring cash)
Hotel Casa Buena Vista – 1 nights X $60 (single room) includes tax, resort fee and breakfast.
$80 (double room) includes tax, resort fee and breakfast.
Takes credit cards and cash.
Hotels will include 1 bottle of water per day.
At the projects in Antigua you may fill up your bottles from their filtered water bubblers.
*Optional add-on packages for area sightseeing available through Mayan Families.
Additional Costs during trip: $200 Mandatory Tax deductible donation ( made by clicking this LINK)
Each mission participant will pay $200 in advance to be used for :
Transportation from Guatemala City to Panajachel on March 27th and from Pana to Antigua on March 30th and from Antigua to the Hilton Garden Inn Guatemala City on March 31st, the last day.
Transportation costs to various Mayan Families projects while in Panajachel, services of translators and Mayan Families staff on visits to Mayan Families projects.
Donations for Industrial Washing machine for Casa Jackson.
Appliances for the The Scheel Center.
Food basket for student’s family at the San Antonio Preschool.
Donations to bring:
Please bring two large checked bags of aid.
Each participant should bring:
For the Elderly Center
15 draw string cloth bags
15 Bars of Soap
15 Wash Clothes
15 Hand Towels
15 combs, large and small
15 Tooth paste
I have 300 tooth brushes
1 bag of hard candy
You can get a lot of this stuff at the dollar store.
If you happen to run across small cloth bags to help make Hygiene Kits, please let me know.
For the San Antonio Polapo Preschool
All School supplies for a pre-school.
Pencils
Note books.
Crayons
Colored pencils
Erasers
Sharpener
Small blunt scissors
I’m putting a hold on school backpacks until the January mission.
But still need school supplies for the Pre-school.
Funds:
In the event you have issues using the ATM, we recommend you bring $300 – $400 in US currency in addition to your Donation. Or whatever amount you are comfortable carrying. Be advised most merchants will not accept bills that are marked or ripped, especially $20 bills. We also recommend you bring some $1 bills which are good for tips. Dollars will work in some restaurants/stores, but in volume you will want to convert your dollars to Quetzales, which you can get at ATMs or at the hotel (usually not as good an exchange rate). Bringing 2 ATM cards could alleviate a situation where one doesn’t work. We recommend you bring a money belt to carry your cash and passport.
As of 3/12, the exchange rate is $1 US = 7.63 Guatemalan Quetzals
Weather and What to Wear:
The weather in March-April ranges from low to mid 70s in the daytime and nighttime temps in the mid to lower 50s. March is the dry season, so we shouldn’t expect rain showers. Layer your clothes works best…..jeans or pants with T shirts, sweater & jacket. The Mayan people dress conservatively, especially in Pana, so we ask that volunteers respect that and avoid shorts or anything inappropriate.
2 pairs of comfortable walking shoes.
Both Hotels are simple and comfortable.
Transportation:
Please use seat belts all the time if the Van carries them. Walking around town: Please be careful walking in the streets, drivers have the right of way, please be alert to yield to all cars.
Altitude: Please be aware that the altitude is 1,562 m (5,125 ft) above sea level.
Time: The time in Guatemala is the same as Central Time in the U.S.
Food & Beverages:
Meals will be half as expensive as they are in the US. You are responsible for all your own meals, with the exception of Breakfast at the Hotels, which is always delicious.
I will introduce you to the most famous and best restaurants in Pana and Antigua. They have safe and great food, with the Authentic Guatemalan food being the best.
We can eat lunch at Cacao Museo Café in Antigua, and one of the most original Italia Restorante’s I have ever been to.
And the Original Frida’s as in “Frida Kahlo”.
Do Not Drink the Water! Plan to purchase bottled water not just for drinking but also for brushing your teeth. We order beverages “sin hielo,” – without ice. All the restaurants we will visit are safe for tourists. A general rule is to avoid eating fruits without a peel or uncooked vegetables (i.e. salads).
If you have any concerns about the food, you can look the restaurants up on Trip Advisor. Some have menus posted online. Overall, the food is simple, fresh and delicious.
Please feel free to share and offer our driver food snacks. (Manuel) Coffee, muffins, from breakfast! He will want coffee, he is poor and he has sick family members. I will tip him and ask him what the ages of his children are now and will keep something out so I can give him something on the way back from Pana.
Plan to bring some snacks for the long drive to Pana and to have during the week when hunger strikes and we’re not around food. There will be small “tiendas” or stores where you can buy packaged items to bring with you on our outings during the day. It’s also nice to have little candies or items to give to vendors or children on the street trying to sell you things.
MF workers make very little money. Any time you can include them in a meal, do it. You could also bring small boxes of candy..I like to bring See’s Candy chocolate & caramel suckers and give them to the MF folks that help us. I bring down boxes of sugar wafers to give to the street kids/ladies (Amazon Bisco Sugar Wafers…or Target). Get the kind that are individually wrapped! They’re cheap & don’t take up much room in luggage. These are great for when you don’t want to buy anything or don’t have the time for these poor street kids or ladies, and it makes them a little happy. MF workers/drivers love these too! Thanks for joining our adventure!
I know you will have a great time.
