[angel_bayou]

I have seen on several blogs that adoptive families are participating in mission trips. I would like to learn about as many orphnages as I can and causes for that matter so I figured I see who is planning to go back this year and when! Also if it's an organization effort or an individual!! I hope you all are willing to share!! And if you're thinking about going I'd love to have a travel partner in the next couple of months

[dance_muffin]

I would love to know more about mission trips to Guatemala too. How are they coordinated; cost; how do people get involved etc.

[sweetheart918]

My husband is working right now on starting a fund raising campaign to raise money to build a church in Limonada...a ghetto outside of Guatemala City. On our last visit trip he went to Limonada and met with the pastor of the only church in Limonada. The government has given them a piece of land to build a church but they need about $15,000 to build. They have a tiny church building right now which is not much bigger than most people's living rooms. They have hundreds of people come out for the services and many times people are just standing in the streets trying to hear through the door. The pastor believes that with more space they will be able to reach the children and really make a difference in this ghetto that is filled with gang violence. Once the money is raised we are hoping prayerfully to organize a team to travel down to build the church. If you are interested you can PM me with your email address and I will keep you updated on the progress.

Have a blessed day!!

[AngelQT]

Go to my blog and click on the Red Letter Campainge... I know there is a mission trip in the works to go to Eagles Nest in Guatemala in April 09.

I am not sure if I can post the link here...

My blog is:

My GuatAngels

[Devora]

There are bunches of organizations that do various volunteer/missions trips. It's important that if you participate in one you investigate the organization closely. Some things to find out:

(1) Do they have a religious affiliation? Is it one you are comfortable with?

(2) If they do have a religious affiliation, how much is that a part of what they are doing (e.g., Bible studies, worship services, etc.) versus how much time they spend providing humanitarian aid (e.g., repairing orphanages, building homes, etc.). Are you comfortable with the balance of the two?

(3) How many trips have they done before? Is this new for them or do they have established relationships in Guatemala? How long have they worked in the region you will be in? Can you talk with people who have done previous trips?

(4) How many translators will be in/with the group? Do they have adequate translators available who speak the local Mayan languages (if applicable to where you will be)?

(5) How is transportation arranged? Do you fly as a group? Will you be met at the airport? What transportation do you pay for?

(6) What is the work you will be doing? Do you think it will make a long-term difference for the people there? Does it build their capacity for future development in their communities? Or is it work that will keep them dependent on volunteer groups and aid? Does the work and its development impact fit with your values and beliefs about the kind of work you want to be a part of?

I will attach a chart of aid groups that I know of in Guatemala. Some of them have volunteer/trip opportunities and that's noted on the chart. There are many more groups!!! These are just ones I know of personally or that have come recommended by people I trust. I'm always interested to hear about more groups that people recommend so that I can expand the list.

You might also want to check out the group in Cincinnati. I forget the exact name of it -- Sonya Zumbiel is one of the organizers. They are a group of adoptive parents who organize their own aid efforts and travel to Guatemala a couple of times a year. They would have lots of great advice about what's needed, what works, how to get involved, and how to start efforts in your own community.

[szumbiel]

Friends Thorugh Guatemalan Adoption in Cincy as coordinated three Moms on a Mission and one Teens on a MIssion trips. You can read about the trips on Friends Through Guatemalan Adoption - Home and get a lot of information. This is the first summer we do not have a group going, but we hope to take another group next summer.

Many aid organizations have mission trips. I will say I have learned quite a bit over the past few years being directly involved and I have come to believe that mission trips are more about changing us than lives in Guatemala. Most of the work mission groups do could be done by day laborers in Guatemala--especially if we send them the money we pay to travel and stay in Guatemala during our mission trips. (The exception being medical trips)

That said, mission trips change the participants and for that they are totally worth doing! It creates a drive in people to continue to give back, to educate oneself on third world issues, to be more aware of issues outside of our own backyards, and to learn from those we serve.

I know I walk away with more than I could ever give each and every time I go! I am more than happy to share any experiences we have had. One goal we did have is to stay on a minimal budget so as to keep the cost of trips to a minimum so that anyone who really dedicates themselves to going could afford to do so with just some penny pinching. Most people did the trips total cost for travel, transportation, lodging and meals for under $1000. Now that does not count shopping!!!

If you want to do a trip that is more learning and really seeing rural Guatemalan life but less actual physical labor I would suggest looking at trips put on my the following:
Behrhorst Partners for Development - Mission Statement (love this organization and I now sit on their board so I am a bit biased, but I do state it up front )
www.coeduc.org (great trip and know several people who have done the book delivery tours with life changing results)
MayaWorks: Home (focus on coops and women's issues)

Love this conversation... Let's keep it going!

Sonya

[Devora]

I have come to believe that mission trips are more about changing us than lives in Guatemala.

I think there is much insight in this statement. It doesn't mean that mission trips aren't worth it -- but we need to be realistic/honest about what the actual benefits are.

Most of the work mission groups do could be done by day laborers in Guatemala--especially if we send them the money we pay to travel and stay in Guatemala during our mission trips. (The exception being medical trips)

This is a little of what I was getting at with my comment about think about the work that's being done. For example, if the trip paints an orphanage -- it probably does more for the Guatemalan economy to pay local painters. That way not only do the children in the orphanage benefit, but so do the men and their families who do the painting.

I also think there's something to think about in terms of unintended effects when there's a revolving door of volunteers. I saw this at an agency in Chicago where quite a few of my students did service learning projects. The agency would accept any volunteers for any amount of time. So, for example, they had a Saturday tutoring program. There were some regular tutors, but they would also let church groups come and help out for just one day, people would volunteer just a couple of times, etc. My students (who were there for a whole semester, but that still is only a few months) said that it made them feel badly for the kids. Although the kids were excited about the volunteers, some of them did make comments about how they would never see the volunteers again or they would ask my students "How long are you staying?" or "Why did you come back again?" So they were very aware of the revolving door. Not only does that create more of an environment of instability, but in some cases it was almost like the groups were coming to see "the poor children on the west side of Chicago" which made them almost like a living display. A colleague of mine went on a trip to Guatemala for a week where they painted, etc. in an orphanage. She said her daughter became especially attached to a little boy who followed them everywhere and really latched on to her. I couldn't help but wonder what the little boy thought when the mission trip left at the end of the week.

So that's why I suggested looking at how long the group has been working in an area and what their connections are. For example, while a lot of volunteers rotate through with Behrhorst, the group itself has a many decades long presence in the community with the staff staying for years and many of them being part of the community, so that sort of offsets who happens to be doing the medical exam that day and the fact that person won't be the same the next time.

I also have heard fabulous things about the MayaWorks trips -- again, the coops are long-standing institutions (and definitely examples of community development) so when people come through to visit it's a little less disruptive, I think. And their model of people in the US supporting the co-ops through donations, purchases, and hosting sales back home is a realistic way of contributing.

I'm really not knocking mission trips!! I put together that list precisely because I want to see more adoptive families giving back in meaningful ways. But I think we need to be realistic and honest thinking about our potential impact -- I'm just not a rose colored glasses kind of gal so I guess that's why I'm always talking about the "other side" of things. But I do think that we as adoptive families (and we as citizens of the US or other countries that are a lot better off than Guatemala) need to do more, whatever that might be.

[szumbiel]

Believe me I am in no way knocking them either! I will go again and love it! I am just now much more aware of who really gets the most benefit and who does the learning and for me that answer is ME!

I know the experiences I have had on these trips have changed me to the core and would suggest one for anyone.

I will say Moms on a Mission has had huse successes making an impact with the funds we raise. We have donated many thousands of dollars and I know these make an impact we will never understand. But we don't try to manage that impact--we leave that to the non-profits like Behrhorst, CoEd, WINGS, Orphan Resources, Open Windows, etc.... who know just how to make a dollar have the largest impact on a rural Guatemalan life.

Last year alone, our teens raised over $15,000 (8 teenagers) to donate among several non-profits.

Just do something...

Sonya

[angel_bayou]

I'm glad to get everyone's insight on this as I'm traveling back soon and this is why I was asking who was planning to go on a mission trip and the goals of the trip!!
I may get slammed for this but I for one want to go down there with my funds that I collected in hand to make sure it gets to the people it's desinated to get too!! There are so many "known" organizations out there who swear to doing only the right thing that in deed do NOT do this!! Once a trust is gained then I feel more comfortable just sending the money along for it to be done by people in Guatemala. My being there to do the work still pumps money into the local economy since I would be buying all the supplies there, hotel costs, food expenses, donations etc.
Does this make sense??

[szumbiel]

I understand your concern. Four years ago, I spent ten days in Guatemala with a great friend clearing this exact concern in my own mind. Things can look great on paper, but seeing an organization in process on the ground speaks volumes.

On that trip we visited 14 non-profits--some of whom became my favorites and some of whom I would not support. I can tell you that I feel completely comfortable with several great organization in Guatemala that I can speak to because of my first hand experience with them. Among them are Behrhorst Partners for Development, WINGS, Cooperative for Education, Open Windows, Orphan Resources, MayaWorks, Vamos Adelante, Common Hope, and I am sure there are others. I also hear good things about Mayan Families and Helps International although I have not personally visited sites in Guatemala.

I take to heart things like are the programs systematic, long-term, do they have more Guatemalans on staff than Americans, is a primary goal to evangelize, how do they allocate funds, do they work toward increasing educational and economic advancement, etc...

FTGA took the stance five years ago when we started our Giving Back programs that there was no need to recreate what great organizations had already done--figure out how to meet the needs of impoverished Guatemalans. Instead we could play the role of sharing knowledge on those great organizations and how to support them.

I applaud your efforts and I hope you find that non-profits that speaks to you!

Sonya