Guatemala

When I first signed up for the Guatemala Animal Care Center program, I didn't know what to expect. Volunteering in a different country was definitely a challenge for me. Navigating the streets, talking to the locals and eating new food are all part of the experience. Issues will come up in new environments and I can attest that it was overwhelming. Losing items and getting lost to name a few ;) . It takes time to get comfortable for some volunteers. Interactions with the animals at the care center, cleaning their straw beds and play areas, and providing them with food are all good memories. Volunteering at the animal program was an up close and personal experience to witness first-hand how to care for many varieties of animals.
Through the volunteering you'll find that there is help needed from you. Any work will be appreciated and acknowledged. This is the best feeling. So be proactive and show initiative.

For a week in February 2016, my husband, myself and our two children (ages 11 & 13) participated in a volunteer week in the town of Queztaltenango, Guatemala. This was a truly wonderful, rewarding experience for all of us. Communication with the staff in the U.S. as well as the in country staff was both timely and helpful. They always addressed any concerns we had and made arrangements for us ahead of time. Our host family was lovely and accommodations were clean and food delicious! We participated in two projects while we were there. In the mornings we helped build a stove for a couple. The greatest part was being able to start and finish a project and leave something visible and tangible for all to see. My children were truly amazed that they completed this stove. Our project in the afternoon was with children at risk of becoming street kids. From the first day we all felt we couldn't spend enough time with these beautiful children. We are grateful for all their love and friendship and we left better having known them. This trip was the experience of a lifetime. I would not hesitate recommending global crossroads to anyone. I hope to one day be able to participate in another program of theirs.

I volunteered for two weeks in December at an orphanage in Xela, Guatemala with global crossroad. I had an incredible experience! During the planning stages I was a bit apprehensive. By "a bit apprehensive" I mean "extremely petrified!" Lol. As a female travelling alone you can see where I'm coming from. I received a ton of support from the in country coordinators..despite my constant questions! They made me feel at ease every step of the way. Once I arrived in Guatemala I was greeted by one of the in-country staff. She was great! I spent one night with the host family in Guatemala City. My host mother and family were so sweet. The next day I took a bus to xela (about 3.5 hours bus ride). I was driven to the bus stop and she waited with me until I boarded. The bus was really safe and the locals were always willing to lend a helping hand if needed. I arrived in Xela and found it to be such a beautiful city with such a rich culture. My host family in Xela were amazing. The meals were delicious and the living arrangements were comfortable. Despite not being able to speak the language i never felt that there was a language barrier. They're generosity and support made me feel right at home. I enjoyed taking part in their customs and traditions. Some nights they took me out to show me their lovely city. That was awesome! The market and Central Park was a ten minute walk from my home stay. It was very easy to get around despite my inept sense of direction! There's nice little coffee shops and lovely dessert places all around. There's also plenty of Internet cafes, wifi spots, and local travel agencies if you're up for an adventure!

My first day at the orphanage was kind of overwhelming. It breaks your heart to see but at the same time it's an incredible experience. The kids greeted me with smiles, hugs, and kisses. I spent my days playing games, teaching a little bit of math and English, and also taking care of the babies. All the kids were so fun to be around and so unbelievably cute!!! I think one thing to keep in mind when embarking on this sort of journey is that you really have to take initiative. It really is up to you how your experience will be shaped. For me, it is one I'll never forget :)

Going through IFRE was one of the best experiences of my life. I was able to volunteer in Xela, Guatemala at an orphanage for a month. This program was there for me whenever I needed help and quickly responded to all my questions. The program made the process of volunteering in another country as stress free as it can get. They helped me with all the little deatials, such as where to stay, and transportation. Not only was every day in the orphanage amazing but on the weekends the program allowed us to travel to other destinations throughout Guatemala. They provided information on what tours and places we should go. During my time in Guatemala I stayed with a host family that IFRE set up. My host mom was extremely nice and made me feel right at home. If you are looking for an amazing humbling experience, with beautiful people and places this is the program for you. I highly recommend.

I had one of the best experiences of my life in Xela Guatemala. I loved helping the people here but more importantly I loved the people. As a nurse, it is so intriguing to see how other healthcare systems operate! It was wonderful to have a skill set to be able to share with them! They were so welcoming of me and let me practice immediately!
My Spanish teacher was incredible and it was so encouraging to be able to communicate more and more.
The shelter was the best of all! It was so wonderful to love on girls who have been wronged! It was amazing to establish real relationships with them. Also, it was great to get to see them open Christmas presents!
My homestay was absolutely wonderful! They were described as wonderful, but I don´t think that does them justice. They were incredibly attentive to any need I had, and genuinely cared about my safety! I felt safe in almost every place in Xela because my coordinators and homestay family advised me where to go! This was a great experience, two thumbs up!

My ten days in Guatemala were amazing! Next Step Travel with Discover Corps offered a wonderful balance between immersion in the culture and volunteering, in this case, working at a local public school. The support was great, the people friendly and welcoming, and the accommodations perfect. Our food was cooked at the home base by two local women and was delicious. Another woman and I were both vegetarians and our culinary preferences were respected and graciously accommodated. We enjoyed a variety of excursions in addition to our daily work at the school that included meeting with a local weaver, taking a dip in hot springs, a bit of shopping, meeting with Peace Corps volunteers, taking part in a mock Mayan wedding, and spending a day and night at lovely Lake Atitlan. The days were rich and intense and it was all too soon before it was time to return home.

I participated as a volunteer for the Spring Break of 2015 with Rustic Volunteer and Travel. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have been able to participate in. I highly recommend to volunteer in Xela, Guatemala for undeserved communities.

We had one of the most wonderful experiences here in Xela. The women´s project was very empowering and we could see how communities are benefited by stoves we built.
Our host family was fantastic and we loved having had the chance to meet them and share our experience with them. Thank you to all the Guatemala staff for such an empowering experience. As the trip leader for this service-learning trip, I would recommend Rustic to other student groups. There were some communication issues with the US office which made things a little complicated but my experience in Guatemala was great overall.

I was the faculty advisor on a service learning trip to Guatemala. The program was extremely well run and organized. Everything ran as smoothly as possible, from the transportation to the organization of our transportation and work sites.

I particularly want to commend Oscar Gomez, the in-country coordinator, or his outstanding organizational skills and his extensive knowledge at the city. He also went above and beyond to make sure that all of our needs were met, including showing up at our house family's house when he heard that one of the students was sick.

I highly recommend this program.

I loved the entire program! I loved every part of the trip. The food was very simple and delicious. Oscar was so kind and welcoming. He was very helpful and I appreciate him showing us around the city. Liseth and Manuel were phenomenal at hosting us. I became so attached to the family over the week. Lisethe was always ready to help and was so very kind. Her food was delicious. I love how she encouraged us to speak Spanish.
The volunteer projects were incredibly fulfilling. I enjoyed working on the stoves. I am happy with the interaction we had with the maya women. I hope to come back one day to see the families that we have helped.

But truthfully, the project has helped us much more than we have helped it. The Maya women have given us to much and I cannot wait to return to Boston to share my experiences.