Guatemala

27 Dec 2012, a group of 26 students from Illinois State University embarked on a two week service trip to Guatemala. We were to be doing service at an orphanage, a street children project, at the language school, on a community farm and also to build stoves. Oscar, Jillian and all the staff involved with finding us service and making sure everything was going will were great!! They were friendly, offered their local advice which helps a lot, are available in emergency situations and truly love the country of Guatemala. The trip was an eye opening experience for sure. Throughout all the highs and lows of the trip, every volunteer is missing Guatemala and its beautiful people. I would recommend Global Crossroads as they know the best opportunities and are there to make the volunteers experience the best it can be.

I volunteered in an orphanage quite a while ago and never left a review!

It was an awesome experience. There were lots of other volunteers my age, and we all got along really well. It was very rewarding working in the orphanage - they definitely need the help! I speak fluent Spanish so I had no problems but I noticed that some of the other volunteers didn't speak and had a hard time adjusting, so just something to keep in mind for people who don't speak Spanish. Neither the host family or the project had English speakers. It was a great cultural experience, though... Xela is a really fun and awesome city! And Guatemalans are super nice and polite people. Overall, terrific experience and I hope to return to Guatemala!

Went to Guatemala with a group of 5 people and volunteered in Global Crossroads project for street children. Jillian was our Project Coordinator in Guatemala and really made us feel welcome. She helped us get situated and was always available when we needed her. I had a wonderful experience working at the project and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a meaningful and humbling volunteer experience. Our main responsibilities were interacting with the children, cooking and serving them lunch and teaching them English. In addition, we also helped re-paint the entire facility and paint children's murals on the walls. The project can definitely use more volunteers in the future!

A group of 5 of us went to Guatemala and volunteered in Global Crossroads project for street children. We had a wonderful experience working at the project and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a meaningful and humbling volunteer experience. Our primary responsibilities were interacting with the children, cooking and serving them lunch and teaching them English. In addition, we also helped re-paint the entire facility and paint children's murals on the walls. Our project coordinator, Jillian, was very supportive and always available when needed. The project can definitely use more volunteers in the future!

Overall the experience in Guatemala was great! We chose the Orphanage, but ended up working at the Street Children Project the first week we got there. It was good to get both experiences, but do realize they are allowed to give you a second choice if the first one that you picked doesn't work out. We enjoyed the orphanage a lot once we began. We worked in the mornings and were free to do whatever in afternoon/night. The host family was good, but not very welcoming. The experience was similar to more of being boarded and served meals, not really a family experience. Our family lived two levels above us, and ended up by the end of the trip serving us all of our meals in our room. It was okay, but just not the impression we had going into the trip having hosted foreign exchange students we assumed we would be treated as part of the family, not as a tenant.

We also ended up having to return early from being sick. We stayed 3 months but I would recommend less time. The reason ended up being a severe mold infection we got from the room we were staying in, although IFRE coordinators told us they would get this problem fixed once we notified them of the problem.

Again the orphanage was great, completely spanish speaking workers so be prepared to either learn spanish quick or perfect it, but for people looking to learn spanish this is the perfect way. We went in with a low level of spanish skills and were able to learn up to conversational. We did attend a spanish school, although we were led to believe spanish lessons were included in our price for IFRE it turns out they were an additional 5 dollars per class, so we opted for a better deal with another spanish school more well known.

Overall volunteering abroad is something everyone should do! If we could do it again we would probably go through a spanish school because it would include spanish lessons along with the volunteering, but for a first time volunteer it was a good way to start.

I went to Guatemala to volunteer in an orphanage with my friend last July (a little late I know!). Overall it was a good experience. It would have been better if I knew a little bit more Spanish. But playing with the babies was really fun and I learned a lot. The orphanage definitely needs the help. The host family was really nice and Xela is a nice city. Overall a good experience for my first time abroad.

I was in Guatemala for 8 weeks working in a hospital. Overall a very positive experience - Xela is a really fun city! The work is only half a day so there was a lot of time to socialize and explore the city. I can't wait to go back to Guatemala!

Our week with CCS in Guatemala City was amazing! I am so grateful to CCS for helping to orchestrate a meaningful volunteer placement along with relevant cultural activities and excursions. They were flexible in working with our schedule and needs, and they helped us prepare for the trip ahead of time.

Our volunteer placement was a great match with our group's skills and interests; we found it to be a very moving experience. After volunteering each day, it was great to be greeted by the staff's smiling faces when we returned for lunch. It was clear that the staff members truly cared about us. The lovely CCS homebase also provided a comfortable, safe place for us to enjoy a little downtime. CCS staff also organized some informative "tourist" events for us, including a personalized city tour to places that I doubt most visitors ever see.

I am currently in Xela, Guatemala and it's been an amazing experience so far. My host mom, Lily, makes amazing meals and her family is so nice. The in program coordinator, Jillian Davies, has been phenomenal. She is accessible 24/7 and makes sure every volunteer is comfortable and oriented with the city. On top of that she's super nice and will make you feel at home. At the medical clinic I work at, all the doctors and staff have been helpful and informative. I've learned a lot. Overall I'm having a great experience and would highly recommend Global Crossroad!

I have to say, my five week trip to Guatemala with CCS turned out to be one of the best and most influential experiences of my life. I dont take this lightly, I am a changed person now. The level of community, care, and compassion were beyond anything I could have imagined. From the first moment I arrived at La Aurora I was treated as a local by the staff of CCS. They quickly became my family, I grew into a part of the group. My placement, where I worked every day, was a local clinic in the city. The faculty was great, they love having someone new in the office and truly appreciate your help. These days it seems rare to have someone genuinely appreciate you helping them, in Guatemala, they recognize your helping them and show you respect and care in return. So, If you are looking to male a small difference and learn a little about yourself and the Guatemalan way of life, I 100% recommend going with CCS-Guatemala City. And dont forget, Tikal is only a bus ride away, and it is breathtaking!