First Methodist Houston Guatemala Mission Trip July 21-27, 2012 Our team will serve with Prince of Peace Girls Home in San Cristobal, just outside Guatemala City. This partner ministry of First Methodist supports a home for girls who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. The ministry also has strong outreach ministries to the nearby neighborhoods, serving the poor and oppressed. Our team will work on local construction projects (painting walls, build beds, install cabinets or lay carpet/tile) at the home/homes in the neighborhood and help with ministry at the Girls Home. Itinerary Sat., July 21: Meet at IAH for flight to Guatemala City. Flight schedule TBD. Prince of Peace mission will pick us up at airport. Drive to San Cristobal. Settle In. Briefing, dinner, worship. Sun., July 22: Breakfast, quiet time, church. Afternoon outreach with girls and local families. Mon., July 23 – Thurs., July 26: Breakfast, quiet time, variety of work projects available according to skills (painting, building a deck, work on homes in the area), outreaches to families in neighborhood, afternoon opportunities with the girls for crafts, VBS and sewing. Week will be flexible according to skills of team. Sightseeing in Antigua on Thursday. Fri., July 27: Breakfast, quiet time, depart for airport. Flight to IAH. Transportation Flight info TBD. In country, we will travel by 12-passenger vans. Housing/Meals We will be staying in the dorms at Prince of Peace Girls Home. Prince of Peace provides bed and linens, towels, bath and laundry soap and toilet paper. We will take our meals at Prince of Peace Girls Home. Prince of Peace provides pure water, 3 meals a day and snacks. You will need money for one meal in Guatemala, all meals in the airport and $3 cash for Guatemala exit tax. Cost: $1,200 per person includes transportation, lodging, most meals, emergency insurance, and some ministry supplies. Cost does not include passport, immunizations, incidentals or souvenirs. You will need money for one meal in Guatemala, all meals in the airport, snacks and anything else you wish to purchase. Payment schedule Deposit (non-refundable) - $100 due immediately 2nd payment - $500 due March 1 Balance due - $600 due May 1 Required documents Registration Form Medical Release Form Passport Parent Permission to Travel (if under 18) Safe Sanctuary Training Prince of Peace Team Member and Medical forms
First Methodist Houston
Guatemala 2012
First Methodist Houston Guatemala Mission Trip July 21-27, 2012 Passport A passport is required for this trip. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry (if your passport expires in less than six months from the date of entry, it must be renewed before traveling). For information about applying for or renewing a passport, including required documents, fees and processing times, go online to www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html. Immunizations Talk to your physician and tell them where you will be traveling. The following are suggestions from the CDC. See your doctor 6-8 weeks before traveling. Tetanus – required Hepatitis A and B – recommended Typhoid – Recommended for all unvaccinated people traveling to or working in Central America, especially if staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities, villages or rural areas where exposure might occur through food or water. Be sure your routine vaccinations are up to date. Routine vaccines, as they are often called, such as for influenza, chickenpox, polio, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) and diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) are given at all stages of life. Emergency Insurance: You will be covered for international medical and emergency insurance. Safe Sanctuary Every trip participant over the age of 18 is required to complete Safe Sanctuary training. Our calling and mandate is to ensure safe sanctuary for God’s people. The policy and procedures are intended to protect our preschoolers, children, youth, workers, volunteers and the entire church body. You can review the materials and complete the training online at: http://www.txcumc.org/pages/detail/705. Be sure to bring your certificate to the team meeting. Work Projects Work projects may include (from Prince of Peace): 1. We are currently constructing 3 small apartments. When you come, we will probably be at the stage of putting in tile or synthetic floors, installing cabinets and plumbing fixtures. 2. We have a 2-story roughly finished concrete block building that we want to clean, repair, upgrade to be a prayer tower. 3. Building a deck. 4. There is always something to paint. We are moving more into serving the people around us by giving food and other supplies. We have begun a program of giving them a chicken coop, chickens and feed to get them started raising and selling chickens. It is possible that we could do a small construction project at one of the “houses.” Supplies to collect Good, in-style clothing for the girls to wear to church and other off-campus activities – specifically jeans for school and clothes for church Tennis Shoes Toothbrushes/toothpaste, small toiletries Children’s Vitamins 2 sleeping bags in good condition Medicine- – Tylenol, ibuprofen, Tussin DM, Tussin CF
First Methodist Houston
Guatemala 2012
First Methodist Houston Guatemala Mission Trip July 21-27, 2012
Luggage requirements Remember to pack light. The size limitation of your luggage is calculated by adding the total outside dimensions of each bag (length + width + height). Each traveler is allowed one checked bag at 62in/157cm. Maximum weight – 50 lbs and one carry on/personal item. The cost of checking a second bag is $30. If you have an extra bag that we can use to carry supplies, please let the team leader know. Packing list Bible, pen and journal Clothing t-shirts lightweight long pants for work projects long shorts or Capri pants jeans/wind pants skirt/blouse/dress (women) or shirt/tie/slacks (men) for church socks and underwear jacket/sweatshirt pajamas closed toe shoes shower shoes Personal Items Towels/washcloths Rain gear Sunglasses/sunscreen/hat Toiletries Tissues Medicine in prescription bottle/box (anti-diarrhea) OTC: Chewable Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, Tums, Tylenol, sinus/cold medicine, antihistamine Antibacterial wipes/hand sanitizer Small first-aid kit (one per family) 1 roll of toilet paper (per family) Travel size toilet paper or individual packs of tissues Bug repellant Water bottle Ear plugs (roosters crow all hours of the night!) Camera and batteries Flashlight Backpack/day pack/hip pack Snack food (individually packaged, if desired) Work gloves, hammer Be sure to pack a change of clothes in your carry on luggage in case checked luggage is delayed or lost. Remember to carry your prescription medicines as well as your passport and color copy of your passport in your carry on luggage. Documents to carry with you: Passport Color copy of passport
First Methodist Houston
Guatemala 2012