Hey Guatemala Team!

It’s finally time to give you a few more details about your trip! This Summer is going to be incredible. You’re going to see God do great things in you, and in the people of Guatemala. It will be hard at times, but know that it’s all worth it. Get excited!

Your team will be working with Shofar Ministries in Puerto Barrios, which is on the eastern coast of the country. Here’s some information directly from your main contact:

Ministry Vision: To empower youth and young adults to seek out community related projects and provide a launching platform for those people who have a vision for mission projects; to seek out funding and sponsors for community related projects, such as working with special needs children, street kids, orphanages, and families.

Ministry Summary:  Shofar Ministries exists to be a platform for launching ministries into Guatemala. Through sponsors they fund community mission projects working along side the Evangelical Christian Church. They encourage youth to go out and make a difference. Shofar Ministries receives international missionaries to work in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. Shofar Ministries works closely with the mayor, city hall, the health department, the local government of Guatemala, as well as the local churches. They have taken on projects such as installing electricity in schools, taking relief supplies to flood victims, painting churches, and many other various projects to help the elderly and the local orphanage. These are only some of the projects, as their vision is always growing!

Check out Shofar’s website but please do not contact the ministry on your own or allow your parents to contact them either. We want to protect and honor their privacy.

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Cultural Norms and Sensitivities:

Punctuality: Although most Guatemalans pay little attention to punctuality in daily living, it is expected from foreigners.

Greeting: Shaking hands is the customary greeting in business settings for both men and women in Guatemala (the handshake is usually less firm than in the US). Women may shake hands, alternatively patting one another on the left arm instead and air-kissing on both cheeks. In casual settings, people may greet each other with a hug and kiss, but foreigners are not expected to do this. At parties, everyone is introduced individually.

Eye Contact: Guatemalans often cast their eyes downward during conversation as a sign of respect -- especially when a man is addressing a female stranger.

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There is a general packing list that can be found in your Profile by going to Mobilization Info tab and then to the preparation section. In addition to those items, you should also bring: 

• Rain Jacket/Boots (Can be bought locally for pretty cheap.)
• Mosquito Spray

These are already listed on the general packing list but I want to emphasize them:

• Sleeping bag and pillow (there are things called Sleeping Bag liners that are like thin sheets. These are good in case it’s cold to double up under your sleeping bag, or if it’s super hot, you can just use that instead of your sleeping bag.)
• Sweater or jacket
• Headlamp (flashlights are fine too…but headlamps are AWESOME because you get to have both hands free. Hands-free is good for going to the bathroom outside at night, reading while your teammates are sleeping, and even for dance parties!
• Water bottle (Nalgene brand is really great.)
• Outlet Adaptor (Do research and see if outlets are different than in the U.S.  If anything, you may need an adaptor, not a converter. You probably only need a converter if you're bringing something high powered like a blow dryer. You can get an international adaptor at Wal-mart or Target.)

As always, if you have any questions about anything listed here, please let me know!

Lauren Williamson

Email: laurenwilliamson@adventures.org

Phone:  770-983-1060 x 231