Guatemala is located in Central America. Its bordering countries are: Mexico and Belize to the north; El Salvador and Honduras to the South; the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean to the West and East.

A valid passport is needed to enter Guatemala. A tourist card or visa is not required. Applications for passports should be one of first items of business when organizing a trip as it can take 3 months to receive a passport.

Team members need to make 3 copies of the first page of their passport (the one with the picture). Leave one copy at home, give one copy to your team leader, and carry one copy with them at all times once they arrive.

From past experiences we have learned that a well-organized team has a more rewarding trip. The following are a few ideas that other teams have used in preparing for Work and Witness.

Keep in mind that some of our project locations are in remote areas that require extended travel on bumpy roads and even hikes up to one mile over steep terrain. If anyone in your group has physical limitations (such as difficulty walking, asthma, obesity, heart conditions, etc.) please be honest and let us know as soon as possible so we can discuss options. This is not to restrict anyone from coming, but to keep you and your team safe and comfortable while in beautiful Guatemala.

You will be given an immigration form on the plane. Please mark the TOURIST box and use the "Iglesia del Nazareno" (Church of the Nazarene) for the destination address. You will be met by the Work and Witness Coordinators just outside the front door of the airport.

As you check in as a team for departure to the field it is a good idea to have all luggage, including carry-ons, tagged with colored tape (e.g. red duct tape) for easy identification. It will be much easier to pick out your team's luggage during transfers and pick-ups.

We suggest that you include in your personal effects the following items:

Tools that may be helpful, depending on the project, are metric tape measure, pliers/wire cutters (lineman and slip-joint), screwdrivers, wrenches (7/16 “, 9/16” and ¾”), and cordless drills and bits. The Work and Witness coordinator will contact you concerning any specialty tool needs.

There are laundry facilities at the Seminary/Convention Center in Guatemala City. There is one washer; one dryer, so large amounts take a long time. We recommend only washing the bare necessities to get through the trip.

Phone cards purchased in the US will NOT work in Guatemala, and 800 numbers are NOT free here. Please appoint one person from your team to send a blanket e-mail to one person back home. Make sure that the person back home has everyone's e-mail address or other contact info so that they can forward the message to each team member's family. Please do not plan on daily internet access or regular phone calls home.

Teams will have access to a full kitchen with refrigerator/freezer, a stove/oven, dishes, utensils, and cookware if you want to cook your own food. You can bring food from home or grocery stores are also available and prices are comparable to the US, but not everything is available here. Please have the kitchen leader contact the missionary and share planned menus. Another option would be to pay the cafeteria for meals. Please inform the missionary of your food preparation plans.

We are currently building prefab metal trusses and metal columns in our “Chapel Factory” here on the Seminary grounds in Guatemala City. Part of your mission experience will be working in the Chapel Factory! These prefab structures are transported to the different work sites for assembly by Work and Witness Teams. Providing the steel structure and corrugated galvanized metal roof gives the local people help with the most expensive and hard to acquire part of a building. You may also have the opportunity to complete the building by installing the walls and floor.

Please plan a VBS-type activity for the children of the village or town where you are raising the pre-fab(s). Here are some suggestions: Plan for about 1 ½ -2 hrs, which can include music, a Bible story, followed by a related coloring sheet. Small baggies (or pre-boxed) with 5-6 crayons make great gifts to leave with the children. A craft of some kind is great, such as the colored- beaded evangelism bracelets, or any such craft. Try to keep it simple and keep gluing to a minimum. Small gifts such as balls, cars, small stuffed animals, etc, and candy to pass out is always an exciting part of your visit, too.

Kids everywhere love puppets, but beware that you could very possibly be presenting outside, in a field or empty lot, so you must bring all staging, etc. Also, it needs to be in Spanish (although many village children will speak one of the 21 different Mayan languages) and to have been practiced before arrival.

Plan to have as many as 200 children per day at each site.

We ask that each team member act in such a way that they are an example of Christ.

We ask that all members respect the culture by refraining from the following:

Very Important Information about Clothing:

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