High School, university, church, and community groups often come to visit the San Lucas Mission to volunteer, learn about the efforts in San Lucas, and participate in the cross-cultural experience the parish offers. Groups may spend most of their time working at sites, but the focus of a short-term trip to the mission should be to learn, understand and appreciate the local culture.
Through working alongside Guatemalans, receiving talks from community members, and observing the goings-on of the area, group members can learn about the richness of Maya c
ulture, the work of the parish, and life in Guatemala. Although a week or two may only offer a glimpse into a different world, there is much to be learned about the turbulent and complex history of Guatemala, the Maya people, and the community development efforts of the parish.
Volunteer Work:
Short-term volunteers, after receiving an orientation and a tour of the projects, usually participate in projects associated with construction, reforestation, coffee processing & picking, stove-building, and similar tasks. Groups withseveral hands offer invaluable manual labor for ongoing projects; much of the work is physically tiring but, depending on the time of year and specific need, less demanding work is also available.
During the months of December, January, and February, groups may take part in the coffee harvest and pick coffee beans. Talks from Father Greg and community members are usually arranged so that the experience of the short-term volunteer is complete and educational.
- During the festivities of Holy Week, Christmas / New Year's, and the week of the San Lucas Feast Day (Oct.18), San Lucans do not work. Groups are welcome to visit the Mission, but should be aware that typical site work will likely be unavailable.
Room & Board:
Groups stay in one of the many hotels in the San Lucas area – if you have visited San Lucas before and are familiar with a particular hotel, requests can usually be honored. Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are eaten at the parish, with lunch being the biggest meal of the day. All volunteers and staff members share meals. There are phones in the parish to call the States, but internet is not available – instead, there are several internet cafes available in town which usually cost around $1.25/hour.
Language:
It is heavily recommended that groups bring translators. Short-term volunteers are not required to speak Spanish, although being able to converse with Guatemalans – even in simple ways – will greatly enhance the experience, especially at work sites.
Contribution:
Visiting groups are asked to offer a donation of approximately $30/day, which includes room and board at the Parish and transportation to and from the airport in Guatemala City. Money can be exchanged in the parish office in cash or check form.
Pre-Arrival Orientation:
Cultural sensitivity and openness to the local culture is paramount in ensuring that a cross-cultural experience is as fruitful and as mutually dignifying as possible. In facilitating the pre-arrival preparation, it is heavily recommended that groups visit www.sanlucasmission.org/group_prep.html, to download the package of preparation materials for visiting groups.
It is recommended that short-term volunteers come with an open mind and willing to do a variety of activities – needs of the parish vary from season to season and year to year and groups should therefore be flexible. Volunteers should come ready to explore San Lucas and the culture of the area, and be willing to leave behind pre-conceptions. To be humble, without preconceptions, and open to learning will ensure a meaningful stay in San Lucas Tolimán.
Travel Information: Up-to-date information about traveling to and from Guatemala can be found at the Department of State’s Guatemalan Travel Information Page (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1129.html).
