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Guatemala Partnership Trip

Hello - Welcome to the group!

A team of middle and high school students has been selected to serve in Ipala, Guatemala this July. We're looking forward to building relationships with Guatemalan youth, experiencing life in a developing country, and serving in practical ways.

Guatemala City

July 25, 2011 - 11:54pm — Trish Audi

We wanted to send a quick post to let you all know that we sadly said our goodbyes to Ipala today and traveled safely by bus to Guatemala City.  We are staying in a very nice hotel close to the airport which is taking a little getting used to after life in Ipala this week!  We're looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow night and hope it's not as hot as you've been reporting to us lately!

Jed's back

July 25, 2011 - 1:36am — jcurl

I just arrived home after a long day of travel.  It started off with an early bus ride from Ipala to the Guatemala City airport that went quickly and was uneventful. I had a few hours to hang before my flight to Miami.  Getting through Immigration and Customs and then back through the usual security check point to make my connecting flight was a bit hectic but I and my luggage managed it just fine.  The Austins were flying into Dulles this evening as well so I got a ride from them home.  Thanks Austins and thanks to the many others who offered to help me out with a ride. » Read more

Saturday student post

July 23, 2011 - 10:01pm — jcurl

Today we visited Chatun, which is a park in Esquipulas, and there we met with Quique, the mayor's assistant, and twenty-one students who were learning English. We split into groups and talked in basic English with them for about half an hour, switching groups every few minutes. It was really cool, and they wanted to know all about what life is like in America and what we like to do in our spare time. We kicked a soccer ball back and mforth for a little, and then went for lunch. We had American food for lunch, hot dogs, hamburgers, and fried chicken, and we swam in the pool at the park. We tried to play soccer on this huge field with about eight people, which didn't work out well, but probably I think that because I was on the losing team :) . » Read more

Student post about Thursday

July 22, 2011 - 9:50pm — jcurl

Yesterday we got to have the experience of a lifetime. We traveled by bus to Volcano de Ipala then climbed halfway up. It was a challenging ascent but totally worth it because of the view and The LAKE on top. Before we got to swim in the pristine lake water we hiked even higher and got a tour of the jungle and found out about coffee plants. The lake water was cold at first but everyone enjoyed the swim. The climb down the mountain was easier than up but a few took stumbles. We went back to the hotel after the volcano adventure and prepared for dinner with the MAYOR of Ipala. Lots of other elites were there with us at dinner and it was a neat experience with a few laughs. At night we debriefed and some played a card game. That's all for now. More later - keep reading. » Read more

Student post from Friday

July 22, 2011 - 9:32pm — jcurl

¡Pancakes again, hooray! We would need this energy to fight off the scorpion that had made its home in the room of Nathan, Derek, and Ben.Then we were off to visit our second elementary school to play and connect with Ipalan youth. Soon we arrived at Escuela Chaparroncito and were greeting the kids with bright smiles and the classic "hola". After a warm welcome the group went to the schools concrete soccer field to kick the ball around. It took a few passes from the group to some of the Ipalan children and they were swarming us to get the ball and play. This shows that effort and smiles speak for the words we were unable to communicate. We may have had no idea what these children were saying, but fun is truly universal. » Read more

Day one at schools

July 19, 2011 - 9:31pm — jcurl

Today was our first day of fun at schools. We performed funny skits and played games which really broke the ice with students. Our students learned what it was like to be a rock star in Guatemala as the students asked for autographs. We had a blast. It will be interesting to talk with our youth about the differences between the two schools we visited today. We also met the mayor of Ipala who was really friendly with the kids, told us all about Ipala and his political history, and offered all of us drinks. Oliver was even mayor of Ipala for a few minutes! We have been really impressed with our students' flexibility, patience, and risk-taking in terms of speaking Spanish, trying new foods, and interacting with the Guatemalan students.

We are in Ipala!

July 19, 2011 - 12:20pm — bryanp

Hello everyone, We all enjoyed a great day of shopping in the artisan market in Antigua yesterday, under sunny skies.  It was an enjoyable and interesting experience for all.  Students may get in the habit of bargaining for lower prices at Hollister or Dicks.  Monday afternoon meant a 4.5 hour bus ride to Ipala.  The students cheered as we arrived to the town.  We found a good bit of rain upon arrival here, but a sunny start to today.  While the hotel does not have all the amenities of a Marriott (hot showers for example), we like the hammocks and enjoyed some time hanging out with each other last evening.  Later today we will head to a middle school and high school in town where we will interact with peers, give some gifts, and do our presentatio » Read more

We've arrived - all of us!

July 18, 2011 - 9:22am — jcurl

The early birds - thanks to a rooster, crazy church bells and the fact Lisa didn't make the time change on her phone, she helpfully woke everybody up at 5.30 am! Let's look on the bright side - we have one extra hour to explore Antigua! Hasta luego :) p.s no local cell phone yet but will post number asap.

Photos

Volcano



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