* All information below is effective January 2012 *
A short-term mission trip to Guatemala typically consists of 1 week living at the House of Prayer in Chichicastenango. From there your team will travel into local mountain villages helping to build widow houses, assisting with feeding programs, as well as possible involvement in other projects: water filter projects, stove projects, and projects at Monte Flor. Below are most all of the details you will need to plan for your trip to Chichi. Our Leaders Manual will provide you the rest of the details involved in leading a trip and how to prepare your team for an amazing experience serving in Guatemala.
Trip cost
$750 + airfare per person from your gateway. This includes 6 nights lodging at the House of Prayer in Chichicastenango and one night lodging at a hotel in Guatemala City if needed. $750 includes all food, ground transportation, lodging and emergency insurance should something unforeseen take place during your trip. Please send all trip funds to Pray America at least 30 days prior to your trip.
For every mission trip participant, a child is sponsored for one year of meals at one of our feeding programs, twice each week.
Note: Please mail checks for trip payments. A 6% processing fee will need to be added to ALL trip payments submitted online from this website. Please clearly state the trip dates and the church/organization name when sending trip funds.
GROUP SIZE
A team is considered a minimum 10 people and maximum of 18 people (at least 10 team members two months prior to travel must be registered or the team may be cancelled). Groups smaller than 10 people must be willing to cover the cost for a full 10 person team. For large groups we also have an absolute maximum team size of 22 people. However, an additional one time $500 charge is required for teams larger than 18 people. These minimum and maximum requirements allow us the greatest flexibility in arranging meals, ground transportation and staff support to ensure a smooth mission trip. We are simply not equipped space-wise or staff-wise to support any groups outside of our minimum and maximum requirements.
Please indicate your approximate team size on the Trip Info Request form. We understand that team size and other details may change as your trip date approaches. Please email any and all of these changes to: trips@prayamerica.org.
Widow Houses
The cost to build a Widow's House is $1350 per house. This will provide a basic 12'x12' or 12'x16' wood siding structure with a metal roof, a concrete floor, bunkbeds, a locking door and a window. Most groups will build four to six houses in the week that they are in Guatemala. Depending on team size, two houses can be built in one day. Please plan to have the funds for each house you are building available to Pray America at least 30 days prior to your trip. This enables us to purchase lumber concrete and supplies for each house your team plans to build.
Please indicate how many new widow homes your team plans to build on the Trip Info Request form.
Note: Please mail checks for trip payments. A 6% processing fee will need to be added to ALL trip payments submitted online from this website. Please clearly state the trip dates and the church/organization name when sending trip funds.
Restoration Ministry
The Restoration Ministry project will enable visiting teams to pour into local Guatemalan families who have received a widow house from the Manos de Jesus ministry in the past. We've noticed that weather and years of use have created a need for the restoration of these homes. This is a NEW ministry component for Pray America/Manos de Jesus and it by no means is meant to replace our existing widow home construction ministry. The Restoration Ministry is simply another opportunity to serve. Here are the details of this new project:
- Paint and repair existing widow homes.
- Hand the widow a solar powered audio player that contains biblical teaching in her native language of Quiche'.
- A water filter may be installed depending on the specific needs of the family.
- An efficient Onil stove may also be installed depending on the specific needs of the family.
- A team of 6-10 people can easily restore 2 widows homes in one day.
- $500 will restore one widow home. This includes the audio player as well as a water filter and a stove if needed.
Please indicate how many existing widow homes your team plans to restore on the Trip Info Request form.
Note: Please mail checks for trip payments. A 6% processing fee will need to be added to ALL trip payments submitted online from this website. Please clearly state the trip dates and the church/organization name when sending trip funds.
stoves and water filters
If you wish to bless a Guatemalan family in need with a stove or a water filter please indicate this on your Trip Info Request. The cost for each efficient wood burning stove is $150. An EcoFiltro water filter costs $75 each. Please plan to have the funds for stoves and water filters available to Pray America at least 30 days prior to your trip.
Note: Please mail checks for trip payments. A 6% processing fee will need to be added to ALL trip payments submitted online from this website. Please clearly state the trip dates and the church/organization name when sending trip funds.
AVAILABLE TRIP DATES
Year round – see our Trip Calendar for availability. Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis, and are confirmed when a team deposit is received.
team DEPOSITS
A non-refundable team deposit of $50 per person is required to hold the dates of your choice. This deposit will apply to your overall trip cost. At least 10 team members two months prior to travel must be registered or the team may be cancelled.
LEADERs Manual
Once your trip date has been approved, please print out, read and follow the instructions in the Leaders Manual. There is much useful information on what is involved with leading a trip and how to prepare your team for an amazing experience serving in Guatemala.
CONTACT
For trip information:
trips@prayamerica.org
Mailing address
Pray America
PO Box 14070
Lansing, MI 48901-4070