10 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SERVICE TRIP TO SAN LUCAS MISSION, GUATEMALA

Transcription

1 10 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SERVICE TRIP TO SAN LUCAS MISSION, GUATEMALA 1. What is the selection criteria for this trip? The selection committee for Campus Ministry s International Service Trip Program considers the following criteria for selection: 1) Motivation for participation in this type of service program 2) Understanding of expectations and willingness to commit the necessary time to preparation, trip itself and fundraising 3) Understanding of and/or willingness to explore the connections between this type of service and peace/justice issues and faith development 4) Previous community service domestic and/or international experience 5) Perceived readiness for service and immersion in a developing country 6) Perceived readiness for and willingness to contribute to group and community development 2. What does the pre-trip preparation involve? The International Service Trip Program entails a time commitment of approximately hours or group preparation through participation in bi-weekly group meetings throughout the semester prior to your trip. The meetings typically are scheduled on Friday afternoons, sometime between 1PM-5PM, based on the group s class schedule, and they are scheduled to run two (2) hours each. Every participant is required to attend ALL pre-trip group meetings. Additionally, there will be one community building /retreat afternoon/evening scheduled for the group, which runs approximately 5 hours on a Friday in the Semester. The Pre-Trip Meetings are thematically structured to prepare participants for the experience in San Lucas Mission in the following ways: Theme: PREPARATION /ORIENTATION TO SAN LUCAS MISSION AND PROGRAM Theme: GROUP DYNAMICS/COMMUNITY Theme: EDUCATION About Country and Culture Theme: FAITH Theme: SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARENESS Theme: PERSONAL READINESS Each of these themes is addressed through a variety of activity and conversation. Every pre-trip meeting includes an ice-breaker, community developer, prayer and reflection, all of which are related to the meeting s theme. There often is overlap in meetings as many

2 of the themes are interrelated. These pre-trip conversations create the foundation and continued conversations throughout the actual trip experience. There also is time during the pre-trip meetings used to discuss business matters, complete paperwork, field questions, and coordinate fundraising efforts. In addition to the prep meetings, groups must be in communication with each other via phone, and/or moodle site between meetings to coordinate group fundraisers and share logistical information. 3. What type(s) of Fundraising is done to fulfill $900 individual goal? Every potential participant is concerned about being able to reach the $900 fundraising goal. Indeed this is a challenge, but it is DO-ABLE if you put in the necessary time and effort. The majority of international service trip participants fulfill their fundraising goal, or come very close. Few end up paying to cover monies not raised. Fundraising efforts undertaken by groups vary according to group ideas and effort. Fundraising efforts are a combination of individual and group fundraising opportunities. Here is a list of recent group fundraisers that this year s international service trip groups coordinated: 1) Flea Market a. Basket Raffle at Flea Market b. Fair Trade Chocolate Candy and Coffee sales at Flea Market 2) Family Weekend Events a. Silent Auction and/or Basket Raffle during Family Weekend b. Fair Trade Chocolate Sale after Sunday Mass during Family Weekend 3) Knit Hat/Glove/Slipper Sale 4) Homemade Cookie Jar Sale 5) TGIF Dinner Nights 6) T-Shirt Sales 7) Goodsearch/Goodshop Profit In addition to the group fundraisers, each participant can take boxes of chocolate to sell and/or pre-order fair trade coffee sales (coffee from San Lucas Mission). Finally, the Campus Ministry provides all participants with a sample donation /support letter that participants can edit and send to family, friends, church or community groups that may make a donation toward their trip. 4. What are the group s travel plans to/from airport? The Campus Ministry Office coordinates transportation for the group from Marywood s campus to the airport and from the airport to Marywood s campus upon return.

3 Participants have the option to travel from/to Marywood with provided transportation, or to meet the group at the airport of departure. If participants choose to meet and travel with the group from campus, they are responsible for getting themselves to/from campus only. If participants choose to meet the group at the airport, it is the participant s responsibility to coordinate his/her transportation to/from the airport. 5. What is Marywood s history with San Lucas Mission, Guatemala? Marywood University Campus Ministry has coordinated an international service trip to San Lucas Mission, Guatemala, in 2000, Winter Break , Winter Break , Winter Break , Winter Break , and May Do I need to speak Spanish to participate in this trip? Participants are not required by the San Lucas Mission or by Campus Ministry to speak Spanish in order to take part in this trip. Typically, Marywood s groups include 1-2 Spanish-speaking participants or chaperones, which is a tremendous benefit. The Campus Ministry Office, however, does encourage all participants to be familiar with basic Spanish words and phrases. Depending on time available in the pre-trip preparation, some Spanish prep may be addressed. 7. Should I be concerned about Crime Rate/ Personal Safety while in Guatemala? In many developing countries where a majority of people live beneath the poverty level, crime rates, such as robbery, are high. This is true in Guatemala. Typically, large cities such as the capital of Guatemala City are areas of most concern. (This is true even here in the United States.) It is important when traveling abroad that group members travel with caution, but not in fear. The Campus Ministry Office and the San Lucas Mission make every effort to safely and directly transport groups from the airport in Guatemala City to San Lucas Toliman, limiting time spent in the capital city to time spent in the airport. Our groups do not stay in Guatemala City or visit areas in Guatemala City. They are picked up by vans or buses coordinated by San Lucas Mission. San Lucas Toliman is approximately 2 hours from the capital city. It is a relatively safe area with limited crime, perhaps due to the Mission s presence and work done to improve the lives of the people. Many, many international groups travel to San Lucas without encountering crime.

4 Marywood University s Campus Ministry Office considers the safety of our students, staff and faculty as our top priority when coordinating international service trip programs. Our office takes precautionary measures to ensure as much as possible the safety and health of our groups. 1. The Campus Ministry Office makes every effort to coordinate international service trips with credible, established programs in foreign countries. The programs we work with hold the safety of visiting groups as a top priority and take every possible precaution to ensure the safety of our groups. 2. The Campus Ministry Office registers every group s travel itinerary with the State Department. 3. The Campus Ministry Office maintains copies of important travel documentation 4. The Campus Ministry Office includes the following materials as part of the international service trip program pre-trip preparation: a. All trip participants provide photocopies of their signed passports b. All trip participants provide one color photocopy of their signed passport, which is notarized on campus. All participants are instructed to carry this on their person during their stay abroad in lieu of their original passports, which are secured at with the program hosts during the group s stay. c. The Campus Ministry Office arranges international emergency health/medical coverage for all group members through MEDEX. All participants carry their own id cards with them throughout their travel. d. The Campus Ministry Office includes Review of Safety Precautions for Travel Abroad in its pre-trip program preparation meetings. The link to the State Department s web resources about travel safety abroad 5. The Campus Ministry office maintains a list of Contact Information in Case of Emergency for every participant of every group. 6. The Campus Ministry Office coordinates every international trip with at least two (2) faculty/staff chaperones (approx. 1 chaperone for every 5 students in a group). a. Sr Donna Korba, IHM, is a trip chaperone for the San Lucas Mission program in Guatemala. Sr Donna lived and worked in Guatemala for more than 10 years before returning to the US as the Director of Peace and Justice for the IHM Congregation. She speaks Spanish fluently and is very familiar with the country and culture of Guatemala. 8. What type of interaction will we have with the people of San Lucas? San Lucas Mission hosts international groups like ours throughout the year, and has done so for nearly 40 years. Their program is very well established and organized in order to accommodate groups, often multiple working groups at the same time. Working groups may consist of colleges, churches, or other long-term volunteers. Because of this history, the indigenous people of San Lucas are very familiar with international groups visiting and serving alongside them. They are very open to the groups, and interaction with the local families and their children is encouraged and welcomed. Often this interaction happens informally as groups walk through town, wait for transportation to/from worksites, and attend Mass or other local activities.

5 Additionally, ALL of the service opportunities coordinated by the Mission are facilitated and overseen by indigenous people; therefore, all worksites will be supervised by Spanish-speaking people. This provides the opportunity to work alongside the local people. 9. What is a typical day like while we are in San Lucas? Every group s experience varies based on the projects and programs that require volunteer assistance during their stay. While there is a basic schedule for each day, it is very important to be open and flexible to changes, a slower pace, and perhaps a less scheduled day than we are familiar with here in the U.S. A typical day includes breakfast served for all volunteer groups in the Parish Hall, approximately 8AM. Following that, groups go out to their morning service project assignment through lunch. All groups then return to the Parish Hall for lunch, after which groups then go out to their afternoon service project (which could be a continuation of the morning, or could be a different project). Usually, there is some unscheduled down time between lunch and the afternoon projects. Groups return to San Lucas Mission early evening, perhaps between 3Pm-4Pm, clean up, perhaps have some free time, and then gather once again in the Parish Hall for dinner. The Mission does not organize structured programming in the Evenings. Our group does gather each evening for group prayer, reflection and processing of the day, which can last approx 1-2 hours --- every group is different. Other Notes: The Mission does coordinate an Orientation Session for all groups upon arrival, and some groups also have participated in one or more evening discussions facilitated by Fr Greg Schaffer at the Mission. All groups present at the Mission are assigned to help with meal clean up on a rotating schedule. All meals are prepared and served by the Mission staff. The Winter Break Trip travels to San Lucas during the festive New Years season. Because of this, there is more down time or days off, as the Mission does not work on holidays New Year s Eve/New Year s Day. The Mission typically does not work on weekends either, sometimes half days on Saturdays. Marywood groups typically travel to Chichicastenango for 1-2 days while they are in Guatemala. This is a historically and culturally significant area of Guatemala, with a world-renowned market. This provides the group with a culturally-rich experience. While there, the group stays at Internado de Ninas Indigenas / Centro Educative Anunciat, the residential school for indigenous boys and girls. This is the school where Sr Donna Korba, IHM, served for more than 10 years. NOTE: The school is not in session during this time. 9 A. What type(s) of service projects do groups participate in while in San Lucas?

6 San Lucas Mission does prepare a tentative itinerary for all groups based on their skills and areas of expertise. For example, a group so nurses or doctors / medical students might volunteer their entire time in the Mission s clinic or pharmacy. Other general volunteer groups, like ours, are scheduled to participate in a variety of activities sponsored by the Mission. Every group that has traveled to San Lucas Mission has 1) picked/harvested/ assisted with the coffee cooperative 2) assisted with planting, fertilizer prep or preparing seedlings for the reforestation project 3) assisted with at least one building project a home, the women s center, the library In addition to this, groups have assisted with a variety of projects such as 1) painting walls or furniture in the school 2) organizing donated books for the school and library 3) organizing donated medical supplies for the clinic During winter break, the schools in Guatemala are on break, so our groups have not volunteered directly in the classrooms or facilitated projects for groups of children. 10. What are the room/board accommodations like at San Lucas Mission? Do we need to bring food? San Lucas Mission coordinates with local, family-run hotels to house all groups. Each hotel is set up differently, so it is impossible to share exactly what the room/board accommodations will be. Basically, though, the hotels are similar to a boarding house or hostel, with common gathering space, bedrooms that can accommodate anywhere from 2 5 people in each, shared bathrooms, and showers are possible based on water availability. The hotels are basic, but comfortable. San Lucas Mission s staff provides all meals. They prepare some meals that give volunteers a taste of local foods, but always have items like peanut butter and jelly for those who choose not to try local fare. Overall, groups do not need to bring their own food; however, we do suggest that participants that have dietary restrictions or healthrelated concerns plan to pack items that they can eat safely. Groups are directed NOT TO EAT foods prepared by street vendors, as they can cause illness.