Summer 2004 Mission Information

The following is provided to help answer general questions about this mission and is intended for those who have not been on previous missions with us.

The dates for the summer mission are listed below. An optional return date is available for those who want to return upon completion of the daily clinics and do not desire to stay for the 2 days in Antigua for rest and relaxation (R&R). 

Our mission takes us into the hill country around the town of Chimaltenango some 90 miles west of the capital of Guatemala City. We will conduct family field clinics for five days in the surrounding pueblos or aldeas. Our patients are almost exclusively indigenous Maya and most have only a small amount of Spanish. These clinic teams consist of doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, translators, pharmacists and technicians. Each of the four clinic teams will have between one and two non-medical (lay) personnel to assist with registration and patient flow. Depending on the availability of dentist(s) and optometrist(s), we will augment our teams with these specialties.

Plans are for one of the four teams to travel on to Quetzaltenango in the high mountain country for the week (to elevations above 9000 ft.) This is an exceptionally demanding mission and for only the fittest folks. Living conditions are very difficult.

The three medical site teams staying in the Chimaltenango area will stay at La Villa in the town of El Tejar. This is the hotel used in past missions and is located on the Pan-American highway. Everyone will have a double room or triple if requested with private bath. Water is warm, rooms are reasonably clean, and toilets are operational. The food is very good - well prepared and tasty.

We will provide all the purified bottle water you will need throughout the mission. You do not want to consume tap water at any time.

We will incorporate a very small construction mission.

Everyone pays their round trip airfare to and from the U.S. to Guatemala City. You can expect this to be in the neighborhood of $550. You will also be expected to cover your hotel for the last three nights in Antigua as well as your meals. At this time, the hotel will be around $150 per person for three days based on double occupancy. An airline and departure point has not been chosen as yet. Group air travel will most likely use Continental Airlines from Pensacola or Delta from Atlanta.

This is a Christ centered mission and we are all Christian missionaries expected to conduct ourselves as such. The mission fund will cover the cost of our medicines, in-country room & board, in-country travel, construction and other miscellaneous mission expenses. As missionaries, we are obligated to go out and help raise the dollars for the mission fund. A mission of this size will cost around $22,000 to $25,000. We need everyone's help in raising money; otherwise, we do not have a mission. You are requested to approach your church or other civic organizations to help raise funds for the Guatemalan Mission Fund, Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast.

This is a working mission and can be very demanding. You should be in good health and ready to bend to the conditions. You must be independent of others; able to carry the load. Unfortunately, we have had folks on past missions with physical infirmities which have posed problems for themselves and others.

You will need a passport, but no visa. While you do not require any immunizations, we highly recommend that you have DPT and Hep A & B. You will not need an anti-malarial prophylactic for the part of Guatemala we will be working in unless you are one of the small group that goes to the lowlands of eastern Guatemala.

Our mission needs the following specialties:

Doctors, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Optometrists, Dentists (with their own field equipment), Pharmacists (and Techs), Spanish translators, Clergy and Construction specialists.

Please realize that this type of mission work is not for everyone; however if you feel the Lord is calling you to this mission field, then please contact us. We will be happy to answer your questions.

2003 Summer Mission Report