Prayer/Itinerary Log

July 6: Arrival in Guatemala City 8:15pm. PRAY for safe and efficient travel for the group and patience and wisdom for the leaders of the group, good health for all travelers and openness for all travelers to new cultures and ideas

July 7-9: Time with CASAS (Central American Study and Service) in Guatemala City

http://semilla.mennonite.net/ingles/CASAS/casas.html PRAY for the CASAS program, leaders and volunteers

July 10: Start time with MCC. Leave for Lake Atitlan area - travel to Panajachel in van (3-4 hours), lunch there and then take a boat across the lake to Santiago Atitlan/Panabaj where our partner organization ANADESA is located. Community tour with ANADESA and meet host families. PRAY for good travel weather and the host families which will be hosting our group and good rest

July 11-12: Time with community of ANADESA - small work project, time with children, host families, time to enjoy the lake, shop some, etc. Nights with host families. PRAY for the ANADESA partner organization and the work project that the MYF does is a blessing to the local community

July 13: Travel from Santiago Atitlan to San Marcos (about 4 hours in microvan); lunch and meeting with Nate upon arrival to learn about context and issues in San Marcos and hear about the project out there. We will also be able to meet with someone from the Catholic Diocese who works with a group called "Human Movement Pastoral" about the immigration issue and how it is affecting that area. We would then travel out to Sibinal (2 hours in microvan) where we would spend a night at a hotel there. PRAY for the work of the Catholic Diocese and the Human Movement Pastoral group and those in Guatemala and this specific area affected by immigration issues

July 14: AM work project in Sibinal. This is the main town/market area in the municipality of Sibinal where residents of the outlying communities come to shop, sell, etc. Nate and his co-workers who spend most of their time working in communities in community development projects focused on food security and small business agricultural projects, often meet here to make plans for the projects. They are in the process of starting to build an office space for their project in Sibinal, to have a more central location to meet, and have asked if the group would be interested in supporting them in this process. It is my understanding that they have not started yet, so we would help them in the initial stages of the construction process for most of the day on the 14th. Around 4:30 pm we would travel out to one of the communities called La Vega del Volcan (1.5 hours in bus) where the project has a community cooperative. We would have dinner and a cultural/talent night with the community where the group would be asked to share something - songs, readings, skit, get-to-know you type of activity/game to teach the community, etc. These types of activities are always quite entertaining and interesting! Night would be with host families. PRAY for strength for the youth and leaders as they serve and work on the service project and continuing good health and safe travel

July 15: Breakfast and time with host families in the morning, followed by a tour of the community and a chance to learn about the project and issues that are affecting the community. The project is a co-op which is mainly growing trout to sell in larger markets (the area has a lot of fresh water supplies) and they are also in the process of building a tourist center to host groups that come to the area to hike the 2 volcanoes that are nearby - the 2 highest points in Central America. This community has been heavily affected by immigration as 75% or so of all men have spent time either working in Mexico or in the U.S. The afternoon would be time for some activities with the youth from the community - more get-to-know you type of games and a soccer and/or basketball game, depending on what the group is most interested in playing. We would then return back to Sibinal in a bus to spend the night at the same hotel. PRAY for all those in this area significantly affected by immigration issues and for good listening and learning from the group

July 16: 6:30 am bus back to San Marcos (2 hours), breakfast there and then another bus back to Guatemala City (5 hours); this would be the longest travel day. Dinner/night at SEMILLA. PRAY for safe and efficient travel for the group and patience and wisdom for the leaders of the group and for those travelers and locals they come in contact with during the day

July 17: Activity with youth from various Mennonite churches in Guatemala City PRAY for wisdom and learning as our MYF interact with the local youth and for God’s blessing on the Mennonite Churches in Guatemala City

July 18: Hike Pacaya Volcano, depending on how things progress with the volcano, and/or visit tourist town of Antigua. Debriefing/evaluation time with MCC either this evening or the night before. PRAY for patience and rest and regeneration time for the group as they explore this area

July 19: Departure from Guatemala City at 8:40am, arrival in Chicago at 6:25pm. PRAY for safe and efficient travel for the group and patience and wisdom for the leaders of the group