Where We Work: GUATEMALA

Do you have a sense of adventure and a desire to serve in Latin America? Would you like to live a simple life style close to the people and share your faith and talents with the poor? Would you like to work on a pastoral team and live in a small community with other lay missioners? If so, we would like to invite you to consider joining us in our new mission work in Guatemala.

Our newest lay mission site is located in the Peten region of Guatemala. The Peten region is a tropical area of northern Guatemala where there is much poverty and underdevelopment.

San Luis: What's it like?
In 2004, the Comboni Missionaries took responsibility for the Parish of San Luis in the town of the same name. The town is located in the rural Peten area close to the border with Belize. It is a couple hours drive to the town of Flores and the area where the famous ruins of Tikal are located. 

The Parish has 140 villages, 120 of which are made up of the peoples of the Q’eqchi’ (pronounced kek’-chi) tribe. It may seem therefore that the villages are very close together, but they were settled by foot and it takes time to walk through the rain forest. There is no electricity or water in most of the villages, and because of their remoteness, the trek to each can take hours. 

Parish Clinic: The mission doctors train others to help the villagers with health problems. These trainees are volunteers and are generally from the villages. The volunteers treat those who they can and send the rest to the clinic or the hospital.

The most common health problems are scabies (a parasite which burrows under the skin and causes itching), malaria and worms. But there are many injuries to the villagers, mostly from the machetes they use to clear the land. 

School for Mayan Women: In the town of San Luis is the Central Maya Asunción, an education center for young Mayan women that is run by the Assumption Sisters. 

At the school, Mayan women from the outlying villages can take elementary and junior high classes, and learn skills, especially in farming. There are classes in animal husbandry, baking, handicrafts, music lessons with the marimba or guitar, and gardening. The women earn money by selling the goods they have made at the center. 

This education is extremely important because the women are able to return to their villages and help their families and neighbors with the knowledge they have received. The school also provides Spanish classes, which are important in this area where most of the people speak Mayan.

What Kind of Work Would You Do?
We would like to establish a team of at least 3 lay missioners who would be part of the pastoral team working here. They could work in health care, education, youth organizations, job skill training, community organizing, sports, and pastoral work with catechists. A high priority would be for doctors and health care workers to staff the parish clinic and to periodically visit the outlying villages.

What Kind of Candidates Are We Looking For?
We are looking for candidates with some skills and experience in the following areas:

• Basic skills in Spanish (The new lay missioners will have three-four months of language school at the Maryknoll Institute in Cochabamba, Bolivia before beginning their assignment in Guatemala.) 

• Some experience working with parish and/or community groups.

• Skills and talents in education, health care, job training, parish youth ministry, and community development.

What Does The Comboni Lay Mission Program Provide?

• Preparation: We provide a solid 14-week preparation for mission program at our Center in LaGrange Park, IL. It includes classes and workshops in mission theology, skills for cross-cultural living, area studies, methods of popular education, communication and team building skills, mission spirituality, and community.

• Language Training: New lay missioners assigned to Guatemala will have three months of Spanish and Latin American Studies at the Maryknoll Language Institute in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

• Orientation and Ongoing Support: A Comboni priest working at the mission site will serve as a mentor and advisor for the lay missioners. The lay missioners will also be part of a pastoral team made up of missionary priests, sisters, and local lay leaders.

• Room and Board: Housing is provided for the lay missioners, along with a monthly stipend for personal expenses and for food. (Approximately $100 for personal expenses and $100 for food expenses.) The lay missioners also receive an annual allowance of $300 for professional growth, retreat, and vacation expenses.

• Health Insurance and Other Benefits: Lay missioners are provided health insurance and transportation to and from the mission site in Guatemala. Upon successful completion of their three-year contract, they will also receive $1800 for relocation expenses.

How Do You Take the Next Step?
If you would be interested in serving as a lay missioner for three years in San Luis, Guatemala, please take a look at our Requirements for Admission. If you think you meet the requirements, fill out the Preliminary Form and we can begin to discuss the possibilities.

See other site descriptions: Peru, Kenya

Images from San Luis:

To see more images of San Luis, visit the website of St. Lawrence,  the San Luis sister parish in Lawrenceburg, IN