Will there be cell phone coverage?
Some people have international cell phone plans, so they are able to use their own phones. There are phones at The Project you can use if there is an emergency. Also, many of our volunteers buy cheap local cell phones, which can call the US. A cheap cell phone can cost as little as US$15 and includes some pre-loaded minutes.
Is computer access available?
Yes. There are computers at The Project for volunteers to use. Also, Antigua has many cheap internet cafes, where volunteers can connect with friends and family back home.
Do we need to take malaria medication before our trip?
Antigua is located in the mountains (elevation is over 5,000 ft), so malaria isn’t a problem here. If you plan on spending a lot of time at the beach, you may want to consider taking extra precautions to avoid malaria, such as deep woods bug spray and sleeping in mosquito netting.
Will we be able to meet the children we sponsor?
Yes, if you let us know ahead of time, we can arrange a meeting for you.
How many homes will we be building?
Generally, each ServiceTeam is broken down into building teams of 4 or 5 members. So if you have 16 members on your ServiceTeam, your goup will build a total of 4 houses over the course of 3 days.
How many host families will we be staying with?
Depending on availability, teams are paired up with anywhere from 1 or 2 ServiceTeam members per host family to as many as 9 in one house. ServiceTeam members will all have their own beds, and depending on availability, married couples may be able to share a bed.
Do you have an emergency contact number in Guatamala in case someone back home needs to reach us?
You will receive a list of emergency numbers when your trip has been fully registered. Be sure to give those numbers to your family before you depart.
Do we have to bring suitcases down from The GOD’S CHILD Project office?
In order to save on shipping costs, teams from North Dakota will often bring suitcases filled with donations and supplies to Guatemala. You may be given suitcases to bring back up to the office, but if not, feel free to use the additional suitcases for your own personal souvenirs. Just remember to bring the empty suitcase back to the Bismarck office.
What fundraising projects have other teams completed?
Some groups write personal letters to their friends, family, and community businesses in order to raise funds for their trip. Others have dinners, have a carwash, sell crafts, and have other fun fundraising ideas to fund their trips. If you would like help with some fundraising ideas, we are happy to get in touch with you. While the idea of fundraising may be intimidating to groups, many end up raising more than they actually need for their trip, and will end up donating the excess money to the children of The GOD’S CHILD Project.
What Clothes, tools, or medicines should be gathered for the trip, and how much of each?
See our Donations page of the website
Would sending money be more beneficial than the ServiceTeam work?
The GOD’S CHILD Project, like most charities around the world, are coming out of some extremely tough financial years. Financial donations are important and always valued, however it is just as important to us that members of the global community are experiencing service in an engaging and meaningful way. Giving those people from the United States and around the world a way to connect with and serve the poor is just as important as financial donations. The hope is that once you have connected with the mothers and children of The GOD’S CHILD Project, you will return to your home community where you will keep the people of The GOD’S CHILD Project in mind when making charitable contributions.
What additional preparations need to be made if a service team serves during the rainy season?
Actually, the majority of our ServiceTeams come down during the rainy season, so all of the preparations will be made beforehand. The rainy season usually works in a way that it will rain very hard for a couple of hours and then it will be fine for several hours, then rainy for a few, leading up to nighttime where it will probably go all night. The hours that we have teams building are the hours that it usually stays pretty dry.- Building homes is the only aspect that could be affected by the rain, and even if it does rain while you are building, the schedule is set up so that everything will be completed.
What do we need to do reserve to these dates for our trip?
Contact The GOD’S CHILD Project to pre-register your group and reserve dates. We recommend reserving your preferred dates 6-12 months in advance, as many groups reserve their next year dates shortly after returning home from their most recent ServiceTeam trip.
Do the host families speak English?
One major source of income for these families is to be a ‘Host Family’. Therefore, the families house hundreds of people from all over the world every single year. This means that at least one person in most of the families will be able to communicate the important things in English. Many of our families have Spanish students staying with them as well, so they can avoid English if you want to practice your Spanish as much as possible.
