Project Salud y Paz and its U.S. counterpart, International Hands in Service, seek a talented and capable Director to lead the Susanna Wesley School. Project Salud y Paz has served over 100,000 people in its two medical and dental clinics and school since 2001. It is a joint mission of International Hands in Service, The United Methodist Church and the Iglesia Evangélica Metodista Nacional Primitiva de Guatemala. The school was begun in 2009.

Nearly 75% of Guatemala’s Mayan people live in extreme poverty, subsisting on an average income of less than $1 each day. Guatemala’s governmental institutions are unable to meet the medical, dental, social and educational needs of its rural, indigenous populations. Salud y Paz is able to provide high-quality, low-cost services to bridge the gap in services and help build bright futures for the Mayan people of this region.

The Director oversees all aspects of the operations and planning for the Susanna Wesley School and reports to the Executive Director of the project. The school currently has three classrooms with 54 students enrolled in preschool to first grade. There are currently 3 teachers, a part time physical education teacher, and one aide. In addition there are three staff in the kitchen and an Assistant Director.

Applicants for the position of Director Susanna Wesley School should be experienced in education, school administration, or other educational related field. Applicants are asked to make a minimum two-year commitment to the school and Salud y Paz. The next School Director will be an excellent communicator; willing to be a champion of the school; a fundraiser; have a passion for education, a good supervisor and coach; a person of high ethical standards; have strong religious faith and deep compassion. He or she will be culturally sensitive and proficient at speaking or learning Spanish and committed to providing a quality educational environment where everyone, no matter his or her abilities or disabilities, will continue to learn and grow. Click to view the full Director, Susanna Wesley School Job Description.

To apply, send a résumé that includes complete information about your educational background and employment experience. Please include a cover letter that explains why you are interested in this position, how your gifts and experience make you a good fit, and what your salary needs are for living full-time in Guatemala. On a separate sheet, include the names and contact information for three professional references.

The position is open until filled but interested persons are encouraged to apply by September 1, 2014.

Please send completed electronic application materials to:

Wayne Wiley,
Executive Director
International Hands in Service, Project Salud y Paz
executivedirector@saludypaz.org
(806) 318-8747 or
011-502-5783-6306

Project Salud y Paz and its U.S. counterpart, International Hands in Service, seek a talented and capable Executive Director to lead the organization and its programs to help the indigenous Mayan people of Guatemala’s impoverished Western Highlands. Founded in 2001, Project Salud y Paz has served over 100,000 people in its two medical and dental clinics and preschool. It is a joint mission of International Hands in Service, The United Methodist Church and the Iglesia Evangélica Metodista Nacional Primitiva de Guatemala.

Nearly 75% of Guatemala’s Mayan people live in extreme poverty, subsisting on an average income of less than $1 each day. Guatemala’s governmental institutions are unable to meet the medical, dental, social and educational needs of its rural, indigenous populations. Salud y Paz is able to provide high-quality, low-cost services to bridge the gap in services and help build bright futures for the Mayan people of this region.

The Executive Director of Salud y Paz oversees the 30 local employees (including a Director of Operations) and 3-8 full-time U.S. volunteers who are headquartered in the Panajachel/Chichicastenango region of Guatemala’s Western Highlands. In addition to its resident staff and volunteers, the Executive Director ensures an impactful and productive experience for the 30+ volunteer medical, dental, surgical, and building teams who visit Salud y Paz each year. The Executive Director communicates the mission and vision of Salud y Paz with the outside community (both secular and religious), raises financial and volunteer support for its work, and develops and implements the strategies necessary to make Salud y Paz a strong and sustainable organization. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors of International Hands in Service, a 501(c)3 corporation whose purpose is to undergird and supervise this important work.

Applicants for the position of Executive Director of Salud y Paz should be experienced leaders in the business, health care or non-profit world who can make at least a three-year commitment to Salud y Paz. The next Executive Director of Salud y Paz will be an excellent communicator, a strong fundraiser, a good supervisor and coach, and a person of high ethical standards, spiritual depth, and deep compassion. He or she will be culturally sensitive, proficient at speaking or learning Spanish, and will be committed to upholding the basic principles of Salud y Paz. Click to view the complete Executive Director Job Description.

To apply, send a resumé that includes complete and chronological information about your educational background, employment experience, and religious affiliation, if any. Please include a cover letter that explains why you are interested in this position, how your gifts and experience make you a good fit, and what your financial support needs are for living full-time in Guatemala. On a separate sheet, include the names and contact information for three employment references.

The application deadline is August 1, 2014. Candidate screening, interviews and hiring will occur in late summer and early fall of 2014.

Please send completed electronic or paper application materials to:

Salud y Paz E.D. Search Committee
℅ Rev. Sanford Brown
First United Methodist Church of Seattle
180 Denny Way
Seattle WA 98109
sandy@firstchurchseattle.org

Volunteers are the backbone of Salud y Paz.  These last couple of years we have been blessed with some outstanding volunteers who have given a portion of their lives in service to the people of Guatemala by serving with Project Salud y Paz.  Kelly Cragg – Team Coordinator, Nick Gibbons – Technical Services Manager, and Erin Gibbons – Marketing Manager will be leaving service with us at the end of June.  Kelly will be getting married and moving to Houston to begin the next chapter of her life. Nick will return to begin attending graduate school in a Physician Assistant program. His wife, Erin, will work to support them while Nick is in school.

These volunteers have done so much in each of their respective positions, and each has done an outstanding job!  These volunteers don’t really get the recognition they deserve.  The most rewarding recognition is not received by accolades or plaques.  It is through the giving of their talents that they receive the rewards from knowing the people whose lives are changed and touched by their efforts.  Some say serving others is itself the best of rewards and recognition.  On behalf of everyone at Salud y Paz and all the lives that you have touched, we want to say THANK YOU!

Our volunteers often say that their lives are changed through their service to the people of Guatemala.  We are unable to move forward with the Nicks, Kellys, or Erins who give so much of themselves.  Why not take on a life-changing experience in service and become a volunteers for Salud y Paz?  For more information please contact, executivedirector@saludypaz.org or call 806-318-8747 for more information.

by Phil Plunk, Founder

For four years, Salud y Paz has worked with the University of Illinois – Chicago (UIC) Dental School to provide in-service learning for dental students. Each spring, dental interns from UIC come to Guatemala for a one-month accredited rotation to provide dental treatment to all the students in the Susanna Wesley School. The program has proven to be a great success for Salud y Paz and for the interns from UIC. Currently, we are working with UIC on the possibility of expanding the program to include a Fall Semester rotation, as well. I asked Joe Beatty, one of this year’s students, to share about his experience serving at the Salud y Paz dental clinic in Camanchaj. His story was this:

Imagine yourself shoulder-to-shoulder in a shuttle with a team of generous, skillful volunteers departing the lakeside city of Panajachel. volunteers departing from the lakeside city of Panajachel. A mixture of exhaust and dust fill your nostrils as the shuttle scales the cliffs of Guatemala and passes through the narrow streets of Solola and Los Encuentros. The sun rises in the distance, flooding the surrounding valleys and streams – a site that is truly enchanting. Eventually you arrive at a humble complex consisting of a home, school, and clinic. Hundreds of little almond eyes gaze upon you, the stranger, as you enter their “home”. Within seconds, they are at your side smiling, laughing, and reaching out to be held. The children know you are here to help and want to show their thankfulness in every way that they possibly can… that is, all of them overwhelming you except one: Nehemias.

You see, Nehemias’ story is unique. Since birth, Nehemias was afflicted with a condition called cerebral palsy, and even walking is a challenge for him. Despite the crippling condition, he faces each day with newfound appreciation and happiness. As dental volunteers, we came to educate the children about caries and how to maintain their precious teeth. Instead, Nehemias taught us a thing or two about overcoming the challenges of life.

Nehemias was not unique in the sense that all four quadrants of his mouth needed significant dental treatment. In fact, the caries rate in Guatemala is nearly 80% due to various reasons, including the need for proper dental hygiene education and severe lack of fluoridated water supply. Nehemias sat through three intense appointments without complaint. Regardless of treatment challenges, he was always smiling! In other countries, the type of treatment Nehemias received would arguably be completed in a hospital setting under general anesthesia. During treatment it was discovered that Nehemias was incapable of physically brushing his own teeth. Furthermore, his mother was never taught how to properly brush Nehemias’ teeth. The final session with Nehemias and his mother involved a great deal of education, which we hope will make a long-term improvement in Nehemias’ oral and general health.

As volunteers we were equally inspired by Nehemias’ enthusiasm – especially amongst his peers. During recess time, we joined the children for soccer in the dirt, swinging on handmade swings, and other activities. Many of the children were chasing and tackling one another in the courtyard. Off to the side you might still find Nehemias smiling, laughing, and outstretching his arms… waiting to be hugged.

Thanks to Joe for sharing his story and to all of this year’s students for giving their time to serve in Guatemala.

Consider Serving with Project Salud y Paz

Salud y Paz is in need of additional long-term volunteers. Are you a people person? Good at technology? Medically trained? A handyman (or handywoman)? Do you enjoy serving with mission teams? Whatever your interests, skills, and gifts, you could find a place with Salud y Paz.

Service to the underserved is a fulfilling experience, a great way to spend any part of your life, whether you’re retired, just finished college, or are between jobs.

If you feel God is calling you to service in another country, please consider contacting us.For more information on open positions and what it’s like to serve in Guatemala, visit our Volunteer Page and contact executivedirector@saludypaz.org.

by Phil Plunk, Founder
When I started Project Salud y Paz in 2001, my goal was to run a small medical and dental clinic for the Mayan people of Guatemala. I envisioned a small staff of one nurse, one office registrar, one general physician, and I would do the dental work.

Over the years the project has grown into something beyond what I could even think to imagine. Sounds biblical doesn’t it? It is biblical; and God has opened many, many doors for the people of Guatemala. I have been changed. Many others have been changed. Literally tens of thousands of people have received medical and dental care. Thousands of volunteers have come to help from the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Over and over the volunteers tell how giving of themselves has changed their lives, their reason for living. Tucked into my Bible I recently found a note from a volunteer from several years ago. I wanted to share it with you.

My very own special mission, Salud y Paz

My name is Barbara Travis from New Smyrna Beach, FL. I feel very honored to be chosen to spend my time with very special people in Guatemala. I am very passionate about Salud y Paz and their mission. I receive far more from the time I spend with my special friends than I ever give with my material gifts. I am already looking forward to our next trip. I work hard getting donations, etc., but I truly believe when you give, you always receive back more. Salud y Paz, thanks a million times over for the work you are doing in Guatemala. I am honored to be a part of your team.

Barbara Travis

As I write this, Barbara is with us in Camanchaj on her seventh trip. If you, too, have been touched, we would love to hear how Salud y Paz has affected your life. Please share your stories with us. Send us an email and a picture or two.

by Katie Slagle, Community Health and Surgery Coordinator

My first trip to Guatemala was three years ago when I decided to spend a week volunteering to get a feel for what medical care looked like in a developing nation. Throughout the week, I not only learned a lot about medical care, but I also learned a great deal about Guatemala. I fell in love with the Mayan culture and the simple, yet joyful lives of the Mayan people. The image that stuck with me and kept me coming back was the beauty of this country contrasted with the terrible poverty.

A year after my first visit to Guatemala, I returned with my church, the Florida State University Wesley Foundation. Several of us spent the week in a village called Chontala, which happens to be about 5 miles from the Salud y Paz clinic in Camanchaj. On my second trip, the things that I had fallen in love with a year earlier were only reaffirmed. When I left Chontala I did not see myself returning to Guatemala in the near future because I had graduated and was now in the “real world”. I needed to get a job and start paying the bills. So I did. I got a job at a dialysis clinic and began “real life”.

But then everything changed.

Last February, four of my friends from FSU decided to move to Chontala for the summer to teach English and computer literacy. From the moment I found out they were going to Guatemala, I became restless. On my first trip, I learned about the lack of healthcare and what was being done to try and fulfill this need. On my second, I saw firsthand the need for medical care out in the rural village and became friends with those people who needed it. As a nurse, I knew this was a problem I could help solve. I made the hard decision to quit my job and move to Guatemala.

My first week in the country I met Heather Nielsen, the previous Community Health and Surgery Coordinator. We got to talking, and it turned out she worked for Salud y Paz. Heather invited me to volunteer with the Las Amigas women’s health education program. After a few months, my role expanded and Heather trained me as the new Community Health and Surgery Coordinator. Soon after, Heather returned to the States to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice. And now here I am, having already lived in Guatemala for eight months. I have enjoyed my experience so far and am very excited to see what is in store for the future.