Are you interested in bringing a mission team to Guatemala? Project Salud y Paz hosts approximately 20 mission teams each year, and we would love to partner with you! Contact our Team Coordinator to get started today.

We currently host medical, dental, surgery, and construction mission teams on a regular basis. Many medical or dental teams also do optical work. Some teams focus on working with our Colegio Susanna Wesley students and the children of Camanchaj.

Our staff will work with your team leaders to schedule your team’s trip and set an itinerary. We will arrange all in-country lodging, transportation, most meals, translation, and the logistics of your service in Guatemala. Does your team have a variety of skills? Great! We will work with you to find the best fit for your team’s skills, abilities, and interests. Most of our teams do more than one area of work. Do you have a service idea other than what’s listed below? Let us know! For more information, contact our Team Coordinator.

 

Rural Medical

Rural Medical Teams provide an opportunity for Guatemalan people living in rural villages to receive medical care they wouldn’t be able to afford or access otherwise. Families can see a doctor, receive medication, and if necessary, be referred to one of our clinics for ongoing care. Our medical teams help identify patients who need a more regularly scheduled care plan. Teams consist of providers (doctors, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants), nurses, and other medical or non-medical personnel. Teams stay in Panajachel or Chichicastenango and serve the villages surrounding those larger communities. All supplies and medications are packed in suitcases and are brought with the team each day. Teams set up a triage station, doctors’ offices, pharmacy, and follow-up education stations in schools, community buildings, or churches in local communities.  For more information about bringing a Rural Medical Team to Guatemala, contact our Team Coordinator.

The video below gives you an idea of what a Rural Medical Team day looks like!

 

Rural Dental

Rural Dental Teams address chronic dental issues in Guatemala. Providing dental care in the rural villages gives people an affordable opportunity to have teeth pulled or receive fillings. Without dental teams, rotting teeth and cavities often go untreated and can become dangerous. Teams consist of dentists, assistants, and other dental or non-dental personnel. Similar to our Rural Medical Teams, dental teams stay in Chichicastenango or Panajachel and serve the villages surrounding those larger communities. Corrugated plastic dental chairs are provided by Salud y Paz and assembled by the team at each site. All supplies and medications are packed in suitcases and are brought with the team each day. For more information about bringing a Rural Dental Team to Guatemala, contact our Team Coordinator.

 

Surgery

Hernia patients and women patients especially face long waiting periods in the Mayan highlands due to lack of safe and trusted surgery centers in the area. Please help us strive to provide life-changing operations! For information on putting together surgery teams, click here. For questions of more information about bringing a Surgery Team to Guatemala, contact our Team Coordinator.

 

Construction

Construction Teams are a key part of our ministry of presence in the rural communities of the Maya highlands.  Through this ministry, we can focus on building relationships and buildings in our communities. Projects include building cinder block walls, mixing concrete, stuccoing, painting, carpentry and more.  For more information about bringing a Construction Team to Guatemala, contact our Team Coordinator.

 

Children’s Activities

Some teams choose to bring a group of volunteers who organize games, songs, and other activities for children, as part of their mission week. Generally, these volunteers are paired with a Rural Medical, Rural Dental or Construction Team. The activities fit into the children’s already scheduled curriculum. The number of children who attend will vary but can be more than 200. In recent years, we have seen numbers of participating children up to 300! This is a great way to reach out to the students of the Colegio Susanna Wesley Preschool, the children in Camanchaj and the rural communities, to create relationships, and to share faith and fun. For more information contact our Team Coordinator.