I can't wait 'til you guys have your "A-HA" moment. - Maisey B.

Hello Loyal Readers, 

 This Guatemala Service team has been moving and shaking all over Lake Atitlan, Panajachel, and back to Antigua! 

We spent Saturday and Sunday traveling up and down the mountain ,shopping, and enjoying the beautiful vistas at one of the most incredible Mayan ruins called Iximche and up at Lake Atitlan which is on the 1000 places to see list, so we have about 999 left! Your faithful travelers learned the art of haggling while purchasing many things for their family and friends! We checked into our hotel at the lake for the night and hit the town at The Sunset Cafe, where we were able to dance and have a great time with the whole group! Arriving back to the hotel we gathered the group around the campfire and had a pre reflection for the next 3 days and the rest of our time here! Realizing that Guatemala is a special place with incredible people, we dove into what they would see at their work sites and how amazing they are for being on this trip. Our past trip participants spoke about their feelings about the trip and their hopes for the newbies! Maisey said it best, " I can't wait ‘til you have your "A-ha" moment! They group was tired from the schedule and traveling but they are happy to be here and continue to "wow" the chaperones with their willingness, love of service, and, positive attitude. 

Marianne Dwyer, our trip coordinator who has worked so tirelessly to prepare us to get to this point, shared a beautiful reading with us by Marianne Williamson, and gave us some really cool worry dolls to put under our pillows to take all of our worries and fears away! Going to bed that night, we could tell that we would have an incredible building experience! 

Day 1 of building is always fun. We get to dig, mix and pour cement and put our construction skills to the test! I bet you didn't know that your trip goers had construction skills… well you do now! In addition to that, we learned the importance of a foundation, and how it's a metaphor not only for a house, but for us as a group and as young people in the community. Strong foundations make sturdy houses that last over 40 years. Each house that Nuestros Ahijados builds promises to last for 40 years or more! 

Arriving home on day 1 we were covered in cement, dirt, and still all smiles and can’t wait for day 2! 

You are not here by accident; you are here for a reason...

..you are changing your life, by changing others lives. - J.Arevalo

From day one of planning for the Guatemala service trip, we knew one thing.. That we were going to build a house. What we didn't know was that Guatemala was going to change us, help us make 25 new friends, teach us how to walk like pros on colonial cobblestone and prepare us for the beautiful colors and sights that surround us. 

It's always incredible to see young people from different schools, backgrounds and neighborhoods bond and start to break down those walls! Watching the conversations take place and friendships form make this narrator/director very happy. 

While we wish you were here, I'm going to try to do my best to recap all the greatness! 

Day one: is a blur! It was filled with head counts, airports, terminal numbers and countless questions...landing in Guatemala made it all worthwhile. The familiar drive for some of us from Guatemala City, to Antigua was a chance to show off Teens, Inc's. "home away from home”.  Arriving in Candelaria (a neighborhood in Antigua)  to our host families was exciting to say the least. As some of us had been awake for so long, it would of been incredible to fall asleep.. Of course we had a different plan! We went over to the Dreamer Center, the school and offices where Nuestros Ahijados is located, and had orientation with Jose Arevalo-Director, Saùl- our tour guide and best buddy, Rina- volunteer coordinator and Kendall- Director of Service Teams. 

Orientation is a mixture of feeling proud for getting to Guatemala and all the months of fundraising, collecting and preparing have paid off, paired with feeling motivated to start our work... Hearing our schedule for the week, and getting our money prepared to exchange was first on the list along with reminders about not drinking the water and making sure we take care of ourselves! 

After orientation we were able to grab our extra things out of the larger suitcases and we were back with our host families for dinner. After dinner we hit the town for some fun, and dessert! 

Day 2: After an incredible nights sleep, we were up early to exchange money, and have a fun day in the middle of Antigua, hanging out at Central Park (seriously) and doing a little bit of shopping! Our plan for the day was either to Zipline or to go on a hike to the Hill of the Cross and see the beautiful sights of all of Antigua!  Everyone had an incredible time and enjoyed a fun game of soccer after both activities! 

Our evening activities included heading over to the sky café and was filled with giggles, smoothies, and giant plates of nachos! 

We are so happy to be here and have an amazing day #3 ahead of us! 

We Have Arrived!

Families and Friends, 

We have arrived safely! Our plan landed around 1pm, U.S. Time. Loading and unloading 38 suitcases is a huge challenge!  We were all exhausted and starving! We were treated to a pizza lunch and now we are getting oriented at the God's Child Project and reuniting with some old friends!! 

 Everyone is safe, happy and very excited to begin their journey!  I will update the blog tomorrow! 

Lots of love to you all, 

Arianna Neromiliotis, Director

And We're Off!

Early on July 1st, Teenagers, Inc. Guatemala service team boarded a bus to Newark Airport. Thank you to our donors, community, friends ,and family for helping us get this far.

Suitcases of Service

Greetings Readers,

   In one week we are headed to one of the most magical places in Central America! Antigua, Guatemala! Teenagers, Inc. has been traveling to the wonderful city for 7 years.  Each year when we begin recruiting, every meeting starts with a story, a memory, and a suitcase. We talk a lot of about bringing a big suitcase, and filling it with supplies to donate (medical, clothing, baby items, etc) Last night, is when the reality of leaving always gets real.

We packed 33 suitcases, in 4 hours, fueled on pizza, cupcakes, and the love of service. Even through a torrential downpour, and tons of thunder and lightening we were able to watch the world light up with that incredible orange glow just as we finished up.

Guatemala has always been a big part of our programming, often times we are asked what makes each year so different, and why we keep going back.  This year is different, we have a ton of new kids and some new parents to expose the greatness of Guatemala to, This director is excited to see their faces light up, when we see the sights, answer the questions about the things they see, watch them come home from their first hard day of house building, and watch them inspire their friends to come back with us next year! We go back every year because the young people that fuel our programs want to, and ask about it!