Hello, my name is Gionni Gutierrez, and I recently went on the Guatemala Service and Justice trip, which I will be telling you about in this article.
Day 1 – Airport and Welcome Dinner
When we arrived in Guatemala, we got picked up by a spectacular bus which had lights inside, a speaker, and was painted blue with beige stripes. We then drove for about 4 hours, got to see a truck parade with trucks that had lights and funny horn sounds. One truck played “Baby Shark” by Pinkfong with its horn for us, and we very much enjoyed it. After our entertaining drive, we got to Cedracc (the facility we would be staying at) and received our welcome dinner. After dinner we received our cabin assignments, and my cabin had its own bathroom, and cool roommates.
Day 2 – Working with Women in Pregnancy
On Day 2, we worked with women experiencing pregnancy, listening to fears they had. We were assisted by medical professionals who worked to inform them on what was best to eat, and what to do to keep their baby healthy. We also learned that these women don’t have quick access to the main hospital, so they informed us on who they would immediately reach out to in labor in order to get to the hospital quickly. Unfortunately, some of these women don’t know some of these facts about pregnancy because they are not a priority for the medical society in Guatemala. This put in prospective for me how fortunate pregnant women in America are for getting taught basic facts and having hospitals at a close distance from them.
One student who went with me on the trip, Tristan Quintana ’26 said:
“I feel compassionate for the women, and I feel blessed for the overall life I have.”
After working with those in pregnancy, we went back to Cedracc, and played soccer in the cloudy weather surrounding Guatemala.
Day 3 – Working with New Mothers and Cleaning Trails
On Day 3, we worked with new mothers. We wrote down our own examples of what high and low self-esteem is, for these women, to give them an idea of what each esteem is. We then received balloons from the staff at the site and we wrote inspiring messages on them, such as with my message, “You are intelligent,” but I put mine in Spanish because I wanted the woman who received mine to truly understand it. Then, we carried down bags of rice, oil and food for the women down to the bus. The new mothers and pregnant women had no transportation to come to us, so we provided the bus we use to travel to different areas, to them. The women were very delighted by our acts of kindness and compassion, as could be seen through their bright smiles. We then cleaned several trails in the area for transport by raking them, making their paths smooth, and although it was a long walk up to do so, it was very much worth it.
Noah Zafereo ’26 who went with us said about the experience:
“Writing encouraging messages for the new mothers of Guatemala was a phenomenal experience because it allowed me to bring a source of purpose and meaning to mothers through the gift of my words. Messages as simple as ‘You are beautiful’ or ‘You have meaning’ carry a strong significance to these mothers and assists in boosting their self esteem.”
Day 4 (Farming, Planting Crops and a Soccer Game with Community Members
On Day 4, we did some farming, planting, and played soccer. We farmed and planted crops like onions, greens, and created a greenhouse. It was a lot of work in the sun, but we powered through. After we ate lunch, we played soccer with the workers of the community, and I was personally very excited about it. We ended up having mixed teams and my team was called “Champions,” but in Spanish, we were called “Championess.” We ended up winning the tournament, with two wins and zero losses. It was overall a very fun day, with farming and playing soccer with the locals since it felt like we were forming a strong brotherhood. Afterwards, we had s’mores with the workers and ended the night with a campfire where Coach Hickman told us intense football stories.
Day 5 – Learning About Mulch and Using a Homemade Pesticide)
On Day 5, we learned how to make a homemade pesticide, and it is made from detergent, ash and water. We were amazed at the pesticide making process since it involved no chemicals. We mixed it for 15 minutes, and then we loaded it into a pesticide sprayer. After, we took turns spraying the homemade pesticide on crops, and this was to deter flies from eating or destroying them. Next, we learned about mulch and how the people over in the farm we were visiting use leaves to cover flowers. We ate lunch on the bus while we waited to get to Antigua, Guatemala. Once we got to Antigua and checked into our hotel, we rested for a while until we went to a nearby pizza place for dinner. We ate the best pizza ever and chatted about the NBA Finals. Overall, Day 5 was definitely eventful, but I am grateful for learning all the things I did and hanging out with my friends.
Day 6 – Working with People Experiencing Cerebral Palsy, the Elderly, and Kids with HIV
On Day 6, we started the day off by interacting with people who have Cerebral Palsy, feeding them, and helping to push them around in their wheelchairs. Then, in the same facility, we talked with the elderly, and it was amazing talking to them, since we heard their life stories. There was one lady who spoke English, Spanish, and French, and hearing her story was extremely impactful. Then, we had a mass with everyone, and it was powerful, because everyone was there and a major bond was formed, no matter the language you spoke or the condition of your health. We then went to go visit kids who have HIV, and seeing them happy to see us made all of us emotional. We had to wear masks and eat lunch outside before we entered the building so neither us nor the kids who had HIV got sick. During the time of interacting with the kids, myself, Bass Stewart ’17, and Doctor Flores went to the office to drop off a donation. They then gave me a letter expressing their gratitude for my donation. It made me realize how I can impact people’s lives with a donation, even if it’s a small one like donating my time or money. We then went to the Airport and got McDonald’s, and everyone, including myself, tried food that isn’t what we may be used to in the US such as McDonald’s Gourmet Burgers and McPatatas. We then got on our flight late at night and returned home to Dallas around 5 a.m. the next morning.
Also, every night we would have a reflection, where we would say our high and low points and how we saw God in our day.
When I reflect on this trip, it was eye opening to see how different life is in America, versus Guatemala, where we can sometimes take normal things for granted like a house, healthcare, food, or a nice car. I also will remember how we all became brothers quickly through our bonding. Thank you for reading about the 2024 Service Immersion Guatemala trip.
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more stories about Service trips!
