This Compassion tour will be especially unique because while many Compassion church partners have been working in this area for years, they have never had sponsors visit them to see the quality of their work. So, if you have a gift for encouragement and would like to spend a day shadowing the heroes who work with these children, this trip will provide opportunity to do that.

This tour will also include opportunities to serve if you have a passion for arts and crafts, worship, games or drama as tools to encourage and inspire children. We will also work together to serve the churches and community through specific service projects that will be a blessing to them. And along the way, there will be plenty of opportunity to learn more about the ministry of Compassion and, of course, see some sites characteristic of this area of Guatemala. So if you are feeling the tug of the Spirit to step out of your comfort zone and join others for a unique powerful ministry, this is the tour for you.

Day 1: Our Journey Begins

Saturday, July 24: Our journey begins with a brief orientation to help us get to know each other and prepare ourselves for what God has in store for us. We arrive in Guatemala City in early evening with time to get settled and prepared for the week ahead.

Day 2: Prepare for Ministry

Sunday, July 25: Due to the high-impact nature of this tour, we will begin with worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ on Sunday. Upon arrival, we will spend some time getting organized for several exciting days of ministry.  

Days 3-5: Expand Your Heart As You Serve

Monday, July 26 – Wednesday, July 28: We will spend the next several days serving together as the body of Christ. Though we come from different states and backgrounds, the Lord will surely knit us together to do significant ministry together for children, youth and the adults who serve them. We'll provide vacation Bible school, youth activities and several hands-on service projects as well during our time in this beautiful region of Guatemala. Wednesday afternoon we will start back to Guatemala City.

Day 6: A Day to Build Memories With the Sponsored Children

Thursday, July 29: Finally, the day you have been waiting for is here. Today we meet our sponsored children. The country staff are working to prepare an activity that is engaging and enriching for the children and sponsors alike but is sure to promote memory-making and lots of opportunities to smile and chat.

Day 7: Bringing Our Experience to a Close

Friday, July 30: Today is a day to relax and celebrate all that the Lord has accomplished this week. We will visit the Compassion Guatemala office to "kick the tires and look under the hood" of this amazing ministry. Then, we'll do some shopping and a little more relaxed sightseeing before returning to the hotel early to enjoy the hotel amenities or just visit with new friends. Tonight we celebrate with a dinner to wrap everything up.

Saturday, July 31: After a week of immersing ourselves in the beauty and grandeur of this beautiful country, tasting a bit of the culture through our visits to the Compassion child development centers, and investing in the lives of children, our adventure has come to a close. Today will be a great opportunity to reflect and consider what impact this experience will have when we return home. We will return with hearts prepared to answer the call to "Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves" as we share with whomever God lays on our hearts the experiences we have had this week.

Tour Schedule Details:

Registration: Our trips fill up quickly on a first-come basis, so it is important to register by Dec. 9, 2009. Once we have received your registration along with a deposit of $180, we will confirm your place on the tour and you may then purchase your domestic air ticket. The final payment of $2,295 is due no later than April 4, 2010.

Please click on the Register Now button below to complete the registration form online. If you'd rather register by mail, click on the link to the printable Registration Form above right, below the photo.

Price: The cost of this tour is $2,475 per person for double occupancy.

Included in our tour price are round-trip airfare between Miami Inernational Airport and Guatemala City, Guatemala, lodging, all meals, travel within Guatmala, tips, your child's travel, guides and translators during the tour, admission fees, departure tax and administrative costs.

Costs not included in the tour price are transportation to and from Miami International Airport, passport and incidentals such as snacks, additional beverages, laundry, phone calls, film and other personal items. You may want to bring extra spending money for shopping at the local markets.

Safety and Preparation: This tour will be moderate in difficulty because of impoverished conditions. Also, there will be some walking, rides on bumpy roads, and long days. We will have a light work element in this tour.

Compassion constantly monitors the safety of our destination countries and will make any adjustments necessary to protect our tour participants, sponsored children and in-country staff. We believe it is important to provide safe, comfortable accommodations, traditional meals and reliable transportation so that your focus can be on what God is teaching you and the impact of the experience rather than concern for your personal safety and well-being.

Please read the Tour Conditions and General Information document before finalizing your decision.

BACKGROUND CHECK: 
In order to ensure the safety of our children and determine eligibility to travel with Compassion, we now require all travelers (over the age of 18) to complete a criminal background check. Please visit https://www.ministryopportunities.org/USCITours to complete your online background check at the time of registration. If you are unable to complete this online, please contact us and we will send you a paper form for you to fill out and return. Compassion uses a third-party vendor, Protect My Ministry (www.protectmyministry.com) to process background checks. The results of your background check are confidential and all personal information is encrypted and secure. 

RESERVATIONS should be made well in advance and require a nonrefundable deposit of $180 per person. Final payment of $2,295 is due no later than April 4, 2010. 

AIR TRANSPORTATION and FUEL SURCHARGES: 
Air transportation as included in the tour is based on economy-class transportation and is subject to all rules and regulations governing these fares. Fuel surcharges are added on a per-ticket basis at time of confirmation. In the event these surcharges are increasingly higher than budget estimates, we may require additional funds to cover these surcharges. We will communicate any pricing changes immediately. 

In the event that you need to cancel your trip, please refer to our cancellation policy below:

All deposits are nonrefundable.

Fifty percent of the tour cost will be required for cancellations 59-31 days prior to the Sponsor Tour.

One hundred percent of the tour cost will be required for cancellations 30-0 days prior to the Sponsor Tour.

Only written cancellations accepted.         

IMPORTANT NOTICE: COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL reserves the right to adjust or alter any travel program when necessary or desirable for the protection, safety or improvement of said travel program, or when local conditions do not permit operation as published. COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL reserves the right to accept or deny participants application at its sole discretion.
RESPONSIBILITY: COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL makes arrangements with airlines, hotels and other independent parties to provide you with the travel services you purchase. These parties are independent suppliers over whom we have no direct control. In the absence of negligence on our part, we are not responsible for any claims, losses, damages, costs or expenses arising out of injury, accident or death; damage, loss or delay of baggage or other property; or delay, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment, upset, disappointment, distress or frustration, whether physical or mental, resulting from (1) the act or omission of any party other than COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL or its employees; (2) mechanical breakdown, government actions, weather or other factors beyond our control; (3) failure to obtain documents, passports, visas and health certificates valid through the date of reentry, when required, in which case a cancellation charge will be assessed; (4) failure to follow instructions including but not limited to check-in and checkout times and baggage handling; (5) cancellation or change for any reason in the travel services offered; and (6) medical or health problems or physical disabilities. COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL reserves the right to cancel or alter the travel services at its discretion, except as otherwise noted herein. In the event of change, COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL will try to substitute comparable services; in the event of complete cancellation by COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL, we shall refund all monies paid to us. COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL will not be responsible for any other cost incurred by participants.