Back by popular demand, this hands-on adventure will take you to northern Guatemala deep into the lowlands, known for lush rain forest and some of the most impressive Mayan ruins in all of Central America. But this is not a typical sightseeing vacation. Once here, we will work together to minister among some of the poorest children in all of Guatemala and the beloved church partner staff who serve them day in and day out.

In addition to touring Peten, Santa Elena and Flores, you will serve together at several different child development centers, like the one your sponsored child attends. We'll venture deeper into the heart of the community, the home, where you will learn what poverty looks like in the developing world and how your partnership with Compassion International not only benefits a child, but that child's whole family as well. As great as these experiences will be, nothing can compare with the opportunity to meet the child you sponsor and spend the whole day making memories. One word of caution, however, this adventure will change you in ways you cannot possibly imagine.

Plans are already under way and you are integral to making mere plans come to life with the energy, compassion and excitement you will add to this team. These tours fill up fast, however, so don't delay. Sign up today!

Day 1: Our Journey Begins

Saturday, Feb. 13: 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 into Guatemala City early evening with time to get settled and prepared for the week ahead. This tour will focus on the area of Peten.

Day 2: Expand Your Heart

Sunday, Feb. 14: Due to the high-impact nature of this tour, we will begin by worshiping with our brothers and sisters in Christ on Sunday. Then, Sunday afternoon we will put final detail to our planning for the rest of the week and do some sightseeing in our beautiful new surroundings.

Day 3-5: Connect With Our Ministry of Compassion

Monday - Wednesday, Feb. 15 – 17: Our ministry team flies from Guatemala City to Flores and we hit the ground running with our first visit to a Compassion-assisted child development center. Over the next few days we will visit several different student centers, where we will serve together through vacation Bible school activities and hands-on service projects. Wednesday afternoon we will take a break and enjoy the beauty and grandeur of this part of Guatemala. You'll have your choice of visiting the Mayan ruins or spending the afternoon at an eco-tourism park called Ixpanpajul.

Day 6: Return to Guatemala City

Thursday, Feb. 18: After a short flight back to Guatemala City, we will visit a more urban child development center to understand how the ministry of Compassion works in such a city setting. This afternoon we will have some free time to go shopping for local handicrafts.

Day 7: A Day to Remember

Friday, Feb. 19: Finally, the day you have been waiting for arrives. We will visit a local amusement park where we will have all day to interact with the children we sponsor. Tonight we celebrate with a dinner to wrap everything up.

Day 8: Returning Home

Saturday, Feb. 20: 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: We suggest you respond quickly, even if you don't have a passport yet, because our trips fill up on a first-come basis. 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 $2,160 is due no later than Oct. 30, 2009.

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 $2,340 per person for double occupancy.

Included in our tour price are round-trip airfare between Miami and Guatemala City, Guatemala, lodging, all meals, travel within Guatemala, 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, 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 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. 

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.