Want to Join Us on Our Next Trip?
Please read the following sections to prepare yourself and then submit your application at the end!
What is the Purpose of our Mission Trip?
There’s a difference between a humanitarian trip and a mission trip. A humanitarian trip cares for the physical and emotional needs of our fellow humans. This is a good and necessary thing! Our mission trip expands on the humanitarian aspect by first sharing the Good News of Jesus. Our mission is to “Glorify God Through the Delivery of Exceptional Oral Health Care to the Underserved People of Guatemala.” To that end, this is a distinctly Christian mission trip. All faiths and worldviews are welcome to come alongside us in our mission if you desire. We just don’t want anyone to be surprised when we start praying with our families we serve, telling them about the good news of Jesus, and engage in video Bible studies at night.
Dates
2027: April 3-10
2028: March 18-25*
*Tentative
Why these dates? They are few weeks after a large group of dental students and mentor dentists from the Texas Dental Schools travel to San Raymundo. The students perform cleanings and restorative/extraction work where possible. When a child needs pediatric specialty care in the form of general anesthesia, they refer to us to take care of them on our mission trip. This allows them to have the most impact on their mission trip by focusing on care that a dental student can comfortably provide, and allows us to have the most impact on our mission trip by hitting the ground running with patients that need anesthesia care from day 1.
Flight Information
Main Group Dallas Flight (Confirmed for 2027)
Departing Flight: AA 1013 leaving at 11:05 am and arriving in GUA at 1:23 pm.
Return Flight: AA 496 leaving at 1:46 pm and arriving in DFW at 6:34 pm.
Common Question: What airport do you fly into, and do you have to fly on the exact same flight as the main group? We fly into La Aurora International Airport (GUA) and no you do not have to fly on the same flight as us. You do need to arrive either before or roughly the same time as the main group. If you arrive later than us, we will need to arrange separate transportation for you to San Raymundo at a small additional cost.
The least expensive time to book flights according to Google is Mid-November to Mid-February.
Passport
Already have a passport?
Check the expiration date! Make sure it’s good to go. Some countries require at least 6 months of validity beyond the dates of a trip.
Take a photo and save it on your phone to send to me via text or email.
Don’t have a passport or it’s expired?
Click the link below to apply for your passport. While there are expedited options available, giving yourself 4-6 months allows plenty of time and reduces stress.
Ground Transportation
Traveling with the Main Group
This is highly preferred. It reduces trip costs since we all will travel by a large private school bus that we rent from a local transportation company. It takes 2-3 hours to get from Guatemala City to San Raymundo and about the same amount of time to get from San Raymundo to Antigua. All travel as a group within Guatemala will be on a large bus together. The roads are paved, but are very twisty so those of you who get carsick easily would be wise to take some dramamine with you.
Traveling without the Main Group
This is an option for flights that just can’t match up with the main group. Please choose to come! We can always arrange transport with local drivers in their cars to take you wherever you need to go at whatever time of the day or night you need to leave. We’ve left at 3am in the morning to catch an early flight!
General Trip Schedule
Saturday: Land in Guatemala around “noon-ish”. Try to gather luggage and get through customs to leave the airport by 2-3pm. Head to San Raymundo which takes 2-3 hours depending on traffic. Dinner at 6pm. Small group Bible study at 7pm. Trip Orientation 8-9ish.
Sunday: Sleep in! Breakfast at 9am. Set up hygiene clinic and OR between 9:30-noon. Eat lunch between noon-1. Test run the hygiene clinic flow from 1-5 with small amount of cleanings. Dinner at 6. Small group Bible study from 7-8.
Monday-Thursday: Breakfast starting at 6:30. Hygiene clinic runs 8-5 with lunch in the cafeteria from noon-1. Surgery runs 7-4 with lunch brought to the ORs to eat while in between cases. Dinner at 6. Bible study from 7-8.
Friday: Fun day! Be warned, it’s a long day! Breakfast at 6:30 and leave by 7 to travel to Antigua. Arrive around 9. We always take a team photo at Cerro da la Cruz (Hill of the Cross). As our group has gotten larger, we’ve learned that it’s more enjoyable to split up into smaller groups (no less than 3) and do our own activities throughout the day. There are several ATV tours of the surrounding towns, you can go get a massage at a local spa/hotel, shopping, leisurely lunch outdoors, etc. Dinner as a group is at Hotel Casa Santo Domingo from 6:00 until 7:30 or so then travel back to San Raymundo. We’ll be in bed around 10 or 11pm.
Option for non-students: You can stay in Antigua on Friday, but the following stipulations apply
You book your own hotel and travel and pay for it.
You understand that after we have finished eating our team dinner in San Raymundo that you are ending your involvement on the mission trip and that you are “on your own” regarding any hiccups or delays.
Saturday: Breakfast at 6:30 then leave by 7 for flights starting around noon. International departures take 2-3 hours with big groups. Lunch is at the airport, then fly back home!
Common Question: Can I come for part of the trip? Yes! We will still ask for you to pay the full trip price to cover the costs of additional transportation, but it is possible to arrive late or leave early to the trip.
Costs
2027 Mission Trip Costs: $500 per person + Airfare
What is Covered by Your Trip Cost?
Lodging in San Raymundo ($25 per person per week)
Food while in San Raymundo ($300 per person per week)
Transportation while in Guatemala when traveling with the main group (approximately $30 per person depending on size of group)
Friday Dinner at Casa Santo Domingo $30-40
Incidental expenses and supplies $100? (there’s always little things that pop up).
Most of the medicines, dental materials, etc are either donated or covered by Storybook Smiles which helps tremendously
What You’ll Need to Budget
Your airline ticket. You will pay for this yourself and submit the information below.
Parking at the airport as well if necessary.
Food/drinks when not in San Raymundo (basically the travel days and for Antigua lunch)
Souvenirs (bring $1 and $5 bills since most little shops/stores don’t carry large amounts of USD to give change)
Lodging
Address: Sector 3 Lote 28 Zona 0 Aldea Llano de la Virgen. San Raymundo. Guatemala. 01060
Latitude and Longitude for Google Maps: 14°46'18.9"N 90°36'05.3"W
What’s it like to stay in San Raymundo? While it’s not the Ritz, It’s pretty much a 5 star experience for a mission trip. There has been hundreds of thousands of dollars spent over the past decades to provide accommodations that will make us more comfortable and therefore more effective on our mission trip. You won’t be sleeping on a dirt floor in the middle of the jungle with no running water or electricity.
Room Accommodations
Things that are the Same as the USA
16 Private or semi-private rooms (Our group is small so you can usually sleep by yourself or have 2-4 people to a room if you want). They also have larger group dorms that can accommodate 50+ people if necessary.
Twin Size Bed with Pillow, Sheets and Lightweight Blanket
Ceiling fan/light
Electrical outlet
Private bathrooms with hot water for showers, a sink, mirror, and shelfs to hold towels/toiletries. Towels are provided.
Kitchen and Meeting Room
Things that are Different than the USA
Cannot drink the water (keep your mouth closed in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water)
Cannot flush toilet paper in the toilets
San Raymundo Guatemala Weather
We’re 5,125 feet above the sea. So it’s actually a very nice climate.
Mid 80’s during the day and Low 60’s during the night
We travel during the dry season so it almost never rains
Bugs are not usually a concern but sunburn on our fun day is a common theme. We’re so close to the equator and don’t have any summer tans going yet.
Food
What’s the food like? Delicious! The local cooks do a great job catering to our American dietary preferences while utilizing fresh ingredients from the local market. I’ve never had pico like pico in Guatemala. A picture is worth a thousand words so take a look at the gallery below to learn more.
Typical Breakfasts
Eggs, tortillas, beans, fruit, sweet pastry dough from a local bakery, pancakes
Typical Lunch/Dinners
Spaghetti, Tacos, Fried Chicken, Hamburgers
Always available
Sandwich bread with peanut butter/jelly, deli meats with cheese, brownies!
Internet/Electricity
While I hope this is a time to disconnect from our phones and be present with those around us, I do know that there are times where we need to be able to contact loved ones back at home!
Internet
It’s usually fairly good when visiting the bigger cities (Guatemala City, Antigua). In San Raymundo where the mission is at, I can always call my wife and sometimes stream a video call.
You’ll need to purchase an international data/voice package if you want to keep up with loved ones back home. It’s currently $12 per day on Verizon (TravelPass) or ATT (International Day Pass).
Electricity
Electricity is pretty much the same as the US. No need for special adapters! There is at least one electrical outlet in each bedroom and multiple other outlets scattered across the clinic/hospital.
Final Thoughts
How can you be a part of this successful mission trip team?
Flexibility
If you’ve ever been on a mission trip, or any trip, you’ll understand that things always never go as planned. That includes packing, travel, food, patient arrivals, work scope, work load, illness, etc. The list can go on and on. Flexibility is key to both successfully achieving our work while also keeping personal sanity.
Humility
“It’s not about me” This a Christian perspective that life's purpose is to glorify God and serve others, not to center everything on personal happiness. Through this perspective, one can find true purpose and fulfillment. While we will attempt to place everyone with a job or position that they enjoy, there will always be portions of the mission trip that are draining. A successful team player places aside their own desires for the benefits of the team and for the families we are serving.
Join the GroupMe Chat
With such a large group doing such complex work, communication is so important. Texts and emails are too inefficient. We use an app called GroupMe. It’s platform agnostic (Apple or Android) and has lots of cool features that we can use to help make this a smooth experience. Please sign up for the group by clicking below.
Trip Registration and Payment
Registration: All sign-ups and payments are handled through our WeTravel page.
Deposit: A $100 deposit is required to officially join the team and confirm your spot. The remaining $400 can be paid now or at a later date.
Why Early Sign-Up Matters: Finalizing our roster early gives us the exact head count needed to arrange meals, lock in ground transportation, and build out patient care schedules based on volunteer roles.
Other Less Frequently Asked Questions
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Absolutely! We can easily train non-healthcare.
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Cash is helpful with some of the smaller vendors. Having $1 bills is very helpful as most places won’t have change for $20 bills. You can exchange at the airport for Quetzales, but most places will accept US dollars.