The Guatemala Help Weeks program is a partnership with From Houses to Homes, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is "to create pathways out of poverty by providing safe housing, education and health care" for families living in communities outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  This partnership, first established in 2009, provides a comprehensive direct service experience for our volunteers that is safe, professionally run, and challenging both spiritually and physically.  Under the direction and supervision of the FHTH staff, our volunteers participate in a 5 day (M-F) build of a new home for a Guatemalan family.  In the evenings, CPM leads the group in participatory Gospel-based discussion, reflection and prayer. 

 

Both the service during the day and the time spent at our home base revolves around a "communal living" and "communal faith" agenda.  Obviously, in one sense this means that we all live together in one house and work together for the week.  But in a deeper sense, it means that solidarity and the faith response of the community is the main focus of the week.  When we break open Matthew 25:40 (quoted in the footer of this website), we translate the word "you" as a plural "you."

 

Is this an immersion experience?

No.  Immersion programs are extremely valuable and transformative.  All adults (young and older) are encouraged to consider doing an immersion, as it is an extremely effective way of educating for justice.  However, in order to ensure the safety and health of our volunteers, this experience is focused more on building relationships with From Houses to Homes and the families that they serve so that more advocates from post-industrial society may be gained and sustained.  Therefore, this is mostly a direct service trip with accommodations and meals closer to what we are used to rather than to what the families whom we serve are used to.

 

Isn’t this “voluntourism” (going to see how poor people live without making any attempt at solidarity)? 

There is always a danger that trips like this can become about us and the need to feel good about ourselves.  Volunteers are challenged in a direct/honest way to recognize and understand this danger and how “voluntourism” is not the Gospel.  However, we and FHTH  believe that the families and justice are adequately served when more and more people volunteer, thus creating more advocates and awareness worldwide.

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In addition to the Mission & Vision of Certain Place Ministries, we also share in the Vision & Mission of From Houses to Homes: