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Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Safety

Safety in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

People’s Opinions

  1. Chichi is super safe. As well as Canton Camanibal where the ministry is located. It’s the pandemic so wear your masks outside and during ministry. It’s always better to take less stuff with you into town. We didn’t have any trouble but we were warned to keep our money in our front pockets, phones too.
  2. Chichi is pretty safe! I felt comfortable walking around alone during the day from coffee shops back to New Generation Centro America. There are drunk men on the streets at night, so I would recommend the buddy system! The church and the house we stayed in have gates and locks on the door! Juan will give your teams 1 key to lock up when you’re not there! I never felt unsafe at any point. Do watch your belongings!! We had a girl on our team get sneakily pickpocketed (her phone got stolen). Don’t have money or nice things flashing. Running at night is okay if you have a buddy and a baby phone! 🙂
  3. The town is pretty safe in general. As usual be aware of traffic, there is no real pattern to the way the roads go. They are labelled as one or two way streets, but very rarely do people actually follow those. Market Day is twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays. This market is said to be the largest outdoor market in central america. Watch your bags/stuff in the market. You can go out at night in groups, but there really is no reason to. If it is only a group of girls at night I would recommend at least 3-4 of you go together.

Ministry Summary

Ministry Summary in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?

People’s Opinions

  1. My team and I love this place and several of us plan on coming back after the race. Up here on the mountain we are doing so many things! On Tuesdays we have mom’s and kids 0-6 years old and we do a short lesson with a skit, music, coloring and games. In the afternoon a few of the older kids come by for guitar lessons. On Wednesday we were supposed to have police ministry but things are happening in the capital so it’s moved to Thursday night once the market starts closing down. On Thursday we have the 7-11 year old kids and we do a skit with the lesson, a short English lesson, music, coloring, and games down on the soccer field. Police ministry includes 3-4 short messages and 4-5 songs. Friday we have the kids 12+ and we have a lesson, skit, music, English lesson, coloring, and more English. Saturday is our adventure day and Sunday is sabbath for us and Juan’s family. Monday is planning day, where we get everything ready for the week.
  2. Our ministry was New Generation Centro America, and our ministry host’s name was Juan! Our ministry this month looked like A LOT of different things! Juan and his wife, Evelyn, were moving into the church, so we did a lot of painting! We helped them move, as well. We prepared a variety of messages, testimonies, english lessons, and worship songs for the youth programs on Friday and Saturday night, police ministry on Wednesdays at lunch, and church on Sundays. The school was on winter break for the first few weeks we were here, so during our last week here, we helped Juan out at the school from 1pm-6pm M-F. When we weren’t in school going from class to class (35 minute English lessons), we were writing lesson plans! Juan does this M-F 1pm-6pm, so we wanted to help him out with lesson plans over the next few months! Overall it’s a really flexible ministry! There are a lot of ATL opportunities! We had 2 teams here, and some people chose to feed the homeless with leftovers from our meals, make relationships with coffee shop workers, minister to market workers, etc. Chichi is 95% Mayan, so there are a lot of Mayan rituals, witchcraft, etc. here, so make sure you’re praying for the community and your teams!! We LOVED our time at NGCA! Juan is one of the most joyful people I have ever met!! He has an incredible heart for the Lord, youth, and equipping missionaries!
  3. Teaching English to different classes at a public school, soccer camp, church, ministry with the police officers. I would definitely recommend teams continue going to this ministry location. There are so many people who are hungry for God. Our contact has been given permission to go into a public school and pray and teach the kids English. If you don’t know what to teach them, pick words from the bible (for the older kids). With older classes we picked stories from the bible and acted them out, then had the kids step in to act it out in our place. It is fun for them. You also have permission to pray for the kids, so do that. Speak slow enough that they can repeat you in English. God will do some really cool things.

Lodging

Lodging in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.

People’s Opinions

  1. We sleep upstairs at New Generation on our sleeping pads. There is a toilet but you use a bucket to flush it. If it’s yellow let it mellow! It’s bucket showers all the way. A few of us moved downstairs to sleep on the benches during our covid outbreak. We were blessed to get it over with first thing so everyone was cleared for the second half of the month for ministry.
  2. We stayed at the Methodist church called Dios Es Amor. We slept on the floor and in our hammocks. We do have to take down our hammocks every day when we leave because things happen in the church almost every day. There are two toilets for women and two for men, each bathroom has a cold shower. We had 18 women so we bought our own toilet paper. These bathrooms are also shared with people from the church during times of ministry, so make sure to take your toilet paper out of the bathroom during church. It was $2 a night for lodging. The Pastor is great, sometimes difficult to understand but he and his wife have amazing hearts of service and they desire to love well. They also let us use their washer that is on the roof instead of hand washing our clothes in the pila. The church also has a water purification business that is built into their church. They provided us with water.

Food / Meals

Food / Meals in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).

People’s Opinions

  1. Evelyn cooked all of our meals and they were amazing. Make sure to pay Juan and Evelyn every Friday for the next week of food. See the below post for some of the different meals. I will add that we had cold cereal not hot cereal and there are not really any homeless on top of the mountain so gorge yourselves for the month! If you want a nice view and snack head to the main road and go uphill to get to the coffee shop with an amazing view of Chichi. If you want a small bag of chips go right when in front of the New Generation compound and follow the road past the soccer field and there is a small shop by the school there that’s super cheap. It’s also where we bought our toilet paper.
  2. All of our meals were prepared by Evelyn, Juan’s wife, at New Generation Centro America! The meals were DELICIOUS and we all felt spoiled this month!! Breakfast: beans/eggs/bread, hot cereal, pancakesLunch: El Salvadoran Soup (THE BOMB), Meat/Cheese/Guac plates, handmade corn tortillas, chicken/rice/potatoes, etc. Dinner: Pupusas, Tamales, Lasagna, etc. They do serve a lot, so if you have extra, feed the food to the homeless people in the park (near the market)! 🙂 There are lots of pulperias (little shops to get snacks) if you want some soda, candy, chips, etc. Pay Juan in the beginning of the month in Q’s so he can purchase the food.
  3. we had 3 meals a day prepared by Juan’s (our contact) wife Evelyn. She is an amazing cook. Typical central american food. Eggs, beans, rice, tamales, pupusas, spaghetti, soups. Occasionally they get us pizza. We spend $8 a day per person on food. Pay Juan at the beginning of each week so they have money to pay for everything.

Transportation

Transportation in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

People’s Opinions

  1. Of the whole group is going into town ask Juan to call his contact and pay the Q75 each way for a truck to ride in the back of. If only a few people are going into town go ahead and walk out to the main road and hail a microbus. If no one gets car sick you can take a chicken bus. It’s a rough ride but it’s quick and both the microbus and and the chicken bus on cost Q5 per person each way. For adventure day pay Juan and he’ll get you a private bus to take you to Panajachel (highly suggested, they have paragliding and zip-lining)
  2. Talk to Juan and get the contact into for Cesare! He’s super helpful and always there when you need him for an unexpected trip into town. Pay him once you get back to Juan’s. He had a cadge on the back of his truck that we fit 13 people in multiple times a week
  3. We emailed Juan prior to going to Chichi and he set up a bus for us from our hostel in Antigua to Chichi. It was $15 per person. Leaving he set us up with the same bus to take us to Antigua the night before we leave Guatemala, then to take us to the airport early in the morning for a total of $25 per person ($15 to go back to Antigua and $10 from Antigua to the airport). The drivers he uses are safer than chicken buses/public transportation.In chichi, we walked almost everywhere. But if you want to take a tuk tuk they are available in town. You shouldn’t pay more than 5Q to get anywhere. From Dios Es Amor church to Juans house is only 3Q. It costs 5Q to get to Manos de Jesus.

Medical

Medical in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).

People’s Opinions

  1. A free covid clinic at the corner of 3a avenida and 3a Calle, just be ignorant gringos and don’t tell em an address or that you know Juan. The hospital is straight down 6a Calle. A solid red fence surrounds it. The is another local clinic where they only speak Spanish but we really liked them. It’s all the way down 6a Calle cross over to 7a Calle down to the cemetery and past 8a Calle. If you reach the split in the road you just passed it!
  2. There is a hospital in Chichi called Hospital Evangelico el Buen Samaritano. It is a giant orange building. There is an American doctor who works there for 6 weeks at a time. His name is Dr. Thomas. He is a general surgeon, but speaks fluent spanish. He is very helpful. If you need to go to the emergency room it is 150Q. They have a pharmacy in the hospital, but you will pay more there. There are two pharmacies right across the street from the hospital and one near Dios Es Amor that are cheaper. There is always a doctor on call, but if you go there at night take Juan with you so he can translate. If someone just needs a doctor and it isn’t an emergency, there is a free hospital in Quiche (about a 30-40 minute drive away). If you go there be sure to take a Spanish speaker with you. Only one person can go in with the patient at a time.

Communication

Communication in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

People’s Opinions

  1. I suggest buying Google Fi before the trip. It works in over 150 countries when you get the unlimited plan.
  2. Juan has wifi at the compound that you can use. Down 6a Calle there is a shop on the right side where you can get local SIM cards for Q25 and a 15day plan for Q50. Claro gets the best reception.
  3. Chichi was our second month in Guatemala so we already had our phones, but Tigo service works well. I would not recommend movistar. Internet is scarce in Chichi. There are a few cafes that have wifi, but it doesn’t work very well in either place. Don Pascuals is where we go if we want to facetime, but it only works if you are the only one trying to facetime. If multiple people are using it, it won’t work. Then there is a small cafe near the hospital inside a “mall” that has wifi.

Financial

Financial in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.

People’s Opinions

  1. There are two ATMs on the left side of 6a Calle. The first is right next door to the bank. It’s not the easiest to spot if you don’t know what you’re looking for so just ask a local. You most likely won’t spot them at all on market days (Sunday and Thursday)

Translators

Translators in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken

People’s Opinions

  1. Juan is the only one around to help translate and he doesn’t really go into town with you. Don’t worry you got this! Google translate is going to be your best friend.
  2. Our contact Juan (New Generation) speaks fluent English and Spanish and he has two girls Ana and Haydee who speak Spanish and English.

Off Days / Fun Activities

Off Days / Fun Activities in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?

People’s Opinions

  1. Enjoy lake Atitlan and Panajachel. We went there two weeks in a row. If you get there really early you can go paragliding. I don’t suggest a large group doing it though. There simply isn’t enough time before the weather turns. Mornings are clear and afternoons are rainy. The nature reserve has zip-lining and cycle-lining. The best restaurant is on the main strip called guajimbo. Try the steak or the chicken parm. You won’t regret it.
  2. Lake Atitlan is about an hour away, that is always a good place to go. There are some Mayan ruins that you can go to, but be aware they are a place where people actively pray to/worship Mayan gods. They do sacrifices and have lots of altars where many different rituals are practiced. A few people from our team went without knowing and actually saw them sacrifice a chicken. If you want to take public transportation I would avoid taking a chicken bus out of chichi, they drive recklessly and extremely fast. You can get on a microbus for the same price (around 5-6Q) and go to the same place a little safer.

Other Important Contacts

Other Important Contacts in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions

People’s Opinions

  1. You want to get to know the people from Manos de Jesus! You will probably see them in the market, but they have an amazing ministry and they just have amazing hearts for service. Their ministry does a ton of stuff. We usually attended the service there on Sundays that they have in English for the missionaries. Keep up a good relationship with them. Melinda and Craig usually take care of their teams so you will probably see them the most.

Tips

People’s Opinions

  1. Bring the dishes inside as soon as you wash them! They will get covered in dirt and you’ll have to wash them again otherwise! We left a heating rod for the water you will use for showers. Do not plug it in before you put it in the water! It will burn and melt! Seriously just put it in the water first. We did this to 3 before we learned our lesson. Ask Lily to dance with you because she will love it and you’ll get a good relationship with her. We were her first team and it was super sweet. She will also play card games with you and is a beast at the game golf. Paul is super ticklish but it will take him at least a week to warm up to you. If you have instruments that’s the best way to get him and Lily liking you. They sang with us every Sunday morning and it was wonderful

Additional Info

Additional Info in Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?

People’s Opinions

  1. Coffee shops: Atrio is the best and has an amazing rooftop you can look over the whole city.Restaurant: Pop Wuj is a good one but 3 of ours had some stomach issues after the days we ate there so eat it at your own risk. The bakery outside of the Dispensa is super good and cheap! The lady who owns it is really nice and will talk to you while you’re in there.Wifi: cafés are the best, Atrio has good wifi but don’t bring a big group if you want the wifi. They also have a separate one for inside and the rooftop so that helps out.