San Lucas Mission
Visiting Group Orientation Overview
Thank you for your interest in visiting the Mission. Please review the attached document closely as there have been recent changes.
Key points:
- The main purpose of your visit is to learn. It is through working side by side the people of San Lucas that we build solidarity with the Mayan People and understand their culture and way of life. It is important to understand the process of poverty that entraps them and prohibits their freedom of choice and infringes upon their human dignity.
-Beginning foremost with recognition and appreciation for the rich Maya culture and the heartfelt understanding that God’s love is for all, efforts at the San Lucas Mission attempt to respond, as Jesus did, to the expressed felt need of the people, using the “Preferential Option for the Poor” as its foundation, and drawing on Christian Social Teaching to guide efforts in the integral human development of our people and community.
- The four pillars of Christian Social Teaching that Fr. Greg based all his decisions around are: (1) Dignity of the Human Person, (2) The Common Good, (3) Solidarity, and (4) Subsidiarity. Understanding that being poor and marginalized are signs of illness in a society, the option for the poor promotes that a healthy community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are in the process of poverty and on the margins of society.
- Program Areas that were developed because of the expressed felt need of the people are: Land Distribution/ Food Distribution (which includes housing and construction), Healthcare, Education, & Work. These also incorporate the five basic human rights: food security, shelter, healthcare, education and work. All were very important to Fr. Greg.
Basics for having a good experience while in San Lucas:
-We ask that you are flexible and provide help and work where needed.
-We ask that you do not wander around alone, always in groups of 2 -3.
-We ask that you do not jog particularly in the mornings or evenings, it is not culturally accepted and dogs are on the move.
-The long term- volunteers are here to help you.
-The dress code is enforced to honor the traditions and culture of the people, please abide by them. No muscle shirts or tank tops, please. All shirts need to have sleeves of some type. No shorts that are above the knee, guys or girls. No tight fitting yoga type pants, or leggings.
-Don’t give gifts to the people. It promotes making people beggars. We want to respect and honor their dignity. All donations should be turned into Emi Tun, director of our Charity Program for the mission to distribute. We encourage you to consider bringing cash instead of physical donations as it help stimulate the local economy and gives dignity to the receiver as they can indicate exactly what they need, especially with clothing where local indigenous clothes would be preferred, or the school supplies can be chosen by the classroom teacher, etc. You or your group can go with Emi to shop and get the items and then they can be delivered. Check should be sent to the Eagan Address prior to your departure so available during your stay.
-Money can be exchanged at the mission at specified times with our staff. Please only bring personal checks to exchangemoney at the mission. Checks should be payable to "Mision San Lucas Toliman" (yes, Mission in Spanish has just one “S”) Checks are limited $100 per day. So you may want or need additional checks. Another option is to go to your local bank with international ties and exchange some cash for quetzals prior to your trip to Guatemala.
-Your passport will be collected and stored in the safe during your stay.
-There is a local clinic if you get ill. Please advise the Long Term Volunteers if you are having symptoms so they can get help immediately.
-Use bottled-water as the water from the faucet is not safe to drink. That includes brushing your teeth and keeping your mouth closed while taking a shower. There will be bottled water at the mission for you to refill your water bottle. It is difficult to recycle plastic in Guatemala so help the environment by using as few plastic bottles as possible. Please refill!!
-Please don’t attempt to pet the street dogs. They are not friendly and should be left alone.
We do ask for a $40 per day/per personminimum donation (new suggested rate as of January 1, 2016) to cover your basic expenses while you are with us. Please send your donation to our Eagan officethree weeks prior to your departure for San Lucas. A list of projects that are needing funding is attached for you to consider as we do depend on donations for all the work that we do to keep the mission running without interruption.
Zika virus has not been confirmed in San Lucas but has been found in Guatemala. Zika is a virus spread by mosquitoes than can cause fever, malaise, body aches, basically like a bad bout of flu. However, of great concern has been the apparent association of Zika virus infection in pregnant women and a usually rare birth defect in their babies called microcephaly in which babies are born with a small head and brain. Although this link has not been definitively proven, it is suspected and global health experts, including those at the US CDC, are issuing recommendations based on this concern.
Currently, the CDC is suggesting that pregnant women or women likely to become pregnant during their visit should postpone their visit to an area affected by Zika. The recommendation is:
Because there is neither a vaccine nor prophylactic medications available to prevent Zika virus infection, CDC recommends that all pregnant women consider postponing travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing (10). If a pregnant woman travels to an area with Zika virus transmission, she should be advised to strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites (11,12). Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite both indoors and outdoors, mostly during the daytime; therefore, it is important to ensure protection from mosquitoes throughout the entire day (13). Mosquito prevention strategies include wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)–registered insect repellents, using permethrin-treated clothing and gear, and staying and sleeping in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms. When used as directed on the product label, insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant women (14,15). Further guidelines for using insect repellents are available online ( (11,15).
The full CDC Zika recommendations for pregnant women can be found at
In addition to Zika, there have been cases of Dengue and Chikungunya, both mosquito transmitted viral diseases similar to Zika in the San Lucas Toliman area. There have also been more cases of malaria in Guatemala as well.
In response, it is important for visitors to San Lucas to take precautions against mosquito transmitted illnesses as outlined in the CDC guidance. In addition, we are now recommending that all visitors speak with their health providers or travel clinic about medication to prevent malaria (malaria prophylaxis) and get their advise to needing it during their visit to Guatemala.
Thank you for your interest in the San Lucas Mission! We hope you enjoy your stay and have a wonderful time learning about and working beside the people of San Lucas! If we can help you in anyway, please call.
Terri Wong
Friends of San Lucas,
4679 Cambridge Dr., Eagan, MN 55122
651-314-0024 or 651-454-0981
e-mail:
For more information or the complete visitor’s packetcheck the website at: Thank you!