WorldWide Drilling Resource

Water for Life International by Tim Rasmussen What is it like to Volunteer? What is it like to come to Guatemala and drill water wells for people? Where in Guatemala is Water for Life located? What are the accommodations like? How is the food? Is Guatemala safe? Do I need shots? Is the equipment any good? What if I get sick or hurt? There are many questions a person may have when they begin to consider coming to Guatemala to work with Water for Life International. For people who have traveled to third-world countries before, these questions are not so daunt- ing, but for people who have never traveled to poor countries, the unknown and different can be a little frightening. I will attempt to address some of the questions. Our shop and headquarters is located in Northeast Guatemala. This is the Peten region of the country. Our office and shop is located near the town of Poptun, which is about 80 miles (on a good high- way) from the cities of Santa Elena and Flores. There is a good airport there with connections to Guatemala City and Cancun. The airport is modern but lacks air conditioning, and there are no services in the gate areas. Once you are past security, you cannot go back out, so make sure you have what you need. Al though there are places in Guatemala City where it is not safe, Guatemala is mainly a safe country to be in. I have never felt threatened personally in my travels, but I try to have someone who speaks Spanish with me. Many of our volunteers travel by bus from Guatemala City. The buses vary greatly. In some, the air conditioning does not work and occasionally the bathroom is unusable. Travel in groups with someone who has been there before and you will not have any trouble. Usually, we make arrangements to pick up our volunteers or meet them as they come in. The food is good. We have access to the cafeteria at ICAP (Instituto de Capacitation Adventista del Peten), the secondary school. It is about 200 yards across the campus. The vegetarian diet served there is standard Guatemalan food - lots of beans and rice, vegetables, fruit and juice, and of course tortillas. We also have a small kitchen area near the apartments. We provide health and accident insurance for our vol- unteers. You do not need shots, just a passport. There is good dental care available in Santa Elena and good med- ical care in Poptun. We will take care of you. Come and help us. If you would like to help, contact Gary Bartholomew at 509-466-5075 or 509-939-1941 Tim Tim Rasmussen may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com 40 DECEMBER 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®