I stayed for 3 months, 2 weeks learning Spanish and 10 weeks working with children with disabilities. Its been the biggest and best adventure of my life... so far. Every single person I met has a beautiful heart, from every member of Inlexa to each member of my host families and not forgetting the children and staff at the JT Children Foundation. I felt safe, at home and loved in Guatemala. I got to explore so many places and to see the rich and beautiful culture Guatemala and it's people have to offer. I would do it all over again and not change a thing. If you decide to come along 3 months is not too long, its just enough time to immerse yourself into the culture. Don't be afraid to practice your Spanish, the people there will help you and give it your all!!!

The happiness in my heart is as deep as the ocean. Volunteering with those beautiful children and living with my host family for the 2 weeks is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone even if it can be challenging. This entire experience has been incredibly enriching. Guatemala is beautiful and the people are so warm and welcoming.
THANK YOU INLEXCA FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT! you are amazing :) I always felt safe and well taken care of.

I learned more about language, life, and cultural assimilation than I ever could have in my ordinary environment. I did a 2 week language course and then worked in an ecological park that works to conserve and protect nature and Mayan Kiche culture. It was very hard work at times and challenging on several levels, which was a great way to grow and learn. Don't shy away from the challenges!
I stayed with a lovely host family and will never forget the friendships I formed and memories I made there.
My time in Guatemala will forever be one of the most valuable experiences I have ever had. I couldn't recommend volunteering and working in another country more highly - for people of all ages! INLEX was incredibly supportive and welcoming, so finding your way and feeling secure is as easy as it can be.
If you want to widen your horizons and become a more aware, conscientious, and understanding person, then this is the way to go.

On our second night on the trip we cooked our own dinner at the La Tortilla Cooking School. Our group had plenty of laughs and had the oppertunity to learn about the food culture of Antigua Guatemala. We made a famous dish called pepian, and even got the chance the makeparty our own corn flour tortillas to eat along with the meal. We were all given a task to help with the coming together of our food, some did better than others, but overall it was an amazing experience that I cannot wait to write about in my journal and share with back home!

Of course I would recommend the health program in Guatemala. This simply changed my life. My stay at the home of a local family was very enjoyable. I received a lot of affection and was treated as part of the family. In the health center I learned a lot and met excellent professionals. Besides, Gloria, Carlos and Alex were very kind to me, they looked after me and cared about my well-being at all times. My volunteering in Guatemala was unforgettable and very important for my career as a doctor.
Guatemala is a wonderful country with very friendly people and beautiful places. On my days off I traveled to Antigua and Lake Atitlan. I felt very safe traveling around the country and met lovely people!

My stay in Santo Tomas, Milpas Altas was an experience I will never forget. My host family were very kind and couldn´t do enough for me, and the food was excellent.

The school where I was placed was a pleasure to work at and I was allocated a teacher, Ms Edlin, who guided me through the first few days. Gradually she loosened the reins so that I became more and more immersed in the day to day activities and was able to take classes on my own, which was sometimes slightly alarming but always good fun. The students were nearly always kean to learn and were very interested in my accent, where I came from, and the girls were especially interested in my blonde blue eyed son lol.

For 6 afternoons during my stay I spent time at the local EDUSI project which was attended by local children and their parents and was even more relaxed, and very enjoyable.

Altogether it was a great experience and I look forward to the next placement!

I went to Guatemala with INLEXCA which turned out to be a great experience. Our group consisted of physical therapists and students from Idaho State University! Diego and Alex were our main volunteer coordinators and they could not have been more helpful or more personable. I can say that I am now friends with both of them and I invited both of them that they would be welcome in my home if they ever came to the United States! They paired us wi a great clinic in Tecpan, Guatemala, the JT children's foundation. Our trip was only 16 days long, but it proved to be a wonderful and enriching experience for all of us involved. We all stayed with host families who all proved to be the nicest people in the world! The family that I stayed with was nothing short of a good time. My host mom even went out into the market place with me to help me find deals and pick out souvenirs for my family. It was a great way to immerse ourselves in the culture!

They facilitated and coordinated well with the clinic to make sure we had a good learning experience and that we could accomplish our goals in what we wanted to achieve in our volunteer trip! They also planned activities such as hiking volcan Acatenango, visiting the iximche ruins, exploring and taking a boat ride on lake Atitlan, and seeing the old city of Antigua.

I could not have better things to say about our experience!

Everyone there was so incredibly nice to me! For example, I went to a coworkers graduation, and as I was waiting for him to grab his stuff, I was making conversation with one of his friends for maybe 3-5 minutes. After only talking for that short amount of time, he invited me to a family trip to the city. Being crazy enough to accept, he picked me up and we went to his aunt's house for the weekend where I was treated like part of the family. There was nothing scary about it; many people just open their homes up to kind strangers. Furthermore, the family I was placed with could not have been sweeter! They truly treated me as their daughter and made me feel as comfortable as humanly possible.