Curtis, one of our teen volunteers from California, volunteered in Guatemala this summer with Cosmic Volunteers.
Curtis lived in the town of Quetzaltenango, about a 4 hour bus ride from Guatemala City.
He volunteered at an animal rescue facility in Guatemala.
He also took Spanish lessons with one of our tutors during his stay.
Curtis Receiving Gifts from Host Family in Guatemala
Curtis emailed after he returned home:
Thank you for the opportunity to go on this volunteer trip. I really enjoyed the experience.
We did have some very anxious moments for Curtis though.
Within minutes of Curtis’ flight landing in Guatemala City, there was a major volcanic eruption in Guatemala about 25 miles from the airport.
While Curtis ended up having no issues from this tragic event, the “Fuego Volcano” registered one of the biggest eruptions in its history, affecting almost two million people and causing considerable material damage. So far the death toll is 159, with 256 people still missing.
Fortunately, relief efforts by Guatemalans and foreigners alike are helping displaced families and those who have lost loved ones. Here are just some of the efforts:
New houses are being built by the Jewish ZAKA Guatemala unit
Salesian missionaries are using their shipments of food, medicines and other items from Canada
Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona has donated land for several families.