INTERNATIONAL
MISSION TRIP
$769
HOW WE SERVE
Nestled in the mountains of Guatemala is the beautiful Mayan community of Sumpango. Students will have the opportunity to experience a new, vibrant culture, while working alongside Breaking Cycles and local churches to meet the challenges of extreme poverty.
THE MISSION IN
SUMPANGO, GUATEMALA
Partnership is the key to sustainable missions. And the partnership in Sumpango, Guatemala, is simply amazing!
Located about an hour from Guatemala City, Sumpango is home to Betty Merida, Next Step’s community partner. We first met Betty in 2007 on our first mission trip to Guatemala. Betty is a local Guatemalan who felt God calling her to serve the people of Sumpango. She founded Breaking Cycles, a ministry that works to break cycles of poverty, lack ofeducation, and abuse through programs which meet needs in the community, share the gospel, and disciple those who have come to faith. Breaking Cycles runs a tutoring program for elementary and middle school students, teaches job skills, builds homes for families in need, and gives beds to children whose families attend educational workshops. Over the years the ministry has grown and has had the privilege of seeing many people grow in their relationships with Jesus.
Next Step is excited to work alongside Breaking Cycles and their local churches partners in Sumpango. Teams will help at Breaking Cycle’s center by building relationships with children they serve and doing projects at their facility. Some students will do construction projects in local churches, Vacation Bible Schools, and home visits to pray for families and share the gospel with them. Others will build homes for families in need.
If you’re looking for a mission trip that will expose students to a new culture, while giving them a variety of relational ministry and construction opportunities, then Next Step’s mission trip to Sumpango is for you. You can be a part of what God is doing in Guatemala by sharing the love of Christ with others in tangible ways.
Join Betty and our Guatemalan community partners on a mission trip to Sumpango this summer!
PARTNERSHIPS
BREAKING CYCLES
Home Build Construction
Breaking Cycles builds safe and permanent housing for families to help them break cycles of poverty and provide their families a better place to live. Next Step works alongside Breaking Cycles and experienced local masons to build cinderblock rooms for families living in poverty. In a few days students will build a room from start to finish and see the direct impact of their work on these families.
LOCAL CHURCHES
Local churches in Sumpango
Breaking Cycles has relationships with various pastors of different churches all throughout Sumpango.
Next Step partners with these churches to run Vacation Bible Schools for their children, do construction projects to improve their facilities and grounds, and do relational home visits to pray for families and share the gospel with them.
BREAKING CYCLES
Educational Center
Breaking Cycles provides scholarships to elementary and middle school students. They cover the cost of schooling for the children and also provide them with lunch, snacks, tutoring, and discipleship. Next Step partners with this program by doing improvements on their facilities, teaching English or other job skills, and building relationships with the children and teens.
SITE PHOTOS
YOUR EXPERIENCE
WORSHIP
Next Step wants your students to grow together in faith and understanding who Jesus is. Each year we create new devotionals for you to guide your students through at different times during the day, and each evening includes worship, a speaker to challenge them through a brief message, and a new video series created by Next Step for your mission trip. All of our program materials are designed to help you get the conversations started, and then let you do the framing and guiding of your students in the specifics of their faith! Each night ends with your chance to gather in your group and go over the day's lessons.
CONSTRUCTION
At Next Step, we partner with local community leaders and organizations to ensure that the projects are meaningful to them and the work they are doing in the community. Not all of our sites have construction based ministry ..or may have it every week, but on sites that do, your students will work on projects ranging from full home builds and home additions, to drywall, siding, flooring, wheelchair ramps, and more. Feel free to contact us and see what projects might be in store this year for your community and week of choice!
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Do you want your short term mission trip to make a real difference? At Next Step, students serve alongside local community members, churches and nonprofits, as we meet the needs of the community together. With projects being selected by our community partnerships, you will be part of a movement in ethical and responsible short-term missions. We actively pursue this as more than just buzz words. We strive to continue to be a forerunner in the collision of short term missions and sustainable community development!
LOGISTICS
The trip is hosted at the Hotel Happy II in Sumpango. The hotel has large rooms with bunk beds that sleep anywhere from 4-12 people. The beds come with mattresses, sheets, and pillows, but there are no towels or washcloths provided. Along with this, every room has its own individual bathroom and shower. There is a large dining hall & kitchen within the gated property where we will also worship in the evenings. Lastly, the hotel has its own private security team here, helping us to always feel extremely safe.
Please book your flights for arrival and departure through the Guatemala City La Aurora International Airport (GUA). Our friendly Next Step staff will be waiting for you at the airport and will provide ground transportation for the entire trip. The airport is about 1 hour away from our mission site in Sumpango.
Passport
Water Bottle
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Swim Suit
Insect Repellent
Toiletries
Rain Jacket
Rain Boots
Work Gloves
Safety Glasses
Work Shoes
Work Clothes
Casual Clothes
SUNDAY (ARRIVAL DAY)
Land in Guatemala City
Meet the Next Step Ministries staff at the airport
Drive to the hotel
Unload luggage/Free Time
Dinner
Orientation and Worship
10:30 pm Lights Out
MONDAY – THURSDAY (WORK DAYS)
7:00 am – Wake Up
7:15 am – Eat Breakfast & Lunch Preparation
8:00 am – Morning Devotional
8:15 am – Depart for Worksite & Begin Working
12:00 pm – Lunch & Devotion
1:00 pm – Resume Working
3:30 pm – Clean Up/Return
4:00 pm – Free time/Showers/Leader Meeting
6:00pm – Dinner
7:00 pm – Worship
9:00 – Church Time/Small Groups/Free Time
10:30 pm – Lights Out
FRIDAY (COMMUNITY / FUN DAY)
8:00 am – Wake Up
8:15 am – Eat Breakfast & Lunch Preparation
9:00 am – Morning Devotion
9:15 am – Community/ Fun Day Activity!
4:00 pm – Shower Time/Free Time/Leader Meeting
6:00 pm – Dinner
7:00 pm – Worship
9:00 pm – Church Time/Small Groups/Free time
10:30 pm – Lights Out
FAQS
When should I register for my trip?
Registration opens in July and will be available through early spring. To get your preferred dates, locations, and spaces, it is recommended to secure your spots sometime before October.
What is the min or max people per group?
There is genrerally no set minimum group size for most of our summer mission trips, but based on the location and dates there may be some applicable suggestions and/or restrictions. If you have less than five participants in your group, please contact our office so we can go over the logistics of a trip with a smaller group size. The maximum number of people that can register for a trip will depend on the specific location capacity and availability.
What is the adult to student ratio required?
Next Step Ministries asks each group to bring 1 adult for every 6 students.
Are background checks required?
Yes. Each church group is responsible for conducting background checks on each participant 18 years of age or older.
When will we find out what our work projects are?
Your group will learn about the work projects on the first night of your trip! Our staff will contact you 1-2 weeks prior to the trip to share updates and provide an adjusted tool list.
How are the trips staffed?
A Next Step Area Director facilitates community partnerships, lines up projects, leads the summer staff, and coordinates other logistics such as lodging and accommodations. The trip itself will be facilitated by a team of energetic, mission-minded college-age summer missions staff. The site staff will include a construction team, worship team, speaker, meal coordinators, and administrative leaders to guide you through the week.
What if the trip I’m considering is already full?
Each location has a different max capacity, so please contact our office to learn more about spaces available. In the event we are fully booked for the trip you are interested in, we can put you on a wait list or help find alternative trip options. To avoid these delays, we recommend registering for your trip as soon as you can!
What is the payment schedule?
Payment for a Next Step Ministries mission trip is separated into a deposit and two scheduled payments:
- Deposit - $50 non-refundable and non-transferable deposit per spot reserved due within 30 days of your trip registration date
- March 15th Payment – 50% of remaining balance of trip cost due
- May 15th Payment – 100% of remaining total balance of trip cost due
Is Next Step affiliated with a denomination?
No, we do not affiliate with a particular denomination. Next Step Ministries is an interdenominational organization and we partner with hundreds of churches from all different denominations on our mission trips. Please see our Statement of Faith to learn more about what we believe. In simple terms, we stick to the basics of the Gospel. Our foundation for ministry is to provide opportunities for students to connect and grow in a personal relationship with Christ.
How are the work projects selected?
Next Step Ministries works alongside community leaders, non-profit organizations, and the local church in order to set up work projects. Next Step Staff called Area Directors work closely with our community partners to determine how to multiply our impact in the community and prepare the projects you will be working on in advance.
Will our group be paired with other groups?
You will most likely be attending a trip with 2-4 other youth groups. All groups will share sleeping quarters and we will have meals and worship together as a large group. Many of our mission site locations can accommodate for 80-100 volunteers each week. For work projects, we love to mix students, but also understand many groups prefer to stick together. Please let us know your preference and we will plan accordingly!
Is the mission trip safe?
Yes. Next Step Ministries exists to give middle school, high school, and college students an opportunity to explore their faith, experience God, and extend service to others on a mission trip. Students are our top priority and safety is always our primary concern. Thankfully, because of our long-term commitment and involvement within the community, we have developed many close relationships with local families and organizations. The community is familiar with Next Step and we’ve worked hard to humbly earn their trust and respect. Because of these close friendships we are the first to know if something out of the ordinary comes up or is unsafe.
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
Day or night, Next Step Ministries is happy to hear from you. Whether you have a question, comment or concern, please don’t hesitate to give us a call, or just type "TRIP" in the chatbox to get more information. You can quickly schedule a meeting with us HERE. And feel free to download this brochure below for all of our basic mission trip information.
