2026 Mission Trip: Our Final Days in Guatemala

Volcano Hike

With the work at Hope For Home behind us — and a new retention wall standing! — it was time for the team to do a little exploring. We chose to spend our free day hiking the Pacaya volcano to explore its solidified lava flows and views. The volcano’s elevation is listed at over 2,500 meters, so this was no easy hike. Despite the tough terrain, the entire team made it to the top, with the help of lots of rest breaks and even some horses.

Along the way, we got to celebrate Shook’s 100-Year Anniversary with the ultimate photo-op and even roasted some marshmallows in some of the volcanic heat vents along the hike.

And we won’t forget the breathtaking views we got to experience along the way and once we made it to the top. Just stunning!

While the hike up the Pacaya volcano was a lot of work, heading down was pure fun. We ran! That made the difficult hike up all worth it!

Our luck hit a little snag when we had a car issue on our trip back from the volcano, but the fuel issue was easily fixed and the day was saved.

A Final Day at Hope For Home

On our final day in Guatemala, we headed back to Hope For Home’s campus in the morning to spend a day with the children and deliver the toys, books, and art supplies our Shook teammates so generously donated. We had a ball playing with the kids and helping them get familiar with their new toys. After lunch, we attended Hope For Home’s weekly Tuesday church service and, of course, the high-energy dance party that followed!

When our time with the children wrapped up, we headed off to dinner with Hope For Home’s founders, Daryl and Wanda, and their two sons, Jeremiah and Josh. It was a great time to reflect on our time in Guatemala and the reason for our trip, plus to thank the founders for their hospitality. During dinner, we presented Jeremiah with a new iPad purchased with monetary contributions from our donation drive. We learned he had been saving for a device to aid in 3D printing to help create things for the kids. We were happy to make this a reality for him and for Hope For Home!

Next up: our flights home. But first, we took some time to reflect on how proud we are to have accomplished so much for Hope For Home and their amazing residents, and how we bonded as a team. It’s been a wonderful, meaningful trip! We can’t wait to share more about our experience once we’re home!