March 25, 2026 Mission

2026 Mission Trip: Thank You, Guatemala

Our team has been home from Guatemala for just over a week now. The team completed the mission it set out to accomplish and so much more! They came home with a new perspective and deep appreciation for how much kindness and generosity can improve people’s lives.

This Mission Trip would not have been possible without so many people who contributed to its success.

Read the team’s final update as they pass along their thanks to the following people:

Hope For Home Staff and Children: For following through on your commitments to make this project possible. More importantly, for welcoming us into your homes, families, and hearts, and allowing us to witness the incredible orphanage community you are building. For the hospitality, incredible food, patience with our questions, and courage to take a chance on your first-ever construction team. For your openness in sharing vivid personal experiences about earthquakes, church, gangs, death, wildfires, successes, prisons, and lives saved.

Shook Executive Team: For dedicating the resources needed to allow this trip to happen. Your commitment to expanding the worldview of Shook team members while helping the global community speaks volumes about your leadership. Thank you for your vision and for continuing to drive our Mission, “To Dramatically Improve the Communities We Serve.”

Shook Mission Trip Team: For your dedication to our core values and for representing the care of our Shook culture in a community abroad. For sacrificing your creature comforts and being open to learning, growth, and change.

All Shook Team Members: For your encouragement before, during, and after the trip, and for providing donations and participating in fundraisers to help us further the impact of the mission. Your generosity was so great that we were able to purchase the entire wish list, plus more — enough to fill nine large duffel bags with donations. After all of this, there were still funds remaining that we brought along with us so we could address any needs we discovered while at Hope For Home. Through a conversation with the organization’s Assistant Director, we learned that limb loss — because of infection or chronic illness — in children in Guatemala is an issue, and there is a large need for prosthetics.
The custom devices provided to Hope For Home’s children quickly become unusable because kids change as they grow. The organization had 3D scanner and 3D printing capabilities but needed a new iPad to run the scanning and design software. With the remaining funds that Shook teammates donated, we were able to locally source a brand-new iPad and surprise the Hope For Home team with it on our final evening there.

Our Families: For the sacrifices you made to allow us to go around the world for two weeks — a true mission itself. Your support was instrumental to the success of the mission. We know you will benefit and grow with us because of our experiences.

Dr. Roger and Katy Pacholka: For donating your time to provide medical consults for our team ahead of the trip and helping us with a consult while we were in Guatemala. Thanks for all you have done and continue to do across this planet.

THANK YOU! We will continue sharing our story with our Shook teammates, clients, industry partners, and more over the next few months. This chapter is closing, but the story is not finished — the impact made on our team will last a lifetime!