Many people are getting tired of sitting at home during the COVID-19 stay at home order, but one church group was happy to make it back after they were stranded in Guatemala during the early days of the pandemic.
Platte Woods United Methodist Church’s missions team – nearly 20 people strong – embarked on a mission on Thursday, March 12 to perform light construction work at a facility in Guatemala. The group, made up of 14 youth ages 14-17 and five adults, including a doctor and several Spanish speakers, was set to return Friday, March 20.
By Monday, March 16 the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic prompted Guatemala to close its borders and airports and the church began the scramble to bring their people home. Adult leaders on the ground in Guatemala City and church leadership joined with representatives of Rep. Sam Graves and Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley to bring the group home.
The team waited out the week at the Westin hotel in Guatemala City while the United States State Department worked out a plan.
Platte Woods United Methodist has a long history of service in Honduras and Guatemala, with about 150 church members visiting Central America over the past 20 years to work on everything from medical clinics, schools, churches and more.
The group upon their return at KCI.
One of the adult leaders learned of a flight from Guatemala City to Miami, Fla. On Saturday, March 21. The church leadership contacted the legislators and were advised to buy the tickets. The flight arrived back in the U.S. in Miami and the team boarded another flight to KCI Airport, arriving late Sunday, March 22.
Now that the team has been back for a while, members have had the opportunity to reflect on their experiences.
Adult leader Jeanne Mathiesen said that since the church has been taking groups to Central America for many years they are used to dealing with challenges. This, however, was a new one.
JEANNE MATHIESEN
What was the situation on the ground in Guatemala? When did things change there - how did it go from business as usual to the sudden border closure?
When we got to Guatemala on March 12, there were no confirmed cases of Covid-19; however, we noticed there were precautions at the airport, e.g., they took every arriving passenger’s temperature and they were stricter than in the past as far as customs procedures. After our arrival we drove 5 hours to Chichicastenango, a predominantly Mayan community, where Covid-19 did not seem to be an issue yet. We spent the next few days on our mission work, visiting Mayan villages to review future and past projects and painting a kitchen our church had built. Our church staff checked in with us periodically encouraging us to consider leaving and coming home early but the youth really wanted the mission experience, the communities were relying on us for support and we felt the risk in Guatemala was low. However on Monday morning, March 16, the church conference pretty much demanded that we return to the airport in Guatemala City to leave the country. By the time we got there (after the five hour drive and the bus breaking down), the airport was closed, Delta wasn’t answering the phones and the borders were closed. It was that sudden and without warning.
How did everyone work to remain calm and help the teens through this surprising and probably scary situation?
The mission leaders have been taking groups to Central America for many years so we were used to dealing with challenges. Also the teens that made up the group were surprisingly mature and had positive attitudes. So we all worked together to come up with activities on a daily basis to stay engaged and get some exercise. It helped that we were staying in a nice hotel that had a pool we could use. I don’t think anyone ever felt scared for their safety. The hotel staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and secure in that environment.
What was it like when you got the news you could come back to the US? Did the return trip go smoothly?
We were cautiously optimistic because, again, it being Central America, anything could happen, but we just took it one step at a time. The trip went relatively smoothly other than the plane was delayed about 5 hours so where it was supposed to leave at 10:30 pm it didn’t actually take off until 3:30 am. The whole plane erupted in cheers when we landed in Miami!
Now that you're back, final thoughts on the experience? Once this pandemic is over are people still prepared to go back on another mission?
In spite of the short “mission” part of the trip, it was rewarding for the kids. And even the part in Guatemala City I think taught them to deal with adversity (not knowing when they would see their families again) and they did great! From what I’ve heard, most of them want to go back again next year. One in particular said she just didn’t get to spend enough time with the children, which warmed my heart.
Owen Mustain, 17 years old, student at Park Hill High School
What was the situation like while you were in Guatemala?
Our situation was that the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala closed the airport and wouldn't let any flights to get any U.S Citizens out of Guatemala. Our adult leaders were great in making sure we were calm during this time and kept all of our youth in the know of what was happening. While we were stuck in Guatemala for longer than planned, I felt safe knowing the adult leaders were taking care of us.
What was it like when you got the news you could come back to the US? Did the return trip go smoothly?
I felt glad that we were able to get a flight back but I also was disappointed to leave a place so amazing and beautiful. Our trip back felt pretty long but it was a smooth return.
Now that you're back, final thoughts on the experience? Once this pandemic is over are you still prepared to go back on another mission?
I loved the experience, I was also there to make a short documentary about our trip and help persuade more of the youth go on mission trips through our church. I loved seeing the smiles on the children's faces once we arrived at the school to help paint the kitchen. Yes, I am, actually, our main adult leader emailed everyone who went on the trip and said he is planning on scheduling the same trip next year so we could get the experience fully.
Any other thoughts on the experience?
The whole trip was nothing I imagined, even if we didn't get stranded. The trip would have been a unique experience for me.
Sophie Zimmerman, 16 years old, student at Platte County High School
Teens on the Guatemala mission trip through Platte Woods United Methodist Church - including Sophie Zimmerman on the left - had a few days of work on a remote schoolhouse before they were forced to start plans for their return.
What was the situation like while you were in Guatemala?
So at first we actually received a news that we were supposed to go home early because of the pandemic. And I think a lot of the kids including myself were really let down because we’ve been enjoying our trip so much and we didn’t get to finish it. So when we found out that we couldn’t leave that one night we weren’t super upset but then the nights just kept adding on and on in the uncertainty just kept growing and we weren’t for sure when we were going to get home if it was going to be days weeks or months and the fear started growing a little bit. Of course we were still safe and we were having a good time with our friends making friendships so it wasn’t like we were feeling unsafe we were just feeling unsure and a little homesick but we were in a beautiful location and I was with people I trusted with my life.
What was it like when you got the news you could come back to the US? Did the return trip go smoothly?
So we didn’t fully know if we were gonna get home the night we actually got home. The way the trip had been going so far it was kind of a thing where we believe it when we were actually in the air on the flight we were skeptical and it only got worse once we got to the airport because we were there for hours after we were supposed to takeoff originally. The flight was planned to takeoff at 10 p.m. and we didn’t takeoff till 3 a.m. And the whole travel home went smoothly it was just a little tiring because no one got a lot of sleep and people were tired and annoyed at each other but we were still having a good time.
Now that you're back, final thoughts on the experience? Once this pandemic is over are you still prepared to go back on another mission?
The experience was unforgettable especially those first few days in Chichicastenango Getting to see the kids at the school and doing what we went there to do for even just two days was super eye-opening. And even the days that we were in the hotel it was just so interesting to see the government like work to get us home and really see how this pandemic has affected people in different situations and I have one of the coolest stories to tell my kids when they ask me about coronavirus when I’m older. But I was super grateful for the trip and I am already counting down the days until next year when we’re supposed to go on our Guatemala part two trip and I love the people I was with I’m so excited to get to go with all the adults and all the kids again and we’re gonna go visit the school and work on projects it’s going to be amazing.
Any other thoughts on the experience?
The way it went down wasn’t traditionally what you would expect to happen on a mission trip but I feel like it was a pretty cool thing to happen a lot worse could’ve happened I mean a lot of other people are going through really hard stuff right now so my situation was nothing compared to what some people are going through with this virus so I’m grateful. But it is a pretty interesting story and I’m living through history and a pretty weird and cool way.