Almost 18 years ago I visited Guatemala with my youth group as a 14 year old kid. We spent a week in the small town of Palencia painting desks and refurbishing a small school in this one road little mountain village. It was an awesome time in my life and one that eventually led to the adoption of our precious Guatemalan Princess Mia. Palencia has a special place in my heart though most of you will never know where it is. Our time in Guatemala back in 1989 held some danger with it as the 36 year war in Guatemala was... more

It happened sometime about 8:10am Eastern Time on Christmas Morning. As I sat on the floor between the living room and dining room, enjoying the quiet morning, I saw two sleepy eyes of our precious girl emerge from her bedroom. She looked first at me and then into the kitchen where her Momma was cooking eggs and bacon. She was fully aware of the excitement this morning held yet the sleep had not entirely left her. As Momma reached her and knelt beside her, she leaned into her embrace and asked if Santa had... more

Guatemala City Weather Today: Today - High 71 Low 64 Scattered Clouds Tomorrow -High 69 Low 62 Scattered Clouds

Current Exchange Rate: $1.00 = Q7.59155

Headlines in Guatemala Today:

Prensa Libre: - Illegal Energy Distribution Reported In Zone 11 - 91 Captured in the "Christmas Plan" on crime. - 60 Police Officers killed this... more

Tucked just beneath the southwest shoulder of Guatemala City lies the city known as Villa Nueva. The city actually shares a border with Guatemala City. To it's south, the traveler would find Amatitlan and the Amatitlan Lake. Villa Nueva along with Guatemala City enjoys a very mild climate greatly in part because of its altitude. The southern most part of Villa Nueva begins to spread out as the mountain plateau begins it's descent toward the southern plains and the ravines become deeper and wider.

Villa Nueva is a much... more

Guatemala City Weather Today: Today - High 68 Low 60 Cloudy with 40% chance of rain Tomorrow - High 71 Low 60 with Scattered Clouds

Current Exchange Rate: $1.00 = Q7.59218

Headlines in Guatemala Today:

Prensa Libre: - Guatemalan Economy will grow nearly 5% in 2007 - The Under Consumption of Calories - Malnourishment in Guatemala

... more

Travel west from Guatemala City or north from Antigua and all roads will head to Chimaltenango. This town, while much smaller than the capitol city, is a large busy place. With nearly 35,000 inhabitants, Chimaltenango is one of the larger mid-size cities in Guatemala. It's importance lies as much in the fact of it's location as it does in what comes from the town itself. Chimaltenango lies on the main route from Guatemala City and Antigua to towns such as Panajachel, Chichicastenango, and Quetzaltenango. Travelers from all over pass through this... more

Guatemala City Weather Today: Today - High 69 Low 62 with Scattered Clouds Tomorrow - High 69 Low 62 with Scattered Clouds

Current Exchange Rate: $1.00 = Q7.592

Headlines in Guatemala Today:

Prensa Libre: - US Cracks Down On Illegal Immigrants - UN Commission Will Support Searches, They Won't Investigate

Diario... more

Guatemala City Weather Today: Today - High of 71, Low of 60, 20% Chance of Rain Tomorrow - High 71, Low of 60, 20% Chance of Rain

Current Exchange Rate: $1.00 = Q7.595

Headlines in Guatemala Today:

Prensa Libre: - UN Commission Created Against Impunity in the Country - Oscar Berger Requests Forgiveness in Ixil Area - Competitiveness... more

A recent article in the Prensa Libre again shows that even though the government shows on the surface that it is trying to eliminate poverty, the actions tell a different story. According to officials, 3 billion Quetzales have been allocated toward projects to help develop infrastructure in the departments. However, Q1 billion are going to the Department of Guatemala and the rest to the other 21 departments.

Some would argue that Guatemala holds the greatest concentration of the population. However, it is the wealthiest department as well.... more

It is often reported that most people do not see the suffering in Guatemala even when they come to visit. When Survivor:Guatemala aired, it did little to show the devastating impact hunger and poverty have ravaged upon many in that land (and admittedly that wasn't its main focus). However there is a massive crisis in the regions that are just hours away from Guatemala City.

The Prensa Libre ran an article on October 15th called "Los Municipios Más Pobres Del País" or literally "The Poorest Municipalities in... more