San Lucas Tolimán

San Lucas Tolimán is a municipality in the Sololá department of Guatemala. [http://www.guatemalansociety.org/Content/Mission.htm]

The town of 17,000 people is on the southwestern edge of Lake Atitlán Lago de Atitlán, described by Aldous Huxley as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. The population is 90-95% Highland Maya. There is a population of about the same size living in the surrounding villages.

At 5000 ft (1700 m.) altitude the area offers "eternal spring" with annual temperatures ranging from 50-80 degrees F. The dry season runs from November through June/July (called "summer" locally) and the rainy season runs the other six months ("winter"). The area is free of malaria due to its altitude.

The Roman Catholic diocese of New Ulm, MN [www.dnu.org] has operated a mission church in SLT for 40 years. Large numbers of North American volunteers come to participate in numerous projects in and around SLT. These include house building, reforestation, water distribution, coffee production, honey production, teaching in area schools, carpentry and social service to the community.

The diocesan office coordinates groups of health and dental care workers to provide services to the population. Students from medical, dental, nursing, physical therapy, nutrition, engineering and other schools regularly go to SLT to learn and to "walk with the people" [Msgr. Gregory Schaffer of the San Lucas mission; http://www.sanlucasmission.com/historia.asp] . Uniformly these volunteers have a life-altering experience working in San Lucas T.

Volunteers are met at the airport in Guatemala City ("La Aurora') and transported to San Lucas T. where they are guests of the mission. The mission provides food and simple housing. Volunteers are encouraged but not required to help defray the expenses of their stay in SLT.

The San Lucas Health Project San Lucas Health Project [[e-mail]; www.SLHP.org] has been a presence in SLT for 20 years. This coalition of volunteers brings students, physicians, dentists and other helping professions to work in San Lucas and its surrounding areas. Volunteers make daily forays out into the rural areas. They set up a clinic in churches, schools, homes (or under a tree) to provide medical consultations and treatments, and dental care.