In 2027, the Los Angeles Medical Mission Team will collaborate with a new organization in Guatemala called Living to Serve.
For more information about the local organization, please visit Living to Serve.
The mission will take place in Santa Cruz Verapaz, a municipality in the Alta Verapaz Department of Guatemala. This area is located in a mountainous region at an elevation of 1,406 meters (4,613 feet) above sea level. Founded on May 3, 1543, by indigenous leaders during the Spanish colonial era, Santa Cruz Verapaz serves as a cultural and historical center for the predominantly Maya Pocomchi-speaking community. Approximately 78.1% of the residents identify as indigenous. Notably, a 16th-century colonial Catholic temple in the area was declared a national monument in 1970.
As of 2018, the population of Santa Cruz Verapaz was 32,042, with about 83% of residents in both Santa Cruz Verapaz and the surrounding Alta Verapaz department living in poverty. The local economy is primarily based on agriculture, including traditional crops such as maize, beans, and coffee, as well as handicrafts such as woven petates and clay pottery. The area is characterized by its rivers, such as the Cahabón, and natural attractions, including caves and swimming spots.