In February 2019 twelve LIS volunteers ventured to Guatemala to hold eye clinics. The volunteers saw 1,242 clients in 2.5 days at various sites.
The main clinic was based in Panajachel, approximately three hours northwest of Guatemala City. Panajachel is near Lake Atitlan and located at 5,240 feet above sea level. The second site was in an indigenous Mayan village located at 7,000 feet. Many of the Mayan residents had never had an eye exam and suffered from nearsightedness and high astigmatism.
Special translators were required due to the Mayan dialects. The team ended the trip with some sightseeing in Antigua, the small Spanish colonial town once known as the capital of Guatemala.
