Introducing Youth and Resilience in Guatemala 2026

By Elizabeth Miller

Only 10 days until we embark for Guatemala! Our group has already met twice for brief orientation, but when we depart on April 29, the true adventure will begin. 

My husband, Neil, and I are excited to be leading the “Youth and Resilience in Guatemala” SST course this year, accompanied by our two daughters.

At Goshen College, I teach in the History department and direct the Mennonite Historical Library and Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism. Before Goshen, however, my family and I lived in Bogotá, Colombia, where Neil and I worked with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Our job there was to supervise MCC’s staff and activities in the country, including coordinating youth volunteer exchanges and welcoming international groups interested in the peacebuilding ministries of the Colombian Anabaptist churches.

Latin America has shaped our lives in profound ways, and we are looking forward to exploring Guatemala with this great group of students. 

While in Guatemala, we will be hosted by CASAS (Central American Study and Service Programs). CASAS has decades of experience coordinating study abroad programs and sustains deep relationships with community organizations throughout the country. I have been working closely with them to develop an itinerary that features new experiences, personal encounters, and time for deep reflection.

Given our course’s particular focus on youth and resilience in Guatemala, we will meet with many youth leaders and educational projects. I am particularly excited about some of the youth-led organizations we will get to know, who are working in cultural preservation and environmental advocacy. And, of course, we’ll make time for recreational outings like volcano-hiking and chocolate-making!