The Book of Mormon and the Lands of Mesoamerica is a Graceland University Winter term program offered in January 2005. Students will spend one week on the Lamoni campus with readings and guest lectures on various Book of Mormon topics. We will fly from the Kansas City airport to Guatemala City and spend 11 days touring Mayan sites in Guatemala and Honduras. We will return to the Graceland campus for final presentations on the final days of Winter Term.
Winter Term begins January 3 and ends January 20, 2005. We will drive to Kansas City on January 7 and stay overnight together so that we can fly to Guatemala City early on January 8. We will return to Kansas City on January 18 and drive back to Lamoni that night. See the itinerary for flight details and the Winter Term Calendar for other specific dates relating to Winter Term.
Due to a generous grant from outside sources, the cost for a full-time Graceland student who is among the first 20 to register is $1725. This includes a $250 discount from the regular price, which is $1975. This covers the airfare, transportation, lodging, two meals a day, drinking water, and fees related to visas, airport taxes, etc. This fee does not cover the initial cost of a passport, or incidental costs such as souvenirs and snacks. We recommend that students not bring a large amount of cash. A more thorough explanation of costs is included here.
This depends on the status of your particular financial aid package. See your financial aid officer. In the past, students have been known to receive loans for Winter Term programs.
There are many outside donors who may be interested in helping individuals have this type of experience. Local branches have been known to help out. Already, the basic cost has been lowered significantly by the generous donations of outside sources. Be sure and ask. Offer to give a report on the trip, and be thankful!
Yes. We need to know the exact name, as it appears on the passport, of each member of the group by the end of October, when the payment is due, so that we can buy tickets and get visas. Forms and information are available directly from the US State Department. Passport photos are available from the CMC (basement of Zimmerman) for $9 (call 5246). You may submit your application in person at the Decatur County Recorder's office at the Courthouse in Leon, Iowa. It can take up to 6 weeks to process the application (unless you want to pay extra), so start immediately!
You must be carrying a valid, current passport in order to get on the plane in either direction. In addition, you must carry your passport or a Xerox copy of the first page at all times while in Guatemala. Check the expiration date on your passport to make sure that it is valid through the end of January
Parental Permission
Anyone under 18 must have a signed, notarized statement from both parents giving permission to travel.
Here is a bibliography with a number of good general references on the Mayan people as well as specific information about some of the places we will go.
PSI tours takes every precaution to make sure that the trip is a safe as possible. Be sure to follow all the safety rules. Current safety information and advice for travelers can be obtained directly from the US State Department. Click on the "Consular Information sheets" and read the Guatemala and Honduras information. Finally, Graceland University does purchase International SOS "extraction insurance" for each person on the tour.
We will be traveling to a different location each day or two. A general itinerary is posted and will be kept up to date until we leave. A detailed itinerary that includes each hotel name, location, and phone number will be on file in Pat Hoffman's office (641-784-5219) before the tour begins. Pat is the director of Winter Term programs for Graceland University. Any unanticipated changes in the itinerary during the tour will be relayed to her office. Copies of the itinerary will be available on request for tour participants before the tour begins.
At breakfast and supper each day, we will be eating together at our hotel or at a restaurant chosen by the tour leaders. Lunches will normally be eaten "on the road." You should bring snack food with you for those times.
See your doctor or make an appointment at your county health clinic at least 6 weeks in advance of the trip. Tell your doctor that you will be traveling in Guatemala and Honduras for 11 days. You must get a prescription for antimalaria medicine. These and other health recommendations can be found at the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Please check it out.
Participants are responsible for their own medical expenses. Each participant should check to see whether or not their health insurance carrier will pay for expenses incurred out of the country. Tour participants are covered by International SOS medical assistance and evacuation insurance. This is notthe same as medical insurance.
The details of our trip are being arranged by PSI Tours president Lyle Smith, who has been doing this for over 20 years. PSI Tours also arranged my most recent Winter Term tour to Mexico in 2002. My own experience includes taking students on Winter Term programs to Taiwan (1991), Mexico (1992), Australia (2001), and again to Mexico (2002).
Besides Ron Smith (Winter Term faculty sponsor), Lyle Smith (tour director), and Don Beebe (assistant director), there are two females over thirty planning to go on the trip. They are not coming officially as chaparones, but will act in that capacity when needed.
Last Update: December 29, 2004
Ronald K. Smith
Graceland University
Lamoni, IA 50140 rsmith@graceland.edu