Jay Rucker, Environmental Staff Professional | Birmingham, AL
“Being able to serve the people of La Máquina with ASOCAVIVA was truly an honor of a lifetime. Nothing I have felt can quite compare to the feeling of watching the men, women, and children of the village see flowing freshwater for the first time. La Máquina had experienced tragedy in the days before our arrival. The warning we received from Jaime did not quite prepare us for the whirlwind of emotions the villagers were experiencing. This tragedy amplified the experience and showed us the strength of Pastor Dora and the community.

Amid the chaos of mud everywhere, loud machinery, soccer balls flying, and the beating Guatemalan sun, every single person from the village I ran into greeted me with an infectious smile and a handshake. The village’s hospitality and sense of community blew me away.

I believe Jaime, Barbaro, Juan, Karla, and Rudy could accomplish anything they set their minds to. This ASOCAVIVA team is an inspiration and an example of what trusting God, hard work, and a good attitude can do. This group has affected thousands of lives over hundreds of trips, and I could not have been happier to be a part of one. Thank you, GMC and ASOCAVIVA, for an amazing, life-changing trip.”

Kayla Thomas, Architecture Administration | Birmingham, AL
“It’s hard to put this experience into words, and I honestly don’t have many, but I do have a plethora of feelings to share. I felt honored to have been invited into their homes, joyous while surrounded by sweet children, intimidated by the work ahead of us, impressed by the hard work of my cohorts, so satisfied when we were done, but most of all, truly blessed by the people of San José La Máquina. This trip meant everything to me. To see and feel the love, happiness, sadness and strife of every man, woman, and child – I hope they know they have planted themselves in my heart and will continue to live there for as long as I breathe.”

Michael Chew, Sports Associate Architect | Birmingham, AL
“In the Bible, John 7:37–38 states, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” It was an incredible privilege to live out His word by helping bring clean water to a village where this resource was so desperately needed. I was blessed to travel and serve alongside such an amazing group of people. Traveling to Guatemala and having the opportunity to serve others in such a life-changing way was truly an incredible and rewarding experience.

As clean water began flowing through the village, a cautious resident approached and asked if he could drink from the new well and if it was free. I was overjoyed to tell him the water was much cleaner, from a deeper source, and importantly, free for everyone. The amazement and joy on his face when he realized what this meant for his family is something I’ll never forget. This immediate impact on the community demonstrates exactly why “we do what we do” and what makes GMC and ASOCAVIVA so special.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” is one of the most common themes in the Bible, and the people of Línea A-11 are deeply rooted in family and faith. I was deeply moved by the genuine kindness and compassion of the community. It speaks to the heart of the village that they welcomed a group of strangers into their homes, fed them, worked alongside them, and treated them as one of their own. I will always remember this time, but what will stay with me most are the people and the connections that were made throughout the week. It reminded me how desperately we all need one another – now more than ever.”

Devin Christopherson, Engineering Staff Professional | Birmingham, AL
“I had been looking forward to the opportunity to go on this trip since I started working at GMC. I knew going into it that this was going to be hard and fulfilling work, but I wasn’t prepared for the welling up of emotions that I experienced. 

The well we installed with ASOCAVIVA was a particularly needed one. The village that received it had very recently gone through a tragic loss: the loss of their community leader. It was clear from the beginning that the people who worked on the well with us were not only there to help with construction but also to help bring the community back together in such a dark time. 

The day we flushed the well, it was apparent that our collective work had begun to take effect. At the height of flushing, dozens of kids and older community members showed up to ogle at and play in the water that rushed out of the well. The joy that the kids experienced radiated through everyone on-site, and I was sure that the process of healing had begun.“

Melissa Hadley, Engineering Project Manager | Daphne, AL
“The time I spent in Guatemala helping to bring a well to a small rural village was unforgettable. It was a very rewarding experience to know that we were giving something to a community that would make a difference in people’s lives both now and for generations to come. I will carry every smile, hug, and tear in my heart forever. It was great to be a part of something bigger than myself, but some of my most cherished times were those spent one-on-one with a mom, child, or resident. We shared heart-to-heart and formed a unique bond under tents, tin roofs, in school yards, and around fire pits, making tortillas! I am also grateful to have made new friendships across the GMC footprint and learned that teamwork is truly built when we put aside individual desires for the good of others. Thank you, GMC, for this tremendous opportunity. I am forever grateful!“

Riley Kilpatrick, Environmental Scientist | Mobile, AL
“A trip like this adds a sense of enlightenment to life that many will never experience. I knew that this trip would be meaningful, but I (like most) underestimated how meaningful. The GMC goal seems simple: sponsor a well, send a team, drill the well, educate the community, but it turns out that the trip holds a significance of astounding depth. Like many people in the modern world, I often ponder the realities of the term “happiness.” What is “happiness”? What does it mean to be “happy”? From where does “happiness” come? After 25 years of living and having opportunities to travel through many states and a handful of countries, the correct answer was given to me by a small group of people in the lowlands of Guatemala. There is a misconception in a first-world environment, such as the United States, that happiness comes from jobs, riches, accomplishments, status, etc. I will tell anyone who believes in this answer to do something like what GMC does in Guatemala, and they will discover that they are ignorant of the meaning of intrinsic happiness. When you are blessed with the opportunity to work with a group of people as we did, it is evident that happiness comes from community. Happiness is an emotion bound by camaraderie, love, and action. The people of Línea A-11 seem to understand this, but I would venture to say most Americans do not understand this.

To me, what I have described above is the most profound thing about this entire trip. As Americans, we went to do a service for the people, the service of providing clean water to a community. What I did not understand is that the people of the community in which we worked would provide us with something even greater. They provided us with the realization that happiness will and could never come from any form of riches in the world. Happiness comes from within. It comes from within the heart, within the soul, and within the community. I think it is important to remember this as people, as a community, even as a company.

It is a bit ironic to think that I thought what we were doing was so entirely great (which of course it is), but through my experience, it was the wisdom and love that I received from the people of Línea A-11, San Jose La Maquina, Guatemala, that I will always cherish and never forget. Anyone who works for GMC and has the means to experience this trip is doing a disservice to themselves by not going.“

Dawn Clay, Architecture Construction Administration | Montgomery, AL
“Coming from a small town and having never traveled outside of the United States, I was unsure of what to expect. I knew I would be giving something like my time, but I was not prepared for the magnitude of what I would receive in return.

When people ask me how my trip to Guatemala was, words often fail me. It’s not something that can be fully described. It’s more of a feeling, something that moves through your heart and spirit when you think about the experience. This trip changed my mind, my heart, and my spirit. The love, faith, and strength of the people in the village showed me the true meaning of service. I witnessed gratitude and joy in ways that deeply humbled me.

One of the most powerful moments was seeing a dream fulfilled. Dora lost her husband just two months ago, and he had started the process of bringing clean water to the village. Although he did not live to see it completed, his vision became a reality. Through Dora and the work that was done, his legacy will live on in every drop of clean water that flows from that well.

The term servant leader means much more to me now than it did before this trip. Through every prayer, every smile, and every drop of water that will flow from this well, I felt the love of Jesus. I left Guatemala changed and grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and for the grace and undeserved favor of Jesus. My prayer is that others will also have the chance to serve and witness this kind of love.”

Joel Mounts, Architectural Associate | Nashville, TN
“This trip was an experience I will never forget in a place that I’ll always cherish deeply. What a blessing to be able to serve the incredible people of Guatemala with my coworkers and to live out God’s mission as disciples. 1 Peter 4:10 calls on us to “use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace.” I am so thankful for GMC generously allowing us to use our gifts and resources to go and serve the people of all nations.

I truly believe everyone at GMC should utilize this opportunity. It was such an honor to meet Jaime and his team, who are an amazing group that pours out love through their work. The village locals were remarkable, welcoming us into their community and family the day we arrived. I’ll never forget playing games with the children, the awesome meals made by our local friends, and the constant laughs we shared among coworkers and the ASOCAVIVA team. Seeing such simple moments bring genuine joy to the Guatemalan people is something we so greatly neglect in the U.S. This trip not only blessed a special village with clean water, but allowed us to encounter what it means to love others across country and language barriers, yet part of the same family in Christ.”