Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where exactly is Amigos de Jesús and how do I get there?
A: Amigos de Jesús is located just outside the town of Macuelizo in western Honduras, just 9 miles east of the Guatemala border. Macuelizo is situated halfway between the second largest city in Honduras, San Pedro Sula, and the popular tourist destination of Copan Ruinas. Honduras is not as far away as it seems! Flights to San Pedro Sula from either Miami or Houston are around two and a half hours. From there, the orphanage is an hour and a half by car.

Q: Do I need to speak Spanish?
A: Fluency in Spanish is not required during the application or acceptance processes. Volunteers are required to attend language school for one to two months prior to arriving at Amigos de Jesús.  Volunteers will attend the same language school. 

Q: How much money will I need?
A: We ask that volunteers fundraise during the volunteer year to help cover the costs of our program.  This enables us to provide volunteers with room and board, health insurance, and language school.  Volunteers are responsible for travel arrangements to/from Honduras.  If you are attending language school, your flight arrangements would be from home to the language school and from the language school directly to Honduras.  We will assist you in the Visa process and in setting you up at the language school.

Q: Do I need to fundraise money to cover these costs?
A: All volunteers are encouraged to fundraise for their expenses. Choosing to fundraise not only assists the volunteer in lessening his/her own costs, but also invites friends and family into the journey that is being a volunteer with Amigos de Jesús. Fundraising offers a wonderful opportunity to let others share in the experience of the orphanage and grants others a unique perspective into the decision the volunteer makes to spend 13 months with us in Honduras.  The Amigos staff will assist the volunteer in fundraising strategies.  

Q: Is it safe?
A: Like any travel experience, volunteers take on a certain amount of risk when they commit to 14 months of service in Honduras. In the 10-year history of Amigos de Jesús there have been no incidents of violence, trauma or serious accidents involving long- or short-term American volunteers. The orphanage is located in a peaceful, rural area well outside the city and the organization is well established and well respected in the local community.

Q: What kind of support will I receive throughout the year?
A: Volunteers are asked to sacrifice many of the communication conveniences available in the United States. They will be asked to support each other as a community and to rely on each other. In addition to community nights, community retreats and community travel, volunteers will be supported by U.S.-based staff.  At the site in Honduras, volunteers will be supported by the Honduran Director and staff.

Q: Can my family come and visit me?
A: Volunteer families are highly encouraged to visit their sons/daughters/sisters/brothers. Families are permitted to visit for up to one week at a time. Families are also encouraged to visit other parts of Central America with their volunteer family member after spending time at Amigos de Jesús.

Q: What is a volunteer’s typical day like?
A: The volunteer lifestyle is very busy! The ministry centers on the children of Amigos de Jesús who range in age from 7 to 20 and participate in activities ranging from school to sports to woodworking to agriculture. Each day begins around 6:30 a.m. with community breakfast and prayer. Volunteers then use their special talents to work with the children in areas ranging from gardening to fine arts, teaching and nursing, everything in between and then some! We eat lunch and then play with the kids until it’s time to assist the teachers in afternoon lessons and help the children with their homework. After dinner with the children, we enjoy some free time. The day always ends with community prayer, where we give thanks for our many blessings. Two nights a week the volunteer community has dinner together (not with the boys); one of those nights dinner is followed by community prayer/spirituality night, the other is followed by a business meeting to keep everyone informed of what is happening at the Hogar, as well as to make any community decisions that might be necessary. Volunteers are asked to be available to serve where they are most needed…as teachers, coaches, parents, counselors. Volunteers are also encouraged to use their individual skills and talents to bring new ideas to the program. A musical talent may translate to private guitar lessons for a child who shows musical aptitude; a love for the outdoors may translate to an after school “boy scouts” club; a deep faith may translate to facilitator of weekly celebrations of the Word. The opportunities are endless!

Q: What does “faith-based program” mean?
A: Amigos de Jesús was co-founded by a Catholic priest and our children are raised in the Catholic faith. Volunteers of all faiths accepted into the program are asked to make a commitment to an active participation in the children’s Catholic faith formation and to participate actively in the Catholic spirituality of the community. Among other things, this commitment is manifested in daily prayer, weekly prayer of the rosary, attendance at weekly mass, attendance at weekly celebrations of the Word and celebration of religious holidays.