Guatemala customs question
 

I am traveling as part of a church mission team. I will be carrying two suitcases filled with supplies (vitamins, school supplies, toothbripushes, soap, etc). Since I have to carry on my personal suitcase, I need to put my aerosols and larger liquids (insect repellant, sunscreen) into one of the checked (supply) suitcases. What are my chances customs will keep the supplies and I might lose my personal stuff? Anyone have experience with this?

TTT anyone? i leave in two days!

Why do you think customs is going to confiscate your stuff?

Mission groups like yours travel to Guatemala regularly. I think every flight I've ever been on from the U.S. to Guatemala has had a group on it. You can always identify them because they're all wearing identical T-shirts. The customs people at the airport are used to groups like yours. They'll probably look inside your bags, but they should wave you on through after they do.

Have a good and successful trip. :)

¡Gracias a todos! It's what I expected as I have done this type of trip to Mexico, but not to Guatemala. Our group leader is a novice as well.

You shouldn't buy aerosols, they are bad for the environment and dangerous due to the propellants in them. There isn't a single reason in the world why you need to buy something in an aerosol form when you can buy it in some other form that works perfectly well. Like insect repellent or sunscreen.

Only been once but there were lots of nurses, etc. kids doing the same as you plan too. They have to be used to it. BTW it's a new and very impressive airport.

Update. . .the Customs officials in the past have taken custody of the medical supplies for 24 hours, then released them after taxes had been paid. This trip they found a loophole. . .no taxes and the bags were released immediately. Overall, a wonderful mission. . .394 patients seen in four days.

Hi Trvlmaven! Where did you go in Guatemala? I was there in 2009 and loved the country. It is someplace I will visit again.

I'm glad to hear that you didn't have any trouble getting through customs.

Hi cgenster! We were housed at hotel Bambu in Matzateneango and served the villages of Nuevo Corvodango and San Juan Cerritos, both finca (plantation) communities. The four doctors saw 394 patients in four days. Truly inspiring. . .can't wait to go back next year. We did have some R&R time at Lake Atítlan.