Although Puerto Rico is a United States territory, it is listed as an international site for Group Missions. During this week-long event, St. Luke’s youth and leaders strengthened their relationship with Jesus, worked hard, explored unfamiliar lands, embraced new cultures, and learned about cross-cultural sensitivity. This expanded on the youth’s interest in exploring and spreading love globally. Our team of 6 repaired, painted, and cleaned homes. We revitalized landscapes for residents and in a school that will now be used to host incoming Group Missions volunteers. The small town of Cayey, PR, was devastated by Hurricane Maria and still has a lot of work needed to repair homes and businesses.

Youth and leaders were exposed to poverty, devastation, and beauty that God has provided in nature and people. This mission trip empowered the youth to step out of their comfort zone and gain cultural fluency. LYO and leaders built critical thinking skills and expanded our worldview by exploring new things, from food to languages to traditions. This experience may open a door that creates excitement in meeting people in our hometown who may be different, whether in an academic, professional, or social setting. We may be more inclined to want to learn about the background of others and appreciate the uniqueness in ourselves and others. The youth are now excited to learn a new language (especially Spanish) and want to incorporate Spanish conversation in our Sunday School lessons.

Through this excursion, the team has built connections in an unlikely opportunity. Having friends with a different worldview can help the youth and leaders expand their knowledge. For example, we learned about the devastation of Hurricane Maria on the families we served, what Puerto Rico being a U.S. territory actually means, lived experiences of Cuban residents, and the challenges faced by expats from across the globe.  This mission trip created a newfound sense of confidence because attendees were challenged by navigating life outside of our comfort zone. We gained a new sense of accomplishment when we learned to do new things and succeed at them: whether was exploring an unfamiliar city that speaks a different language, finishing a difficult job, communicating despite language barriers, discovering a new transportation route, or embracing how differently people live.

In addition to the excitement, lessons, and personal development obtained, we also have developed a relationship with the Coordinator, who is now familiar with St. Luke’s, our physical needs, and the families on the ground, specifically in Latin America. He has offered to coordinate all of our service efforts independently, which would eliminate the registration fee. We learned and experienced invaluable lessons, shared our hearts, and conducted challenging work in our small group of 6. So, I am pleased to report that as we are now considering Costa Rica for the 2023 mission trip, our group has expanded to 13 interested participants.

Most importantly, we would like to thank all of you for your continued support in youth fundraisers, prayers, and words of encouragement. We could not achieve this invaluable mission each year without you.