Costa Rica Short-Term Mission Trip
Join us May 20-27, 2026 for a life changing week in Costa Rica! Our team will partner with Mission Point Ministry to work with two Costa Rican church congregations located on the Carribean side of the country in Guacimo and Zent. Activities include putting together and hosting a festival (think Fall Festival at Burke) and a free medical clinic. Medical professionals as well as non-medical team members are needed.
Synopsis:
Our team will be working with two Costa Rica local churches. The churches are located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica in Guacimo and Zent. Our mission will have to primary activities at each church. First, this trip is a medical mission focused on largely screening people who haven’t accessed the social medical system in Costa Rica. We will be working with a local doctor. Through our screening we can identify heath issues not previously identified and through the referral of the local doctor we can get them into the medical system. Costa Rica has a strong socialized medical system and getting this entry done for them can be lifesaving. Secondly, we will be doing a Festival at each church. Like the Fall Festival we do at Burke in October. The focus of this activity is bringing in the community that may not be familiar with the local church. We will have activities that are Biblically focused, with materials to take home, and largely focused towards children. We benefit from great local missionary contacts, Abyzhadwl and Gladys Prado, who are very easy with which to work. As our team builds out, we have the possibility to add more activities as the capabilities of our team are identified.
As with all our short-term mission trips, we going to conduct these identified activities, but we have other goals. We want to build relationships with the local church and community, we want to practice compassion in our serving, we want to glorify God in all we do, and we want to reach the lost and broken souls for Christ. We will have meetings in advance of the trip to talk through aspects of cross-cultural ministry to prepare us and build cohesiveness of our team before we leave. I hope you can join us. The team will be limited in size, typically 12-15 team members, so we can be focused on the mission at hand. What follows are some common questions asked with some answers, but do not hesitate to contact me at the information at the beginning of the page by either email, text, or phone. I happy to discuss the trip and any specific questions you may have.
FAQ’s:
Where will we stay? We will be staying at a local camp. Men and women in separate cabins. Each cabin has their own bathroom with shower. Typically 4-6 people in each cabin. There are bunk beds in the cabins. he cabins have air conditioning and wifi. There is even a pool right by the cabins we can use. We will be the only people at the camp.
Where and what will we eat? Most of our meals will be at the Guacimo church prepared by church members in their kitchen. I may be biased but I think the food is wonderful, but certainly, the fellowship with the church members is best. Also, by having our meals there, it helps them earn some money. When we are away from the Guacimo church, we typically have prepared sack lunches or stop at a local restaurant which we have previously cleared.
Should I drink the water? Costa Rica has a very good water system, but every water system, including ours in the US, has different organisms in it. We will always have bottled water available. Plenty to fill water bottles, which is highly encouraged. Any drinks at meals will be from bottled water. The food is fresh, the fruit is amazing, and not very spicy.
How will we travel? We will travel together from the airport to and from Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, we will have our own bus and bus driver that will always be with us.
Do I need to be able to speak Spanish? No. We will have translators with us and many of the activities will not require the use of Spanish.
What makes me qualified to go on the trip? You must love the Lord, care for others, and have a servant’s heart. Things will be different from Northern Virginia and that requires patience and flexibility, but it is only a week. Everyone I have ever taken to Costa Rica comes back blessed. If you let God, he will change you while you are there.
Will we have any fun or only work? Honestly, the work is fun, BUT, we will have one day that we will take and go to the beach (likely Puerto Viejo) before we return.
How do I apply for the trip? Apply today using the link provided on this page.*
Application Deadline: March 15, 2026
*You will be asked to create an account on Managed Missions to apply for the trip. This does NOT lock you into any commitment nor does it guarantee that you will be placed on the team. Create an account, input your information and a profile picture, and then select your preferred trip(s). Once your application has been reviewed by Outward Ministries staff you will be notified about team placement. A non-refundable deposit will be collected after the first team meeting. You will also be given tools and training to help raise funds to cover the cost of your trip if you desire to do so.
See the full Short-Term Missions Calendar
Following are some links you can reference for information about Mission Point Ministry with whom we will be working and Costa Rica in general. Don’t hesitate to reach out to trip leader Brian Twaddell with any questions you may have: [email protected]
Mission Point Ministry – if you follow the Facebook link you will see some pictures/videos of prior trips
