Do you remember your senior year of high school? The excitement of what's next, the joy of reaching a milestone, and the absolute terror that you’re going to be “on your own” in the world? As a church we want to walk alongside our youth at this time in their lives and begin their “final” year with a capstone trip to Peru. It’s a trip for them to experience another culture and experience that few have gotten to witness. More than that, the trip's goal is to equip and mobilize them. We work to help identify gifts they already have and can use. They are given responsibility to plan and lead children and their fellow youth in an activity. We take time to talk through their worries and anticipations for the upcoming year and beyond. We remind them that they are part of a bigger story and a bigger family that will always be with them in whatever path they choose. It’s always an honor to serve alongside the youth, and getting to watch these youth recognize and utilize their gifts and realize that they have one another to lean on, brings me so much joy. Below are experiences of just some of the youth who were on the trip.
This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the Junior Capstone mission trip. To say this trip was life-changing would be an understatement, and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of it. Each day was filled with activities and bonding.
We began the first day with church and lunch with the OSA staff, which gave us a chance to meet the people we would be working with for the week. Monday was different from the rest of the week because it was a national holiday, and it was a lot of fun. We started with recreation groups, and it was our first time meeting all of the kids. They were amazing! Within the first few minutes of being assigned to my group, I had already received three hugs and learned everyone’s names. The day went by so quickly, and every part of it was filled with joy.
Tuesday was one of my favorite days because I got to lead the kids in my art craft. They were engaged, eager to listen, and all of their crosses turned out perfect! That experience was one of the moments I am most thankful for.
As the week continued, the days followed a similar pattern with opportunities to teach art crafts, lead Bible studies, and guide the kids in recreational games. Thursday was our last workday, and it was hard to say goodbye to the kids. That afternoon, we led lessons at the Osita farther up the mountain. One of the most memorable moments of the trip was playing basketball with the kids who attended the Osita. I saw a little boy playing alone in the corner while the other kids were involved in group activities, so I walked over and started playing with him. We spent the rest of the time playing basketball together. It was a simple moment, but it felt so genuine and reminded me of how special it is to serve intentionally.
This capstone trip was amazing in so many ways and getting to serve with God’s love alongside my friends made the experience even better. This trip helped us in forming a meaningful bond and a community of friends who are all in the same stage of life. This capstone trip was truly life-changing and helped me grow as a person and as a follower of God.
— Sidney Alexander
The trip to Collique was a very humbling experience, to say the least. As Americans, we’ve grown accustomed to living in such privileged environments to the point of near-complete disregard. Beforehand, the only pictures I’ve seen of Peru were the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, along with various cities, making it easy to believe that all of Peru was like this. Going to Collique, however, showed me the parts of Peru that the travel guides and textbooks would prefer to skip over, and I quickly reconsidered my judgement.
Nevertheless, Collique is not a place filled with negativity, despite its appearance. It is home to some of the most humble people one could encounter, being happy with so little money and choice compared to us. Even though we were aliens to them, they showed us an immense amount of kindness and respect—as well as curiosity.
During my time there, I led an activity involving art, where the children had to draw an animal of their choosing and place it on a massive paper ark to fill it up. Their artistic capability was quite impressive, despite their age. Each one of them was proud of their work and eagerly asked me to help them place it on the ark.
The children are incredibly energetic—constantly running and moving about their environment without any sign of exhaustion at all. They loved playing the games we came up with and were always able to play said games with ease.
Though we ran into many complications during our journey back home, I am glad to say that I went and experienced the country. It was an experience I will never forget, and one that I would gladly share with my own children.
— Vladimir Davidiuk III
So the Peru trip was about the Youth helping those less fortunate than us in Peru. Our job was to help with the kids and give them someone they can look to and trust. I was given the opportunity to lead a games group. The game was where someone who was blindfolded had to trust what other people told them to complete a maze. Some memorable things on the trip were getting close with the fellow Youth members and leaders that I previously had shallow relationships with, and I was able to deepen those relationships. Something I learned on the trip was that God has a plan for everything, even if it is not in the way you think or how you think He will provide for you, if you put your trust in Him.
— Jacob Harper
I loved traveling to Peru, and I was honored to learn so much in a different language and culture. We got to meet many amazing workers and talented kids, teaching them Bible stories, leading them in crafts, and playing with them during game time each day. I had the opportunity to lead game time and help them with a bracelet-making craft during a Bible study. I loved watching each child’s expression of creativity while they made bracelets for themselves and to share with another person; I enjoyed seeing their energy, laughter, and willingness to dive in and participate during the game time. I also had the incredible privilege of seeing the leaders and workers of OSA coming alongside the kids to love them, support them, and teach them; I got to see their humility, servant-hearted work, and compassion for the kids each day we were there. They truly welcomed us and taught us so much as well. One of the most memorable things I learned on the trip was that even though there may be a language barrier, multiple cultures, and very different life experiences between us and the kids we worked with, hugs and smiles are the best language to communicate with. I grew in confidence, Spanish language skill, and independence, and was overjoyed to learn how to show the love of Christ to those in need.
— Elizabeth Menger
