High school students from the Berlin Brethren Church (Berlin, PA) ventured on a mission trip to serve in Esquipulas, Nicaragua for a week through Praying Pelican Missions. The team of 16 went with the goals of distributing food to impoverished areas of town, helping with children’s ministry, assisting in facility upgrades like drywalling and painting, and sharing testimonies throughout the week to community members hungry to hear how Jesus was actively at work.

The team’s theme verse was Acts 1:8. It says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This verse was chosen because it describes our Power (the Spirit), our Purpose (to witness), and our Place (to the ends of the earth). Acts 1:8 served as the team’s reminder to stay connected to how God is calling his followers to help build the Church.

There are several stories I could share about how God worked and showed up during this mission experience, but perhaps it might be more beneficial to hear from the students themselves.

Brady Janidlo
“My most memorable moment was all of the worshiping we did throughout the week, whether it was the food distribution, service projects, while eating, or just being at church singing and bonding. I learned that God’s love has no barriers….God is good!”  

Mercy Sechler
“My most memorable moment was hearing all the people at church singing in Spanish. I couldn’t understand anything they were singing, but I knew God could understand them. It also touched my heart to see everyone put in their full effort to praise God.”

Cora Fisher
“My most memorable moment was seeing how loving and joyful the people were. Specifically, seeing Israel (the facility caretaker) serving and truly acting like Jesus was really cool.”

Bethann Walker
“My memorable moment was making connections with so many ladies, especially with Blessky since we both liked Hello Kitty. The opportunities I had this week to serve were amazing.”

Carson Janidlo
“My memorable moment was getting to meet the leaders and connecting with the kids from the community. I really liked the food distribution. On one trip, the person we tried to reach wasn’t home. So, we went to Maria’s home instead and found out the food blessed her because she didn’t have much to eat that day.”

Respectfully Submitted,
Luke Dowdy
Youth and Worship Pastor, Berlin Brethren Church