2026 Youth Group Service Trip: Puerto Rico

Meghan S. & Claire R.- “Today was an exciting start to a hopefully amazing trip! After a bright and early wake up and meeting at the church, we headed to the airport. We landed safely and met our group leader, Allie, in San Juan. We had a delicious late lunch and took a ~2 hour bus ride to The Little Yellow House, our accommodation for the week. We walked to a beautiful public beach five minutes from the casita and enjoyed swimming in the warm, clear water. After a catered dinner of chicken and rice, we had our first group meeting where we discussed our hopes for the trip and the plan for the next day. We are all tired but ready to explore San Juan tomorrow!”

Sophia S.-“Today our group enjoyed a wonderful tour of Old San Juan! Our tour guide was a local who told us about the city’s history as well as the long, troubling history of colonization. She answered all of our questions and more, also indulging some of us in our Spanish practice. It was very hot outside but we were able to get cold drinks and good food at a beautiful local spot. Even though it was a long wait, the plantain burgers and stuffed avocados were well worth it.

After our meal and lively discussion, we were afforded some free time to shop for souvenirs. Many of us also explored the plaza where a demonstration in support of an independent and socialist Puerto Rico was happening. It was inspiring to see so much passion and hear the live music. We then enjoyed a drive back home to the house with our friendly bus driver, Fernando. Overall it was a lovely day, the highlights being getting to experience local culture and strengthen our connection and communication as a group/team. Thanks Global Works!”

Liam C. & Liam W.-"Today was a wonderful day. We woke up early and convened for breakfast at 8 am sharp. After a very filling pancake breakfast, we gathered our belongings and departed for the worksite in the van. We made sure to bring lots of water for our the long day through the torrid heat. Once we got to the job site, we went inside and met our project leader, Angel. Julian did a great job translating for us so we knew the safety rules. After our safety talk, we went outside and met William, who led our specific group through the project. We had an assembly line of scooping rocks and dirt, then shoveling up the concrete that was created and then passing it in buckets so it could be poured. Today we focused on making and spreading the concrete, but the end goal of the project is to build a staircase for a woman named Ana. Ana and her family were very appreciative, as her children were roaming around the worksite helping us with our the project as well. Everybody had their own jobs which we rotated through over the course of the day, making the process very efficient. Around 11:30, we stopped for lunch and walked up the hill to Maria’s house for lunch. Maria made us a wonderful meal of chicken and rice, which helped refuel us after a long morning of work. After lunch, we continued to work on the project until we ran out of materials and rapped up around 1:30. It was very hot, but everyone still preserved through the heat and we got a lot of work completed. After finishing at the worksite, we returned to the Yellow House where we are staying. Then, some of the group went to the beach while some others stayed home to watch the World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. It was a close game, as it stayed tied at 0-0 until the 106th minute when Spain took the 1-0 lead and rode that to the end. After the game, we watched Ryan attempt a 360 windmill dunk which was pretty cool. Then, everybody relaxed for a little while before having a delicious bolognese dinner. After dinner, we broke into smaller groups to get to know each other better and plan for tomorrow. Tomorrow should be a great day working on the farm!”

Evy, Addy, and Lauren W.- “Today was filled with service, learning, and memorable moments. After breakfast together, we headed to a cacao farm where we got our hands dirty gardening before touring the farm with Gabriela and learning about cacao and grafting. We enjoyed an amazing lunch, watched Desenya crack open fresh cacao on a rock, and tasted delicious coconut truffles and the best melting chocolate ever. After a relaxing bus ride and spotting sea turtles at the beach, we ended the day with dinner, a fun salsa lesson (with a great instructor, Yarra), and a meaningful group reflection on our experiences and spirituality.”

Ryan S. & Connor C.- “Today was our 4th full day in Puerto Rico. After eating French toast and packing up La Casa Pequeña Amarillo, we headed back to the worksite, where we had worked on day 2. There, we observed the work we did on our first day there. We removed the mould we had there previously, and then we moved down the hill to work on a new house. At the new house, we moved rebar rods around the worksite and shortened them. Once this job was complete, we said our bittersweet goodbyes to Angel and Willie, our project managers, and headed back up the hill to eat lunch at Maria’s house. She cooked a meal of rice, chicken, and salad, which was delicious after a hard days work. Following our meal, we loaded back into our vehicles, and departed on a 90 minute journey to our new hostel, Casa Coral. This new abode is magnificent, and has a beautiful view of the ocean. Then, at 4:15, we walked about a half a mile to a Puerto Rican convenience store, where we loaded up on snacks. After this trip, we played “never have I ever — musical chairs”. Our dinner today was chicken breasts and rice. After cleaning up from our meal, we gathered for a group conversation, and talked about the work we did on this trip. Overall, today was a day of departure and new beginnings.”

Eamon P.- “Today was a wonderful last day to the trip. We kicked things off with a paddle board down the Rio Sabana led by our guide Ramon. He took us to a place called the white cathedral: a spot where the branches of the white mangrove trees created somewhat of an arch over the river. It was a truly serene spot, and it allowed us to reconnect with nature. Then, we went to the beach where we saw leatherback turtle nesting sites. Later on, we went to lunch and then shopped for souvenirs in Los Kioskos. After, we headed to El Yunque for a night hike. Our knowledgeable guide Jose told us some folk lore about a swimming hole by a waterfall. He then showed us 3 kinds of coqui (frogs) as well as a variety of snails and other insects. It was a great experience and there being no mosquitoes was a big plus”