Plan a Peru Mission trip! long and short term!!

Join Us on the Trip

If you would love to come down and join us for a short or long missionary trip, please do!! THis page is specific to get you more informed on doing so.

Where: Ica, Peru (El Carmen, San Juan Bautista)

When: Anytime!!! (now that we have had full time missionary team running the mission year round, since 2015), they are ready to receive visitors, helpers, participants, teachers, etc. anytime with little exception!

Why Here?: Good question, and there is a great deal of good you can bring with you here, and a tremendous number of reasons to come here. Just so you have as much info on us as possible before you start to plan a trip,

If you are interested in more of the “bigger picture”, such as where in Peru, or why we are ‘here’, here is a link you should look at first for that info. And
Here is a good overview (6 minute) video which gives you a great visit of the location, ourselves, facilities, dreams, needs.
Specific information on la Misión and what we do here, this is an ever changing document …
Just looking for some basic map directions to find us (once you are in Peru), here’s another link. And
What else is located nearby in Ica.

Advanced Planning:

Since we now have a permanent mission management family in place, one can plan a visit and stay anytime – just let us know. If you or your group want to stay at the mission just write or call us and we will work out all the logistics with you. That planning can include a short stay in Miraflores (Lima coastal area) for your arrival and departure in Peru.

Time of day: Peru (as well as Ecuador and Columbia) is on “Bogota Time”. Basically, we do not practice daylight savings time, so half the year it is the same timezone as NY/Miami, the other half it is the same as Chicago/Dallas. It is either 2 or 3 hours ahead of Pacific Time.
Time of Year: Plan your seasons around the southern hemisphere, during Christmas it’s summer weather and it’s winter in June through August!!
Elevation & Climate: The location of the mission and Lima are coastal elevations and definitely 12 month accessible areas, with little to no rain. It is never as hot or cold as it gets in the USA. Summers can be up to 90F (32C), Winters down to 50F (10C). but just so you are aware of the climate seasons.
What to Wear: In the winter, jackets and sweaters are advisable, although often needed only in the evenings. In the summer, it can get fairly hot from noon till 4pm, but the Mission’s 9 foot ceilings are very cool inside (villagers stop by all the time to enjoy). Summer is great for Harvest festival in February, when all the grapes come in. Summer is also best if you are planning any side trips to the mountains (Cusco, Machu Pichu, Puno, Titicaca) which are far cooler in the winter but do get 12 month tourism as well. Winter is my favorite time of year (summer in the USA) cause it’s the coolest weather.

Cost:

Airfare will be your biggest cost by far, but being in our same hemisphere far far more economical than a Europe, Africa or Asia flight. In fact, most people can do a round trip flight to Peru far cheaper than most round trips in the USA. Also, being in northern end of South America, Peru is far less expensive than traveling further to Argentina or Chile.

Depending on the season and timing, there are great buys to be found. Assume from $500 to $900 roundtrip for the airfare portion, from LA area, a hundred dollars or more cheaper from east coast cities. Round trips through Miami are definitely the most economical.

We have Southern Californians loving convenience of flying down from Tijuana through Mexico City, and there are many other connections through Latin American carriers with hubs in Panama, El Salvador and Mexico. The main international airport for arrival is Lima. Work your best deal. Keep in mind that as your price goes down, so your layover somewhere may go up. Also, luggage privileges may go down as well.* The airline that we prefer is LATAM since it flies non-stop from Los Angeles. But most airlines fly to Lima (United, Delta, American, JetBlue, Eastern, etc). Best airfare deals are offered about two months prior to your trip, as long as you are avoiding the normal holiday blackout dates.** Coming to the mission from Lima is usually done by bus, but many have also rented cars. We are 4h30min south of Lima by bus, 3h30min by car, just north of the city of Ica by about 25 minutes. As stated elsewhere, we will be of assistance in the taxi and bus portion of your travels, where possible or needed.

*One great way of helping the mission is to let us know any excess baggage available that we might have you use for supplies we can use. Our hardest hurdle in getting needed supplies down here is usually transportation, so visiting missionaries can assist us if they have extra baggage capacity. With airlines getting more and more competitive, admittedly excess baggage is getting less and less available.

**Also we highly recommend that you buy your airline tickets on credit, not debit cards or cash. Airlines are notorious for not wanting to refund, but rather credit you for a future flight even when it is their fault for a cancellation. This problem became more evident with the recent 2020 pandemic, as the airlines became very strapped by all the refunds they were required to give.]

Airfare aside (which we can only guide you on), we can help you minimize and control the rest of the cost on a missionary trip (including all ground transportation, meals and lodging). Regardless of where you are coming from, for planning purposes, for a one week trip, plan to budget $350* plus airfare per person. This will cover:

Taxi pickup (& return) between Lima airport and Miraflores (Lima) lodging;
Lodging in Miraflores for 1 (or 2) nights arrival, depending on arrival time; and a night before departure;
Escort services from Lima to Ica to Mission and back (again, assuming 4 our more people);
Taxi to/from bus depot in Lima & Miraflores;
Bus transport between Lima to Ica;
Taxi transport to/from Ica to Mission in El Carmen, San Juan Bautista district;
lodging at Mission in El Carmen (cost based on number of days);
2 meals a day for 6 days a week (assuming on your own meals 1 day a week).

(*add/subtract $15 lodging/meals, $10 for lodging only, for each additional days stay at the mission, these prices assume 4 or more people).

Of course any side trips (extra transportation, extra spending, food, shopping etc.) would not be included in the above costs. Please feel free to ask us any and all questions though on things to see, economical ways to travel, recommendations, etc. Here is a link of touristy things to see in the area. [Important: If you are planning a trip/visit for 6 weeks or more, a totally separate far lower housing cost structure is available for you. Please inquire about ‘long term’ missionary costs.]

Mission Status:

Construction for lodging has been completed in 2015!! Since October 2013, church services have been held there weekly! Ongoing construction has added a 2nd building in 2016-17, and a 3rd floor to that building in 2020, to be completed in 2021.

We have two dormitories that can sleep 15, additional 7 private bedroom (4 in fixed use), 5 more in construction for completion in 2021, as well as areas to expand to when we get a burst need of many people. We have bathrooms with 14 toilets, 12 sinks & showers, internet, hot water, 1 large and 3 small kitchen and dining area, central worship room. We are also equipped with audio/visual aids, musical instruments and microphones both for the mission as well as outreach. So, come and join us in working with the children in teaching, sports, music, evangelism and more or bring your best ideas and desires for contact, mission work, children, teenagers, adult outreaches and we have a wonderful audience in 5 villages to work with you. We also make visits to the plazas and churches in the city of Ica which is 20 minutes south of us and now to our new sister base in Pisco, near the ocean, one hour to our west.

Outreach is the primary purpose of what this mission is built for, and that is what focus is needed by most of those visiting. We also often have a weekly youth activity group. We have great communities in nearby villages of San Pedro, Altura, Invacion and el Olivos, San Juan Bautista, Quilloay as well as here in El Carmen. We have a lot of baseball equipment donated and the kids love to play, come on down and help them learn this great team sport that is not as well known on this continent.

Due to the fantastic efforts of our long term missionaries, the Barriga’s (who also are the mission managers), they are very much asking for more to join them. We have other long term missionaries committed to join for different time lengths. God bless our missionaries. Still we can use more. We soon will have private quarters for up to 10 long-term missionaries to live. If this is a possible consideration for you, please do inquire.

There are families that need assistance, construction, house additions, repairs, food, clothing, love, soccer/volley/basketball participation, pen pals, movie night, english lessons, kite flying contests, prayer, bible leadership, support, etc. We try to have outreaches of all sorts for the communities. Come and enjoy these people, their needs, their compassion, share your love with them, you will get it back tenfold.

Purpose:

Past outreaches have left a strong relationship with community, and much is left to do. Primary construction is behind us. We seek missionary-minded individuals (short or long term) to utilize the mission to outreach to the surrounding communities of El Carmen, El Olivos, San Pedro, Altura, San Juan Bautista, Quilluay and Invacion, to show Christ’s love and compassion to these residents. Prior outreaches brought in eye exams, reading glasses, dental checkups, dental hygiene training, toys, bibles, shoes, sandals and clothing. We have complete curriculum for teaching English as well now and worship leaders, testimonies, skit performers, and general outreach participants are all very much sought after.

The mission organization has been doing work in this district even before it had walls up!! Now that the mission is built, we can do even more!! Join us, and be part of a legacy that this community is strongly in need of and is very appreciative of!! We have a strong church youth support that we are building and desire to work with the missionaries as much as possible. We know not what the final goal for this Mission is, but the immediate one is to show the poor people of San Juan Bautista district that Jesus loves them and He is here to stay and not just ‘passing through’.

Need: Laborers, Teachers and Evangelists

If the Lord puts in your heart to go please contact us by phone, regular mail or email. We would be more than willing to discuss this mission and the area with your church or support group as well.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-30