Youth Mission Trip 2024

Since the spring of 2023 youth have been hoping, praying, and preparing for a summer mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and the time has finally come to go! From July 26 to August 4, 13 high school youth and four adults will be serving the community of Fondo Negro, a town in the province of Barahona in the Dominican Republic. We’re working with an organization called Joshua 1:Nine Ministries to complete a building project for the local middle school, and we’ll lead two vacation-bible-school-style days for local children.

This group of St. Luke youth is very grateful for the generosity of the St. Luke congregation, our families, and friends. Your support, through prayer and fundraisers, have made this mission trip possible. Most significant was your support at the auction on March 17, which alone raised $16,821.47. That event made a huge difference in the fundraising efforts of each of these youth. To say we are thankful is an understatement, but we’ll say it nonetheless: Thank you for the many ways, financial or otherwise, that you have supported the 2024 mission trip youth.

In addition to the work we will do, we’re bringing 20 bags filled with education packs, clothes from the clothes drive held by one of our youth last summer, and handmade children’s clothing made by the St. Luke Quilters. These bags will be given to the Joshua 1:Nine employees in Fondo Negro and they will disperse the contents among local families.

We leave Spokane on Friday, July 26 and will arrive in Atlanta very early in the morning. From there we’ll fly to Santo Domingo. In Santo Domingo we’ll get on our bus and ride 3(ish) hours to Barahona, where we’re staying for the week. (Fondo Negro, is about a 30- or 45-minute bus ride from Barahona).

We’ve packed our last-minute things and we’re in the airport, so all that’s left to do is board our flights and give thanks for this opportunity to meet and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ in Fondo Negro.

Again, thank you for the many ways you have supported the mission trip. We welcome your prayers as we travel, complete our projects, and lean into all that God has in store for us. Follow along for daily updates and pictures!

Your Sister in Christ,

Jacque Larson